Dual Core v Core 2 Duo

sooty&sweep

Hi

Whats the difference ???

Considering buying a laptop and totally confused.

I want something that will last a few years and be Windows 7 compatable but don't know where to start.

Any suggestions ? Recommendations ?

Thanks

Money_Grabber13579

I don't have a notion, but I'd like to know too! I've got a Centrino Duo, just to add that into the mix!

Mobeer

Dual core means a processor has more ability to run multiple tasks than a single core processor (and less than a quad core processor)

Core 2 Duo is a Intel brand of dual core processors, with other versions marketed as Pentium Dual Core and Pentium Desktop.
AMD make a compatible rival range of processors with X2 in their name, either Athlon X2 or Phenom X2.

[Money_Grabber13579, Centrino Duo is a technology platform, not a processor, so lets not confuse this]

Back on topic, you need to think more about what do you want from your PC
- what uses will you do for sure
- what uses might you want

and of course how much do you want to spend?

Money_Grabber13579

So there is no difference between Dual core, and Core 2 Duo? They both a 2 processors (This I did know!) but it's just a marketing ploy?

jweb2k

Core 2 Duo is likely to be a better processor than someone who just advertises Dual Core, but if you're thinking of investing in a new computer it's definitely worth checking processor models and getting down to the nitty gritty. A T1400 that currys seem to push in their products is as you can imagine nowhere near as a good as a Q6600 - have a read of http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/8263 as a generic starting point but branch out and look at the different processor models :0

bonzer

Money_Grabber13579 wrote: »

So there is no difference between Dual core, and Core 2 Duo? They both a 2 processors (This I did know!) but it's just a marketing ploy?

Yes "Core 2" is just a brand name belonging to Intel referring to a particular range of processor products manufactured by that company. It's like "Pentium" was just a brand name referring to a particular range of processors that Intel produced. It doesn't in itself mean anything.

"Duo" is what Intel use to refer to processors with 2 cores. A processor with multiple cores means effectively there is more than one processor within the same chip. The more cores the better.

Just because two processors from different manufacturers or different product ranges have the same number of cores doesn't mean they're equal in performance. They can vary significantly.

prowla

jweb2k wrote: »

Core 2 Duo is likely to be a better processor than someone who just advertises Dual Core,

Eh?

(It's like saying AWD is better than 4-wheel drive; one is just a brand name for the generic term.)

Scrilla

prowla wrote: »

Eh?

(It's like saying AWD is better than 4-wheel drive; one is just a brand name for the generic term.)

Core Duo was the first generation of Intel's dual core processors. Core 2 Duo is the second generation of Intel's dual core processors, released after the original Core Duos. I know what you're saying, but the second generation would be better than an old Intel Dual Core processor.

And the more I use the word "duo" the less like a word it looks, and the more confused I get about using the words "duo", "dual" and "duel.

Mobeer

jweb2k wrote: »

Core 2 Duo is likely to be a better processor than someone who just advertises Dual Core, but if you're thinking of investing in a new computer it's definitely worth checking processor models and getting down to the nitty gritty. A T1400 that currys seem to push in their products is as you can imagine nowhere near as a good as a Q6600 - have a read of http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/8263 as a generic starting point but branch out and look at the different processor models :0

Its not the finest reviewed articles, for example I can quote:

Core Duo is Intel's first <<second>> dual-core CPU.
It's a whole new architecture for Microsoft <<Intel>>,
Running at lower <<clock> speeds than the old Pentium line,
In many ways Core 2 is the same as Core...you won't see many spec changes <<64-bit support in Core2, lower latency memory, faster floating point calculations>>

if you buy a Core Duo notebook.. remember you are buying a chip that Intel is no longer actively selling <<they were selling it branded as Pentium Dual Core in November 20006 when the article was written>>

prowla

Scrilla wrote: »

Core Duo was the first generation of Intel's dual core processors. Core 2 Duo is the second generation of Intel's dual core processors, released after the original Core Duos. I know what you're saying, but the second generation would be better than an old Intel Dual Core processor.

And the more I use the word "duo" the less like a word it looks, and the more confused I get about using the words "duo", "dual" and "duel.

There are several multi-core processors, so saying Core 2 Duo is better than dual core is singling out Intel versus other brands (eg. AMD).

Dual core isn't the end of the story though, and quad cores and beyond are coming mainstream (though not PC compatible, Sun do a 24-core CPU). Presumably a duel core would be more for gaming systems.:)

JasX

If you ever want know how 'good' any CPU you're looking at is relative to others google "CPU benchmark" or similar. You'll find a fair array of charts comparing them against some form of common testing (eg http://www.cpubenchmark.net/).

When they start doubling in price for an extra 10% performance at the very top end you might start to question weather you really 'need' the extra power, but its also good to check if you're looking at two that are close in price but one is miles higher in performance chart its probably the better bet.

You can generally find benchmarks for the other main components of a PC thru similar searches too (eg "graphics card benchmark" or "Hard drive benchmark" )