Dual core computer processors: luxury or necessity?
Peter Stewart
Most of the talk going on in the computer processor industry is
revolving around dual core processors. But what advantages do they
actually give and is it worth it in terms of price?
All processors have a core. A core contains some memory, often
referred to as cache, either L1, L2 or L3, depending on how close it
is to the core, and the core itself. The core is the "brain" part, it
performs all the big calculations that are needed for the various
things a computer does.
Computer cores have been increasing in speed, and increasingly
quickly. Manufacturers were in a race to have the chip with the
fastest speed, measured in GHz. One surprise is that despite these
increases in clock speed, the actual speed of programs didn't increase
proportionately.
As modern programs make much heavier use of other computer parts like
memory, and there are often many running at the same time, another
approach was needed.
Dual core processors were the answer.
By putting two "brain" parts into the processor, you can run two
programs on two cores, without having to share it between them. The
effect of this is that when running two or more programs, the
processor can now handle much more as a whole.
The part about them that might disappoint is gaming.
Unlike the multitasking environment that is usual for a computer
either at home or at the office, games rely on the brute force of a
powerful processor to help them along. So far there is no technology
to take advantage of the two processors, like the ability to split
it's tasks over two cores. Most gaming has not improved with this new
technology.
As with processors in the past the mainstream of dual core processors
is dominated by the two big guys, Intel and AMD.
Intel offers two processors in it's range, same processor, just
different speeds. The lower priced of the Pentium D processors comes
in at around $250. This price is reasonable considering how much you
would pay for the top of the line single core processor.
The Pentium D is based on the same core as it's single core
counterparts, just two of them inside. It's boost in performance is
quite notable, and makes it presence felt in the multitasking environment.
The AMD Athlon X2 is AMD's offering in the dual core market. Unlike
the Pentium D it's lowest priced model comes in at a staggering $400.
It's not expensive compared to processors like it's FX series, which
are over $1000, but in comparisson to Intel it's expensive.
It too is based on the same core as it's single core cousins and also
offers the same performance increases.
The price of the AMD is surprising. From a company that became
renowned for it's low cost, high performance processors this is quite
a blow. Even the upper model of the Pentium Ds comes in at less that
AMD's cheapest model.
The price might be justified if the AMD actually gave a significant
performance boost, but it doesn't.
For the first time in a long time, I think I would be willing to
switch back to an Intel processor. Although my preference is not for
dual core, if I had or needed to switch I would certainly go straight
for the Pentium D.
And finally, how do they compare to their now out of date traditional
processors?
Considering how powerful processors have become I would still not make
the switch. Dual core has not been around long enough to produce low
cost, slightly out of date models. The power of the AMD Athlon 64
3000+ more than does it for my computing needs, and that's where I
would stay for now.
So for those who are looking for the next cool thing for their desktop
computer and price is not a huge issue, this would be your best
choise, but go for the lower end Pentium D.
Peter Stewart is a computer enthusiast, his interest in computers and
focus on practicle down to earth advice inspired his two websites.
http://www.computer-buying-guide.com - Practical buying tips
http://www.computer-reviews.net
- Fair and honest reviews and opinions
<< ------------- End of Free Reprint Article --------------- >>
Find More Free Articles
See Also:
All
Free Articles About Computers & Internet
All Free Information Articles
