CPU Speeds over the years?

Question

I built my last computer in February of 2004, 4 1/2 years ago. I decided it's about time to get a new computer. I ordered all the parts for my last computer online, and I still have those e-mails.

The processor I ordered was a Intel P4 3.0GHz Socket 478 CPU. It cost $200. This was 4 1/2 years ago. I wanted to see what my $200 could get me these days. What I found surprised me.

According to NewEgg, $200 can either get me the E6850, which is a Dual Core 3.0GHz Socket 775 Processor. Or I can get the Q6600 Quad Core 2.4GHz processor.

Why is it in 4 1/2 years the same amount of money seems to be the same amount of processing power? Now I understand that these chips have multiple processors, but the problem is most programs I use don't even take advantage of multiple processors. Most games out there can only run off one processor, so what advantage do I gain by getting a multiple processor chip?

I can remember the computer I had before this, also about 4 years old. It had a 1GHz processor in it. So the jump from 1GHz to 3GHz was huge.

Why aren't there good old single processor chips that give a lot more GHz for the money out there? It's almost as if the industry is at a stand still for speed so they're just putting two chips into one package.

Answer 1

Most apps and games can use two cores these days, but not four (quad).

They can't just keep raising the GHz as much as they want.

The newer processors are made on a smaller process.

They are faster but use less heat/energy!

Answer 2

You are not looking at it correctly.  The 2.4 GHZ quad processor is almost equivalent to a 10 GHZ processor, and in the case of AMD at 64 bits.

If this confuses you I will try to explain.

A processor is rated by how many times it cycles a second.  We call this GHZ or gigahertz.  a 1 GHZ processor will make a pass all the data on the buss 1 million times a second.  

Now with Intel, the buss is 32 bits wide, which means it can hold 32 1s or 0s, and these will be passed thru the processor at the rate of 1 million times a second, so each second will process 32 million bits.

A single core 3 GHz processor will pass 96 million bits a second (32 times 3 million).

In an AMD 64 chip, the buss is 64 bits wide, so a 1 GHZ chip in a AMD 64 machine will pass 64 million bits a second.

Now you add in the multipliers.

First a dual core processor will pass twice the number of bits a second as a single core, and a quad will pass 4 times as much.

So a dual core Intel 3.0 chip will be equal to a 6GHZ machine,  3 GHz times 2 cores= 6ghz.

a 2.4 quad effectively runs at 9.6 Ghz, 2.4 times 4.

Now your concern about not using more than one processor:

First, the computers have only one processor, but more than one core.

It used to be that a dual processor machine would use one processor till it maxed out, then kick off  the second one, but now the chips are "load balanced", so that the load is spread across the available cores.  In this way, you have an incredible reserve of processing power if you ever need to load up on applications, but all the chips run cooler and last longer.

These totals are theoretical, and much depends on the architecture of the motherboard.

Hope this helps

Answer 3

Its not the same my friend. they changed the clock speed thingie differently after p4. you are getting a better one.