I want to buy a computer which is better a quad core or a dual core? More explanation is given below.?

Question

I know obviously a quad core is much better but how much better? For example: I have a choice between a dual core 2.53Mhz Dual core with 1066Mhz FSB and also 3M Advanced transfer Cache or a Quad core 2.4 Ghz with 1066Mhz FSB and an 8M Advanced transfer cache.

Can someone explain how much faster the quad will be, is it worth the extra $200? Can you explain what these terms mean?

Answer 1

Personally I would imagine that the quad core is not going to be worth an extra $200. There's other things you could spend $200 that would make more of a difference - more/faster memory, better graphics card, faster/bigger hard disk, a nice pair of shoes, um maybe a better motherboard, or just put it in your piggy bank. I think as quad cores and bigger will become more useful in the fairly near future, but most software is still fairly single threaded, and OSes probably won't make that much use of a quad core yet.

Edit: Sorry, agree with the post below, if you're buying a whole pc, which it sounds like you are. I was talking from a perspective of building a pc. If you're buying a pre-built system, are all the other specs the same?

Answer 2

Go for the dual core if you want something that's good now, and the quad core if you want to be using it in a couple of years time.

Most programs these days still don't use more than 2 cores, so the extra 2 cores don't really do a lot. Use the $200 you save by buying a dual core, and add that to your graphics card budget or something, and make the whole system better.  

Answer 3

The dual core chip is actually a bit faster per core than the quad core you have mentioned.  Each core on the Dual Core is 2.53 Mhz while each core on the Quad is only 2.4Mhz.  Real differences in a dual core and a quad core are in the throughput of each processor.  For an application written to use all 4 cores to help do the work the processor can handle much more operations at once than one with 2 cores.  

A processors cache stores memory locations and other frequently used things for faster accessing and processing.

FSB which translates into front side bus is how fast it communicates to the northbridge (memory controller).  Faster the better.  Both these processors are the same in that respect.  

The Quad Core is only going to benefit you if you multitask a whole lot or if you have applications that are going to take advantage of all the cores.  

Answer 4

Right now, the quad core technology won't be fully utilized by most of your programs.  Much of the software out was not written to take advantage of it.  But down the road, in the not too distant future, software will be written for it and it will be utilized.  

I weighed both heavily when I purchased a new computer about 5 weeks ago.  I decided to go with the quad, I found a nice one on sale and the price difference was less than $100.  Also, the quad I bought has a really good graphics card in it, most of the cards in a duo core are either really lightweight or nothing more than a graphics accelerator.  I figured it would have cost me a lot more than the $100 difference between the units to add a graphics card that was equal to the duo core.  And I got 6 GB of RAM with the quad also.

BTW, we're quite happy with the system.  Son uses it mostly for gaming and the bugger is quick!

Answer 5

quad core: multitasking, newer games

dual core: more power in single threaded programs, better performance in older games

half a year ago both quads and duals were evenly matched in advantages/disadvantages. however, if your buying a high end pc now, it wouldnt really be logical to go with a dual core, as quads are becoming more and more popular and almost all games and programs released from now on will be multi threaded (aka utilize multiple cores).