Dual Core Processors

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endlesszeal

Senior Member
I was just wondering what are dual core processors. Seems to be the hype right now and supposedly being released late this year. Yeah I know it has two cores, but what are cores? I read the benefits of lower power consumption than single and faster speeds/processing power, but i still dont know what it is.
Maybe two processors on a motherboard, like servers?
 
almost like two processors on a mother board, doesn't have to be a server.

a dual core processor is similar to having two processors in a machine, except they are on one silcon die. So you get two processors built into one.
 
Are the costs going to double also? Im waiting to build a computer this summer and was set on getting an AMD 64 3500+ Winchester core.
 
SMP (symmetric multiprocessing, or multiple processors) systems have been arround for a long time. The dule core thing is new, but I've run dual CPU's for the last 5 yrs. I had a dell dual Xeon 1ghz, and I built a new dual 3.06ghz computer this last summer. I can tell you, It rocks. I will never own another single processor system. Ever. Its just not woth it. My dual 1ghz PIII Xeon could kick my friend's p4 2.4's asses (partly because it had RDRAM, but thats kinda died out).

In short, this is good, dual processing should have been brought to the normal consumer market long ago.

**edit - the Dell was $2200 4 yrs ago refurbished and my newest build cost only $1700. Thats pretty resonable for a very powerful computer.
 
Also keep in mind Mohr's law hasn't been keeping pace as processor speeds have kinda stood still for a while. If processor speeds were still foloowing Mohr's law they should be operating at 10Ghz right now. A dual core processor is the industries answer to provide more computing power.
 
thanks for all the good info. sounds really enticing, but what about cost? i have only 1500 for my computer setup minus speakers, a dual layer drive, and a 120gb hd that i already have.
 
You should be able to pull off a dual-processor system with that.

Do yourself a favor and shop NewEgg.com

Personally, I have found that untill recently dual-cpu systems have been rather hampered by Windows' lackluster SMP support...
 
Originally posted by Battle Pope@Jan 27 2005, 11:21 AM
You should be able to pull off a dual-processor system with that.

Do yourself a favor and shop NewEgg.com

Personally, I have found that untill recently dual-cpu systems have been rather hampered by Windows' lackluster SMP support...
[post=452056]Quoted post[/post]​


Yup. Windows can "use" a dual processor system, but get the most out of it... no. NT used to be the only Win32 OS that would handle multiple processors.

Linux all the way. SMP support is about as perfect as it can get.

Coolest multiprocessor system I ever got to play around with was a 16 processor SGI Origin2000. Mean system.
 
I did some research and people/sites are saying that the new dualcores arent really more than two processors stuck together on the same dye. also it will cost just as much as two processors but it will be slow. around 3.0ghz for pentium. so no biggie yet? just like ddr2
 
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