Intel Core2Quad?

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shmarkie

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Hi guys

I was wondering about the Core2Duo and Core2Quad system processors. Duo is 2 and Quad is 4, right? Now does this mean a 2.4GHz Core2Quad chip actually is 4X 2.4GHz = 9.6GHz ? :confused:

I took a system requirements lab test the other day and it gave me this:

CPU Speed
Minimum: 3 GHz
You Have: 2.33 GHz Performance Rated at 8.75 GHz

So in other words, if I buy a game that requires a 3GHz Processor and I have a Core2Quad 2.33GHz processor (and I meet all the other requirements) will the game run?
 
shmarkie said:
Hi guys

I was wondering about the Core2Duo and Core2Quad system processors. Duo is 2 and Quad is 4, right? Now does this mean a 2.4GHz Core2Quad chip actually is 4X 2.4GHz = 9.6GHz ? :confused:

I took a system requirements lab test the other day and it gave me this:

CPU Speed
Minimum: 3 GHz
You Have: 2.33 GHz Performance Rated at 8.75 GHz

So in other words, if I buy a game that requires a 3GHz Processor and I have a Core2Quad 2.33GHz processor (and I meet all the other requirements) will the game run?
Click to expand...

Newer games won't have this issue, but older games that doesn't support multiprocessors will have an issue with it.
For a program that only allows for single-threaded processing, your other 3 cores are wasted, unusable and not seen. It will only see 2.33GHz.
For multithreading applications, it will be able to use all four cores. <== new games.
 
Well old games won't need more than 2.33Ghz anyway. You'll be fine.
 
A Pentium 4 @ 3.0Ghz performs around the same as a single core of a 1.5Ghz Core2Duo.
 
Problem with this thinking is that even though 2.4GHz x 4 cores = 9.6GHz, a process will run on one core only and it will then just run to max 2.4GHz. Application needs to be designed for proper multithreading. If a game has no concept of multithreading then you're not going to see the benefits.
 
TheRift said:
Problem with this thinking is that even though 2.4GHz x 4 cores = 9.6GHz, a process will run on one core only and it will then just run to max 2.4GHz. Application needs to be designed for proper multithreading. If a game has no concept of multithreading then you're not going to see the benefits.
Click to expand...


Yep, though the minimum requirements the OP is referring to is most probably a Pentium 4 3Ghz. I can see a lot of people getting confused by this thinking that their 2.2Ghz Core2Duo Ghz is insufficient.
 
It's like adding extra lanes to a highway. It isn't going to help if all the cars are programmed to travel in the same lane, but it will effectively quadruple the average speed of the cars if they know to use all four lanes at the same time. (i.e. if a program is written to make effective and efficient use of multithreading.)

Also remember that clock speed isn't everything. If one uses the car analogy, then clock speed is the rated RPM of the engine rather than the actual speed in km/h - all else being equal, a higher clock speed means better performance, but all else is not equal when comparing different CPU architectures. A 2GHz Core 2 will outperform a 3GHz Pentium 4, even if only one thread is being used. Just like a 6-litre V8 engine would provide more power at 3000rpm than a 2-litre four-cylinder would at 6000rpm. :p
 
Last edited:
general_koffi said:
It's like adding extra lanes to a highway. It isn't going to help if all the cars are programmed to travel in the same lane, but it will effectively quadruple the average speed of the cars if they know to use all four lanes at the same time. (i.e. if a program is written to make effective and efficient use of multithreading.)

Also remember that clock speed isn't everything. If one uses the car analogy, then clock speed is the rated RPM of the engine rather than the actual speed in km/h - all else being equal, a higher clock speed means better performance, but all else is not equal when comparing different CPU architectures. A 2GHz Core 2 will outperform a 3GHz Pentium 4, even if only one thread is being used. Just like a 6-litre V8 engine would provide more power at 3000rpm than a 2-litre four-cylinder would at 6000rpm. :p
Click to expand...

Great analogy!
 
FSB and other motherboard and data related stuff. Alot of people tend to focus on plain CPU specs and neglect the motherboard and other communication/data details.
 
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