Is Single or Duo Processor Best?

[RenoWV]

In terms of stability and processing speed, is there an advantage to getting a "Core 2 Duo" rather than a 3.+GHz processor?

Note that I mostly do the average type of computer work -- a little light Photoshop for photo editing, but no high-end video construction or anything remotely close to quantam physics calculations.

Am looking at getting a new machine now that Vista is out, but am unsure which path to take so any advice is appreciated...

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[Grenage]

These days, I'd say that a dual core is much better. Back when applications didn't support multiple cores, it wasn't ideal but still excelled for desktop work.

Now there is little reason to get a single core (well, very few instances).

Carlsberg don't run I.T departments, but if they did they'd probably be more fun.

 

[felixc]

The OSes and applications are slowly adapting to the multi-processor cores. This is the trend for the future several years. So if you can go dual or quad it is the safe choice.

In the case of an Intel processor, it had to be the Core 2 Duo. Not the one without the "2", and not the hyper-threading ones.

And unless you are aiming at the top-of-the-line processors (where Intel presently rules), the AMD processors present a very competitive product usually at a better price.

 

[paparazi]

Definately dual core unless you are talking very much budget entry level.
Intel Core2 Duo or Quad for middle to high end

AMD AM2 X2 dual core for entry to middle

AM2 Athlon64 single core for budget

Martin



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[xwb]

How often are you going to change your machine and will you keep the old one or try to sell it off. If you're going to sell it off then go for the dual core since it will be easier to unload than the single core.

 

[RenoWV]

I very much appreciate the advice you have all offered, as until I asked the question I was unsure which direction to go. Now I know that it'll be a dual core -- thank you!

 

[kmcferrin]

Intel Pentium D CPUs are available for less than $100. AMD has entry-level Athlon 64 X2 CPUs available for around $75, and their top end parts are available for $300 or less. Entry level Inte Core 2 Duo CPUs start at about $180.

At this point there is absolutely no reason to not buy a dual core CPU. One other thing to keep in mind is that the Athlon 64 X2 CPUs will be considerably faster than the fastest Pentium D CPUs (and cooler), so there's not really any reason to buy the Pentium D.

 

[cdogg]

Yes, and another important point to consider is that many Pentium D CPUs operate up to 130 Watts which is double the rating of Intel's newer Core 2 Duo (65W). Higher wattage translates to higher temperatures.

Newer Pentium D's were modified to run around 95 Watts, but still run fairly hot in comparison to the X2 and Core 2 Duo.

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

With the advice you all generously offered, the computer that I'm considering most seriously has this:

AMD Athlon 64 X2 AM2 3800+ Processor, with the AMD 690 Asus M2A-VM Motherboard and 2GB DDR2 PC4200 Memory (1GB x 2)

Will likely place the order in 2 weeks... thanks again.

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