running games???-cpu?

[pyrodog783]

hi I recently built a pc off newegg but my question is about cpu's and gaming, which is better for gaming ya think, a core 2 @2.13ghz(I have) or like a pentium4 630prescott @3.0ghz?(for example) cuz i payed about $140 extra for a core2... i guess im asking does the core "2" make up for the lose in ghz? what makes it better for gaming (if it even is)

thanks...

 

[backup287]

Wow you actually built a pc without knowning the difference between a pentioum 4 and a core 2....well the core 2 is definately alot better seeing as it has a whole extra core!!!and not to mention alot more l2 cache, you were right in buying the core 2

 

[backup287]

(so in essence you have 2.13ghz times 2) for multitasking and although some single cores run better for games this isnt the case in this instance

 

[Trotter]

The Core 2 Duos are a whole new architecture, completely different than the P4s.

A good comparison would be the 32-bit Athlons with a dual-core FX-62.

 

[Harper]

In your case, i would be going the Core 2 Duo over the prescott any day of the week.

YES, It worth the extra $$$

 

[pyrodog783]

so really its running at 4.26ghz...

 

[baronvongogo]

so really its running at 4.26ghz...

no it runs 2 cores at 2.13 so each core takes a thread from a game or software and runs it at that speed. So say you open 1 application it uses 1 core at 2.13 then open another app and it will use the 2nd core running at 2.13. Some apps and games use both cores such as games will pass audio and physics to one core while the other does something else.

 

[pyrodog783]

so all in all it was better to get the core2 then an average 1core at lets say 4ghz, only reason I asked is because I wasnt sure if the core2 was good for gaming or if it was more of a multitasking thing....

 

[Waphlez]

Multi-core CPUs divide and conquer the task(s) at hand. They do not stack up, they just share the work. Now remember, just because it's dual-core doesn't mean it will run things twice as fast.

C2D was defiantly the right choice. Also remember C2D, like AMD CPUs, run a lot more efficient then a P4. Even if your only using 1 core at 2.13GHz it will still run things faster than a 3.2 GHz P4. Comparing a P4 to a C2D is comparing apples to oranges; they work different then a P4.

Only applications/games that are multi-threaded (or programmed to be able to run of multiple-core CPUs) will take advantage of multi-core. However, even if it's still single-threaded, the other core is off-lifting other processes like background apps, off the core that is working on the single-threaded app.

For example, let's say 2 people has to write 2 essays. Obviously you can't have 2 people writing the same essay on the same sheet of paper (it terms of computers, this would mean the "essays" are single-threaded); but you can have each person do a separate essay at the same time, therefor reducing the time it takes to get it done.

 

[pyrodog783]

thanks, that pretty much puts it in prespective