How to Know if You Have Dual Core Intel Processor

When purchasing a new laptop or edifice a computer, the processor is the virtually important decision. But there's a lot of jargon, specially the cores. For example, practice you need a dual-cadre processor, a quad-core, a hexacore, an octa-cadre, or more?

Let's cut the jargon and sympathise what it all really means.

Dual-Core vs. Quad-Core, Explained

Here's everything y'all need to know:

There is always just ane processor chip. That bit can have ane, two, four, six, eight, 10, twelve, or even sixteen cores. So if you lot find a "single cadre" CPU, that means the processor chip has one cadre. And a dual-cadre processor has ii cores, a quad-core has four, a hexa-core has six, an octa-core has 8, and and so on.
Currently, an eighteen-core processor is the best yous tin get in consumer PCs. I hateful, you could purchase a 64-core AMD Threadripper, which is available to consumers, simply that'due south more processing power than near regular consumers could think of using.
Each "cadre" is the part of the chip that does the processing work. Essentially, each core is a central processing unit (CPU).

This article deals with dual-cadre vs. quad-core processors for computers, not for smartphones. We have a separate post on understanding smartphone cores.

The Difference Between Dual-Core and Quad-Core CPUs

You might call back more cores volition make your processor faster overall, but that'due south not always the case. It's a little more complicated than that.

More cores are faster only if a program tin split its tasks between the cores. Non all programs are developed to split tasks between cores. More than on this later.

Each core's clock speed is also a crucial factor in speed, as is the compages. A newer dual-core CPU with a higher clock speed will oft outperform an older quad-cadre CPU with a lower clock speed.

Ability Consumption

More cores also lead to higher power consumption by the processor. When the processor is switched on, information technology supplies ability to all the cores, not just i at a time.

Bit makers take been trying to reduce power consumption and make processors more energy efficient. But equally a general rule of thumb, a quad-core processor will draw more than power from your laptop (and thus brand it run out of battery faster).

More than Cores Equal More Heat

More factors than the cadre bear on the heat generated by a processor. Merely once again, as a general dominion, more cores lead to more than heat.

Due to this boosted heat, manufacturers demand to add improve heat sinks or other cooling solutions.

Are Quad-Core CPUs More than Expensive Than Dual-Core?

More cores isn't ever a higher price. Like nosotros said earlier, clock speed, architecture versions, and other considerations come into play.

But if all other factors are the aforementioned, then more cores will fetch a higher price.

Software Optimization for CPU Cores

Photo of a man looking at a laptop showing UX/UI design on the screen.

Here'southward the muddy little hole-and-corner that chip manufacturers don't desire yous to know. It's not always about how many cores y'all are running; it's about what software you are running on them.

Programs have to be specifically adult to take reward of multiple processors. In the by, "multi-threaded software" wasn't every bit common, although as it'south nearly-impossible to buy a single-cadre CPU these days, this issue isn't once what it was.

Notwithstanding, it's of import to note that even if information technology's a multi-threaded plan, it's also near what it is used for. For example, the Google Chrome web browser supports multiple processes, as does video editing software Adobe Premiere Pro.

Adobe Premiere Pro instructs unlike cores to work on unlike aspects of your edit. Considering the many layers involved in video editing, this makes sense, as each cadre tin can piece of work on a separate task.

Similarly, Google Chrome instructs different cores to work on different tabs. But herein lies the trouble. Once you open a web page in a tab, information technology is usually static afterwards that. There is no further processing work needed; the rest of the work is well-nigh storing the folio in the RAM. This means even though the core can be used for a groundwork tab, it is unnecessary.

This Google Chrome example is an illustration of how even multi-threaded software might not requite you much of a real-earth performance boost.

Double the Cores Is Non Double the Speed

Dual Core vs. Quad Core - double the cores is not double the speed

Then allow'southward say you have the right software and all your other hardware is the same. Would a quad-core processor and then be twice as fast equally a dual-core processor? Nope.

Increasing cores does not accost the software problem of scaling. Scaling to cores is the theoretical ability of any software to assign the right tasks to the right cores, so each core is computing at its optimal speed. That's not what happens in reality. In reality, tasks are split sequentially (which most multi-threaded software does) or randomly.

For example, let's say y'all accept a quad-core processor (Core1, Core2, Core3, Core4). You demand to attain three tasks (T1, T2, T3) to finish an activeness, and y'all accept v deportment (A1, A2, A3, A4, A5) similar this.

Here's how the software will divide tasks:

Core1 = A1T1
Core2 = A1T2
Core3 = A1T3
Core4 = A2T1

The software is not smart, though. If A1T3 is the hardest and longest task, the software should have separate A1T3 between Core3 and Core4. But now, even after Core1 and Core2 finish their tasks, they accept to look for the slower Core3's chore to complete the action.

All of this is a roundabout way of maxim that not all software is optimized to have full advantage of multiple cores. And doubling the cores does not e'er equal doubling the speeds.

Where Do More than Cores Actually Help?

At present that you lot know what cores exercise and their restrictions in boosting operation, you must be request yourself, "Do I need more cores?" Well, it depends on what yous plan to do with them.

Dual-Cadre and Quad-Core in Gaming

If you fancy yourself to be a gamer, then go more cores on a gaming PC. The vast majority of new AAA titles (i.e., pop games from big studios) support multi-threaded architecture. Video games are however largely dependent on the graphics card to wait skillful, but a multi-core processor helps too.

Editing Videos or Sound

For whatsoever professional who works with video or audio programs, more than cores volition be beneficial. About of the popular audio and video editing tools take reward of multi-threaded processing.

Photoshop and Pattern

If you're a designer, a higher clock speed and more processor cache volition increase speeds better than more than cores. Even the most pop blueprint software, Adobe Photoshop, largely supports single-threaded or lightly threaded processes. Multiple cores aren't going to exist a significant heave with this.

Should You Get More than Cores?

Overall, a quad-core processor is going to perform faster than a dual-core processor for general computing. Each program you open volition work on its own core, and then if the tasks are shared, the speeds are better. If you lot use a lot of programs simultaneously, switch between them often, and assign them their ain tasks, then go a processor with more cores.

Only know this: overall system performance is 1 area where far as well many factors come into play. Don't expect a magical boost by changing one component like the processor. Choose wisely and buy the right processor for your needs.

The 8 Best CPUs for Gaming

Your figurer's CPU can make the difference betwixt a good gaming experience and a neat one. What'southward the best gaming CPU for you?

How to Know if You Have Dual Core Intel Processor

Dual-Core vs. Quad-Core, Explained