Quad core vs dual core

[Pharnakes]

Hi as I have said before I am a hardware noob, but I'm am wondering what exactly from a gaming point of view is better, a quad core or a dual core?

Ok, my understanding of the matter is that generaly a quad core is better, but that in order to be able to exploit a dual or quad core cpu, a game has to be codde for it.

Thus, am I right in saying that a game compatible with dual core technology, will run exactly the same on a 2.33GHz dual core and a 2.33GHz quad core?

If this is so, would you recomend getting a dual core that has greater processing power per core, or would you recomend a quad core?

Also, how many released/soon to be released games are quad core compatible?

[Lemur]

The best measure of dual-core versus quad-core is not speed, but price. An equivalently-priced dual-core chip will spank the same-cost quad-core chip every time.

There are one or two games coming out that will have extra programming for quad-core, but that's about it. For a gamer, I do not see any reason to buy a quad-core chip at this time. On the other hand, if you're doing video encoding, and your software is multi-core optimized, then go ahead.

But for a gamer? Pshaw. Spend the money you save on more RAM, a 10,000 RPM hard drive, a better videocard. There are zillions of little improvements that will do more for your gaming experience than two more cores which will spend 99% of their time idle.

-edit-

For the money, right now, this is the best CPU your dollar can buy (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115028). Or your shekels, or dinars, of pounds sterling, or whatever.

[Charge]

For the money, right now, this is the best CPU your dollar can buy. Or your shekels, or dinars, of pounds sterling, or whatever.
Only if you unused to overclocking, hehehe...

[TevashSzat]

I'd stick with the dual core simply because on almost all of the games, your core speed will be the absolute last thing that slows you down. Video card, RAM, hard drive are all better things to invest in

[Charge]

Quad core is needed than you playing game, compressing video, searching for viruses, and making 3dmax model at the same time.

[Viking]

I'd stick with the dual core simply because on almost all of the games, your core speed will be the absolute last thing that slows you down. Video card, RAM, hard drive are all better things to invest in


I have 3 gig ram, 512 graphics, 2,6 ghz X2 and according to the Vista system test the processor is my achilles heel. I'm not sure if this can be transfered to gaming experience, but my processor scored 5,1, the graphics card 5,7 and finally the RAM 5,9.

[Charge]

**** this Vista' test. It means nothing.

Also do not think that performance is how much GHz, cores, Gb of RAM, Mb of GDDR you have.

[Pharnakes]

Ok, so dual core it is then, thank you everybody.:2thumbsup:

[Husar]

I prefer the Vista performance rating over running the newest 3DMark which will usually give me the feeling that I need to upgrade. ~D

My CPU(5.2) also scores lower than my graphicscard(5.9) and I know my graphicscard is the actual achilles heel but then my RAM scores absolutely lowest at 4.5. Don't know why, everything runs fine but then 6.0 is the highest rating you can get, so it's not too bad anyway.

[Charge]

Heh, you'd better prefer real game- or archiving/etc- tests ~D