How RAM-Sensitive Are Different CPUs?
We used both a state-of-the-art Core 2 Duo E8500 processor (3.16 GHz) and an old Pentium 4 Extreme Edition 3.73 GHz. Although the latter runs at a much higher clock speed, it is considerably slower than the Core 2 Duo. The P4 Extreme is a single core model that is based on the rather inefficient Netburst architecture; the Core 2 Duo also offers a whopping 6 MB L2 cache memory, while the P4 3.73 GHz has only 2 MB. While outperforming the P4 by several multiples, the 45 nm Core 2 Duo is way more efficient, rated at only 65 W, while the P4 may require almost double the power.