I don't understand dual and quad core processors

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TheSystemLord1

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#1 TheSystemLord1
Member since 2006 • 7786 Posts

I look at laptops and I see commonly a 1.6-2.0 ghz Dual core processor...

Nearest I can figure, its like having 2 1.6 gigahurz processors in your computer, making the power equivalent to a 3.2 P4 or so, but faster because there are 2 instead of 1...am I right? Or way off...

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ticktocktick201

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#2 ticktocktick201
Member since 2004 • 999 Posts
you cant add the speeds together to get an equivalent single core processor, its hard to explain how it campare though
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xooco

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#3 xooco
Member since 2007 • 521 Posts

it's easy, dual = 2 and this is when it gets a little harder. Quad = 4.

(jk)Google it MAN!

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ProudLarry

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#4 ProudLarry
Member since 2004 • 13511 Posts
No, you can't add up frequencies like that, and attempt to compare them to other processors. CPU frequency has lost alot meaning when it comes to actual performance. Obviously a C2D at 2.2GHz is going to be faster than a C2D at 2.0GHz, but that same C2D at 2.0 GHz would absolutely destroy a P4 at 4.0GHz in any kind of performance test.
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04dcarraher

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#5 04dcarraher
Member since 2004 • 23858 Posts
This how they work, if the game/program is coded for dual core cpus both cpus share the workload which is around 2x faster or more than a single core at the same Mhz. Then Having Dual core cpus allow mutlitasking you do something here and over there something else while not taking a performance hit, if things your doing does not need both cores to do one thing.
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SearchMaster

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#6 SearchMaster
Member since 2005 • 7243 Posts
No its not to multiply the speed of your prcoessor by 2 or 4. Dual cores processors, from its name it has 2 cores so you can do more work/ open more applications on your pc with faster speeds.
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BigD

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#7 BigD
Member since 2002 • 2223 Posts
C2D CPUs are also more efficient then P4 CPUs, that means they don't need to go as fast to get as much work done. So comparing clock speed is useless.
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