What does "Dual Core" mean and what does "Quad Core" mean?

You may have heard the term Dual Core or Quad Core. You can even be proud of having a quad-core machine. Do you really know what that means and does it justify puffing up with pride?

computer

When buying a new computer, what will be the processor is the most important decision. But there is a lot of terminology, especially in the kernels. You need one with a dual core, one with a quad core, one with a hexa core, one with an octo core…

Let's put aside the phraseology and understand what all these nuclei really mean.

Dual Core Vs. Quad Core
Here's everything you need to know:

  • There is always only one processor chip. The chip can have one, two, four, six or eight cores.
  • Currently, an 18-core processor is the best you can get, at least on consumer computers.
  • Each "core" is the part of the chip that does the processing. Essentially, each kernel is a central processing unit (CPU).

In this article we will deal with dual core vs. quad core, purely for computers and not for smartphones.

How speed is affected by dual and quad core processors


You might think that the more cores there are in your processor the faster it is overall. This does not always happen. It's a little more complicated.

Most kernels are faster only if a program can split its tasks between kernels. Not all programs are developed to separate their work between cores. We will analyze it more a little below.

The clock speed of each kernel is also a critical factor in speed, as is the architecture. A newer dual-core CPU with a higher clock speed will often outperform an older quad-core processor with a lower clock speed (!!).

Energy consumption


More cores also lead to higher power consumption by the processor. When the processor is turned on, it supplies power to all the cores simultaneously and not just one at a time.

Chip makers have tried to reduce power consumption and make processors more energy efficient. But, as a general rule, a quad-core processor will draw more power from your laptop (so if you are on a laptop then it will run out of battery faster).

More kernels equates to more heat


The heat generated by a processor is affected by several factors from the core. But again, as a rule, more cores lead to more heat.

Because of this additional heat, manufacturers have to add better fans or others cooling.

Are Quad Core processors more expensive than Dual Core?


More cores is not always a higher price. As we said earlier, clock speed, architecture versions and other estimates come into play in price and performance.

But if all the other factors are the same, then more cores means higher value.

It's all about the software


Here's the dirty little secret chip makers don't want you to know. Speed ​​has nothing to do with the number of cores you have, but with the software you run on your computer.

Programs must be specially developed to take advantage of multiple cores. Such "multi-threaded software" is not as common as you might think.

Equally important is, even if it is a multi-threaded program, what exactly it is being used for. For example, the Google Chrome browser supports many processes, as does editing software Adobe Premiere Pro.

Adobe Premier Pro instructs different kernels to work on different aspects of your editing. Given the great demands involved in video editing, most cores make sense, as each kernel can operate a separate piece of the overall editing.

Similarly, Google Chrome commands different kernels to run on different tabs. But here is a small issue. Once you open a webpage on a tab, it is usually static. No further processing work is required. The rest of the work required is to save the page in RAM. This means that although the kernel can be used for a tab, in reality there is no need.

This example of Google Chrome is an illustration of how even multi-threaded software may not give you the performance you paid for and expected.

Double core does not mean double speed

Well, let's say you have the right software and all your other equipment is the same. Would a quad core processor then be twice as fast as a dual core processor? No.

Increasing cores does not address its scaling problem . Core scaling is the theoretical ability of any software to assign the right tasks to the right cores so that each core computes at its optimal speed. This doesn't actually happen. In reality, tasks are split sequentially (as most multi-threaded software does) or randomly.

For example, suppose you have a quad-core processor (Core1, Core2, Core3, Core4). You must do three tasks (E1, E2, E3) to complete an action and each task has five operations (P1, P2, P3, P4, P5).

The best software will divide the tasks as follows:

  • Core1 = P1E1
  • Core2 = P1E2
  • Core3 = P1E3
  • Core4 = P2E1

However, the software is not smart. If the P1E3 part is the hardest and longest task, the software should split the P1E3 between Core3 and Core4. But this is not the case and so after completing their tasks Core1 and Core2 will have to wait for the completion of the most Core3 work to continue overall processing.

All of this is a circular way of saying that software, as it stands today, is not optimized to take full advantage of multiple cores. And doubling the cores is not the same as doubling the velocities.

Where do the above nuclei really help?
Now that you know what kernels do and their limitations on boosting performance, you need to ask yourself, "Do I need more kernels?" Well, it depends on what you plan to do with them.

Dual core and Quad core in games


If you are a fan gamer, then put more cores on your computer. The vast majority of new game titles from major studios support multi-threaded architecture. Video games still depend heavily on the graphics card to look realistic, but a multi-core processor also helps.

Video or audio editing

For any professional working with video or audio programs, most cores will be beneficial. Most of the popular audio and video editing tools take advantage of multi-core editing.

Photoshop and Design


If you are a designer, then higher clock speed and more processor cache will increase speed better than most cores. Even the most popular design software, Adobe Photoshop, largely supports single threaded processes. Multiple cores are not going to make much difference to you.

Do you need more cores?
Overall, for simple, common computers, a quad core processor will perform a task faster than a dual core processor. Each program you open will work with its own kernel, so overall the speeds will be better. If you are using multiple programs at the same time, switching frequently, and assigning tasks to each other, then you need a multi-core processor.

Just remember that: overall system performance is an area where it is affected by too many factors. Do not expect your machine to fly just because you changed an item, such as the processor. Choose wisely and buy the right processor for your needs.

iGuRu.gr The Best Technology Site in Greecefgns

every publication, directly to your inbox

Join the 2.100 registrants.

Written by Dimitris

Dimitris hates on Mondays .....

Leave a reply

Your email address is not published. Required fields are mentioned with *

Your message will not be published if:
1. Contains insulting, defamatory, racist, offensive or inappropriate comments.
2. Causes harm to minors.
3. It interferes with the privacy and individual and social rights of other users.
4. Advertises products or services or websites.
5. Contains personal information (address, phone, etc.).