Quad Core vs. Dual Core

[DYin01]

Or to be more specific: Low end Quad vs. High end Dual

Ok, so I'm a bit torn. I can either buy the Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3.00GHz. It's a pretty good processor and it gets great reviews. I think it's a very good processor for gaming. On the other hand, I can also buy the Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.40GHz. Now, mathematically, the quad core should be more powerful, but does Fallout 3 really use all four cores, or will I be better of with the Core 2 Duo?

 

[Zrahni]

E8400 all the way. My rig runs it, you can easily oc it to 3.6 w/o any ocing knowledge and easily push to 4ghz++ if you know something.
Quad is only better if your gona compress stuff, work with video files etc.

 

[Caliostro]

Dual Core imo.

 

[jezz8me]

I use a Q6600 and have never had any processing lag. Duals are probably better still but newer games will handle four cores better.

 

[Zrahni]

I use a Q6600 and have never had any processing lag. Duals are probably better still but newer games will handle four cores better.

Well e8400>Q6600 at stock in all games atm, and games tax video cards anyway.

 

[searanox]

A quad-core processor will be more future-proof as games start to take advantage of multiple processors rather than raw clock speed, but as of now a fast dual-core will be a better option than a slower quad-core considering the price high-end quads have on them. Both overclock like crazy, even on stock cooling, so a Q6600 can perform as well as a standard-clocked E8400, but the E8400 can reach speeds of 3.4 to 3.6 GHz fairly easily as well.

Unless your computer is really trash, I'd wait a bit for the Core i7 processors. With a reported 25-50% jump clock-for-clock over the Core 2 series, it'll be worth it.

 

[Zrahni]

A quad-core processor will be more future-proof as games start to take advantage of multiple processors rather than raw clock speed, but as of now a fast dual-core will be a better option than a slower quad-core considering the price high-end quads have on them. Both overclock like crazy, even on stock cooling, so a Q6600 can perform as well as a standard-clocked E8400, but the E8400 can reach speeds of 3.4 to 3.6 GHz fairly easily as well.

Unless your computer is really trash, I'd wait a bit for the Core i7 processors. With a reported 25-50% jump clock-for-clock over the Core 2 series, it'll be worth it.

I will disagree.

Spoiler: E8500 VS QX9770 VS i7

Whole topic for those who are interested
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=zh-CN&tl=en&u=http://hardware.mydrivers.com/2/118/118851.htm

 

[Zani]

Go for the Q6600, you can easily clock it to 3.00GHz, if you have the right motherboard.

 

[Ronwue]

Dual core all the way.

 

[Laughing Man]

Unless your computer is really trash, I'd wait a bit for the Core i7 processors. With a reported 25-50% jump clock-for-clock over the Core 2 series, it'll be worth it.

No it won't. You can pick up a dual or quad core Core Duo for £150 and slot it in to your current 775 Mobo, job done away you go. A Core I7 will require

The new CPU that's £250 for the entry level one
A new Mobo that's another £250 for the entry level ones
New memory unless you happen to already be running DDR3 that's another £150

£150 vs £750 for a possible 25% - 50% improvement which you will never see in game? Doesn't sound like a good deal to me.

Get the Dual Core 8400, get a decent after market cooler and OC that sucker. You'll be good in any game you care to mention for the next year and a half.

 

[gigastrike]

Or to be more specific: Low end Quad vs. High end Dual

Ok, so I'm a bit torn. I can either buy the Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3.00GHz. It's a pretty good processor and it gets great reviews. I think it's a very good processor for gaming. On the other hand, I can also buy the Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.40GHz. Now, mathematically, the quad core should be more powerful, but does Fallout 3 really use all four cores, or will I be better of with the Core 2 Duo?

Either way you'll have a better core than I have.

 

[dukethepcdr]

Until games are made specificly to make full use of Quad Core technology, quads are a waste of money. A high clocked Dual Core will give you more noticable benefit for your money than a quad core will. Quad cores playing today's games is like putting a big block, high performance engine in a car that you never drive over 40 miles per hour. Sure, it looks impressive, but all that money and horsepower are going to waste on a car that just putt putts around town. Most games even coming out this year don't even require a dual core processor. A high Ghz Pentium 4 will still get the job done in most games.

 

[Rolling Thunder]

Since you are all being ripped off, 'I really hate to say but I told you so....'

 

[PersianLlama]

In the long run, quad core. You won't use all 4 cores for a long time, but eventually games will come out and use it. I have a Q6600 OC'd to 3.2ghz and I love it.

And as previous posters said, for immediate satisfaction, you'll get more out of the E8400. But with a Q6600 you can run F@H while you play games >.>

 

[DYin01]

Thanks for the help everyone. It was a bit of a hard decision, but I decided to just get the Core 2 Duo processor. I'd rather have a high end Core 2 Duo than a low end Quad. By the time Quad cores are widely used everywhere, I'll get a good Quad core. A 3 Ghz Quad Core will probably be at least half the price it is now by then.

 

[Rankao]

I got a Q6600 not overclocked and well, I'm pretty happy. Then again, I do a lot of photoshop and 3ds max and autocad.

 

[DYin01]

So pretty much everyone here agrees that if I get the Q6600 I should overclock? First of all, I don't know how to overclock. Secondly, I know that you need proper cooling if you do that, and that costs extra money.. which I absolutely do not have.

 

[Alex_P]

So pretty much everyone here agrees that if I get the Q6600 I should overclock?

You don't need to, it's just something you can do for fun. I've yet to run into anything it can't handle on the usual 2.4 GHz.

Most decent motherboards just let you change the clock speed in software.

-- Alex

 

[Aries_Split]

Quad. Ignore people saying dual. Quad.

Quad.


Quad.

Quad.

 

[-Seraph-]

yea..go quad, you'll be better off in the long run. I got a 9300 and it bloody rocks, but you might as well settle with the 6600 since it seems to be the most popular around here.