2 Core Processors are Obsolete?

[jimr9999us]

Is there any circumstance where a 2 core processor would be a wise choice in a new build?

edit for: a beer induced typo.

 

[slim142]

What do you mean?
Core 2 Duos are the best choice so far (until we see if retail nehalems really brings decent performance gains)

Try of course to use 45nms cpus as they perform a bit faster, run cooler and are cheap too.

 

[nukemaster]

Dual core will be viable for a while yet, most software is not making use of its potential yet.

Quad core is a good option for some, but may take too much power and have lower clock speeds then there dual core counterparts for some applications.

The new Quads will change things a bit. Lower power and higher clocks being the main ones.

 

[jimr9999us]

I've read that most software devlepment is being optimized for 4 cores, due to the "next-gen" systems.

A year from now, won't a 2.6 quad generate higher framerates than a 3.whatever duo?

 

[zenmaster]

As always..........
State your budget,
What you want to do with your computer,
And general parts you will need (Don't forget OS, etc...)

 

[nukemaster]

The have been promising dual core optimizations for years, but it has yet to come. Quad optimized seems to be a bit off. Some games DO use it, but it may be a while for it to go mainstream.

I think you are good for a while on dual if it suits your budget. The biggest place where my quad helps me is video compression or multi-gaming.

 

[megamanx00]

It's going to be a while before alot of software takes advantage of four cores. Most games really only use two and thus perform better with a dual core CPU of higher speed rather than a quad core CPU even if they have some quad core optimization. The truth is, getting down to nitty gritty assembly in order to fully utilize four cores falls on the wrong side of diminishing returns for most game software developers. It's gonna take a while before the tools come out that let the visual c++ and visual basic programmers be able to use four cores with minimal investment as far as development time goes.

Maybe the DX11 SDK will have physics and AI threading capabilities that will let quad cores show their stuff without putting developers through developer hell, but time will tell. Knowing Microsoft I'm sure the day is soon coming when VB programmers can just drop in some premade controls and have some premade threading functions that are 40% overhead to get that 60% CPU performance on all four cores.

 

[Murissokah]

For now, I'd say it's more like the quads are obsolete. Now seriously, unless you have a specific threaded task to perform, Quads are just for show.

 

[paq7512]

Agreed, quads are more obsolete. People tend to want to brag or there is a handful or people that actually use the extra cores; for programs like Autodesk, Adobe, Liquid and so on...

 

[harrycat88]

If you just run basic application and play a few games then forget the Quad Core, just get a dual core and be happy.
They won't have any mainstream software that takes advantage of quad core for another 2 or 3 years since over half of the systems these days only have a single core. Take for instance; my company bought 6 new computers this year and all these new computers only have a single core Pentium 3.2GHz.

 

[modtech]

OP you should be asking the opposite question.