What applications/uses employ multicores? (ie. 2 strong cores VS 4 weaker)

[rokoko]

So,I'm comparing between two processors of equal strength, but one is dual core and the other is quad.

I was wondering which uses/applications can only occupy one or two cores and thus will better operate on stronger cores, and for which utilizations the 4 cores are more suitiable?

From what I have read, it seems like games are one of the applications that mostly employ only 2 cores (exept for idiosyncrasies like BF3 and some other minority of games) so they will benefit from stronger cores.

Thank you very much!

 

[ihog]

What two CPUs are you looking at? What programs/games are you planning to use/play?

 

[rokoko]

My question is general so that I'd understand "whats out there" and could evaluate the expediency of the different products on my own.
thx

 

[ihog]

It's very general of a question, but I'll try. Most of the time, a dual core will be enough for common programs. That being said, most dual cores are lower on the tier.

A program that can only use 2 cores will perform better on a stronger dual core processor (assuming it uses 100% of the cores) than a weaker quad core. Programs like Photoshop utilize more cores, but they don't necessarily use 100% on each. They tend to split the load, so it might not be an improvement. (Say you have a single core CPU that the program can only use 100% of, the program might use 50% of each core on a dual core.)

Multi-tasking is also a factor. If you need to run two programs, such as Photoshop and Illustrator, more cores will help. The amount of RAM also factors into this. Running those two eats up my 8 GB of RAM.

Games have a possibility of properly utilizing more than 4 cores in the future, but that's debatable.

What two processors are you looking at, though, for curiosity's sake? Or is it just theoretical? Because if they are of equal strength (equal clock speed and IPC), and a program can only use 2 cores, then they will perform the same, if you were wondering.

Also, I am not an aficionado of how many cores programs can use, so it's hard for me to go in depth if I don't know the exact programs someone is using.

 

[rokoko]

Indeed it is a general question and I thank you for your contribution.

The processors I'm looking at are a bit theoretical (at the moment I've taken the I3 2-'something as a starting point and will look for its multicore counterpart) so it's the rule of thumb I'm in pursuit of. The principles of the system.

...and a program can only use 2 cores, then they will perform the same, if you were wondering

You mean if they won't use 100% of the weaker cores (and say 80% of the stronger)... Right?

Programs like Photoshop utilize more cores, but they don't necessarily use 100% on each. They tend to split the load, so it might not be an improvement. (Say you have a single core CPU that the program can only use 100% of, the program might use 50% of each core on a dual core.)

Umm... Side question- I thought that Photoshops utilization of multiple cores was to help it with parallel computation... But now I suspect that I'm wrong. So... how does 4 cores help? Can you do parallel computing on one core? (like running several programs on it).

Multi-tasking is also a factor. If you need to run two programs, such as Photoshop and Illustrator, more cores will help.

Ok, so whoever want to multi task moderate-heavy programs will find benefit in several cores.
Multitasking-check.
BTW, would several browsers (or tabs) loaded with 200 pages, all of which runnig flash games/video players, be considered as a multitask?


Sorry if I'm bombarding with the lenghty-explanation requiring questions.

Thank you very much!