cores

[ncyphe]

just a quick question on dual cores since i don't have any experience with them.

say the amd 64x2 3800 is a 2.0ghz processor does that mean it operates like a 4ghz processor because its dual core or does that mean its 2 1 ghz processors?

It's 2 2.2 ghz processors.

It's good for gamers in mind cause you can leave your virus scanners pn wtihout interfering with your game, but otherwise, it would ultimatly dedicate the full power of both for the project at hand.

So, by technicallity, it is fast this way.

[ncyphe]

You are wrong in both examples.
It's two 2Ghz CPUs, but it does not at all behave like a single 4Ghz CPU

See, a CPU can only do one thing at a time. So when you have two programs running at once, they need to take turns using the CPU.
When you have a dual-core chip, instead of the programs having to wait turns, they each have their own CPU to use.

And then, people can also make programs to use both CPUs at once to speed up the program even more. But this needs to be specially made because normally programs only use one CPU and will do just that unless made otherwise. Because of this gaming has taken little advantage of it so far. One recent game that I know that takes advantage of multi-core systems is Oblivion by putting it's Speed-tree generation program on another process. This greatly speeds up the game when you are outside because of the detailed environment.

The major programs to actually take advantage of this so far are media type of programs. Video editing, Photoshop, ect.

Half-Life 2: episode 2 will be taking advantage of dull core, loading solely the physics engine in one.

note: My bad about the miss info, thought it worked like that.

[EightySeven]

so it would run a game like vanguard perfectly fine then? it requires 3.0ghz

[FabianN]

so it would run a game like vanguard perfectly fine then? it requires 3.0ghz

Here are the System Requirements:

Windows 2000/XP
2.4Ghz Intel Processor or 2400+ or higher model AMD processor
512MB RAM
100% DirectX 9.0c compatible computer. 100% DirectX compatible keyboard or input device. Vertex and Pixel shader 2.0 compatible hardware with 128MB of texture memory.
100% DirectX compatible sound card
56k+ Internet Connection
16X Speed DVD-ROM
20Gigabytes Hard Drive Space


Recommended Specifications:
Windows 2000/XP/Vista
Processor 3.0Ghz Intel or 3500+ AMD processor
2GB RAM
100% DirectX 9.0c compatible computer. 100% DirectX compatible keyboard or input device. Vertex and Pixel shader 2.0 compatible hardware with 256MB of texture memory.
DirectSound compatible audio hardware
Broadband Internet Connection
16X Speed DVD-ROM
20Gigabytes Hard Drive Space

Note this line:
Processor 3.0Ghz Intel or 3500+ AMD processor

AMD chips get the same speed as Intel with less GHz, and their speed in relation to other AMD chips are shown by that number(3500).
You are going to get a 3800 chip, so it will be more than enough to run the game.

[cinderboy]

so Quad Cores will be directly 2 times faster than Dual Cores ?