Question about DualCore CPU

[Dini]

Ok, lets say I have a Dual Core Centrino CPU 2.0 Ghz

My question is:

Is it a "dual" 1 Ghz CPU that makes a total of 2 GHZ or is it a "dual" 2 Ghz CPU that makes a total of 4 Ghz?

Thanks :-)

[fireshark]

Dual 2Ghz that makes for a total of 2Ghz. It doesnt add like that.

[Keagle]

It just means it spreads the load over the two C.P.U.'s :) I think :/

[krakjoe]

Ghz, contrary to popular belief, is a frequency, not really a mesasurement of speed, as such, when 2 dies get put inside a cpu, the frequency doesn't multiply.

Think about an old tape walkman, when the batteries start to go flat the music slows down, if you were to connect extra batteries to that walkman, just another one, it would give the machine enough power to play the music properly, however, it wouldn't make the music go faster than it should, same thing with the Dual Core technology, is about taking an existing, strong, reliable technology, and giving it a helping hand by using a second die inside the cpu, clock speed doesn't double, but the power you do have is much more responsive.

[Dini]

I got it perfectly! Thanks you all!

[utcrazy]

Also, the system can only run one process on one CPU, it can not spread the process amongst the two CPU's, I.E.: Half the process on one, and half the process on another, so unless the application is suited for dual core technology, for example, it can use the many tasks and spread it equally with the two, you won't find a huge difference.

[Exphoster]

Ghz, contrary to popular belief, is a frequency, not really a mesasurement of speed, as such, when 2 dies get put inside a cpu, the frequency doesn't multiply.

Think about an old tape walkman, when the batteries start to go flat the music slows down, if you were to connect extra batteries to that walkman, just another one, it would give the machine enough power to play the music properly, however, it wouldn't make the music go faster than it should, same thing with the Dual Core technology, is about taking an existing, strong, reliable technology, and giving it a helping hand by using a second die inside the cpu, clock speed doesn't double, but the power you do have is much more responsive.

Thanks for that KRAK_JOE .. handy information you got/found there.

[heymrdj]

Also, the system can only run one process on one CPU, it can not spread the process amongst the two CPU's, I.E.: Half the process on one, and half the process on another, so unless the application is suited for dual core technology, for example, it can use the many tasks and spread it equally with the two, you won't find a huge difference.

Contrair, it doesn't need just to be a program written for it. Windows processes can be devoted to one while you author a DVD with the other. Even more common is gaming off one core, while running Windows Process, Wilco Roger, and other necesseties on the other core.

Also any application, such as Nero 6/7, Joint Operations, and many others that are built for Hyper Threading Intel CPU's will be able to use Dual Core properly as well, giving you tremendous speed on DVD authoring with Nero and a Dual Core.

Whether the program splits "properly" or not, I still find quite a large difference between the Core 2's and my 2.8Ghz Hyper Threading cpu.

[utcrazy]

That's exactly what I said, you run one process on one CPU, any other processes can either be on the existing one, or the other CPU, please read more carefully next time to avoid looking unintelligent. However, you will find newer programs are sometimes written so they can perform certain tasks on both CPU's, making the best use of them, rather than possibly using one CPU with less GhZ.

[heymrdj]

You said that you will not find much difference. I say I find plenty of difference in almost every program vs. my HT processor. Even old 1999 and 2000 games like Commanche Gold and F-22 Lightening 3 where the biggest processor was a 1.4 Ghz Williamette P4.