Is Core 2 Duo that much better than Pentium D? 1

[jsteph]

Can someone give me a general idea of the true performance differences (assuming clock speeds identical) between:
Pentium 4
Pentium D
Pentium Core 2 Duo

I saw a Pentium 4 for a few bucks more than a Pentium D, and the clock speeds were similar, so it got me wondering why the 4 would be more than the D.
--Jim

 

[cdogg]

First, I recommend you read this article which will put a lot in perspective for you:

http://www.tomshardware.com/2006/07/14/core2_duo_knocks_out_athlon_64/

Dual-core CPU's are able to handle larger workloads without sacrificing as much speed as a single-core processor. In other situations involving light workloads, the advantage isn't all that much. So between the Pentium D and the Pentium 4, it just depends.

The Core 2 Duo, on the other hand, isn't just another dual-core CPU. Unlike the P4 and PD, the Duo is redesigned from the ground up (partially modeled after the Pentium III and Pentium M). A 1.6GHz Duo for example can outperform a 2.8GHz P4 or PD with ease. Because of its lower clock speed, it's also able to run a lot cooler. Pentium D's are notorious for running very hot, even the newer models that were reduced from 130 Watts to 95 Watts.

There quite a few articles you can sift through here:

http://www.tomshardware.com/cpu/index.html

If you don't plan on turning your PC into a movie editing studio or intense gaming rig, then I'd say go for a cheap P4 (or better yet an Athlon 64) unless you can afford the Duo. Stay away from the Pentium D at this point.

~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein
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[jsteph]

cdogg,
Thanks, I went to Tiger this morning and picked up a 2.13 ghz core2duo, with an ASUS mboard. Got one of those giant Blue Orb fans, a couple gigs of memory, and I'm in business. It really smokes...especially since the old cpu was an Athlon XP 2500--fast in it's day but this Core2 puts it to shame!

I'm doing a lot of video and photo editing, and it was really a chore before--waiting for effects filters to be applied to photos, etc. Now that's all just a walk in the park.
Thanks again,
--Jim

 

[cdogg]

Awesome, glad it worked out for you!


~cdogg
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein
[tab][navy]For general rules and guidelines to get better answers, click here:[/navy] faq219-2884