I'm a noob, so I was wondering...

loopmarine

New Member
If I had say, a dual core 2.5Ghz processor, would that mean I have 5Ghz?
Equally, if I had a Quad core 2.5Ghz processor, would I have 10 Ghz?

Is this the case, or does it only multiply like that if you have more than one processor? And exactly how much better is a Quad 2.5 than a dual 2.5?

Thank you!
 
No, liken it to two processors on one die, each processor will run at 2.5G max and means multi tasking can be achieved if the software allows it. Theoretically get the same work done in half the time.
Quad core exactly the same, can multi task with each core running it's own task, again if the software is written for it.

If you generalise, not taking into account cache, it's architecture etc then the only difference would be multi tasking, neither would be better than the other.
 
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To add to what TFT stated, central processing units (CPUs) are the brain of a computer. It is the component in which most processing takes place. A quad-core processor housing contains four processors that operate at the same frequency, but independently of each other. A 2.5 gigahertz quad-core processor has four processors each running at up to 2.5 billion cycles in one second.

It really depends what software you are running on your system to know exactly how much benefit a quad-core processor has over a dual-core. Quad-core processors can multi-task (do more than one thing) better than dual-cores.

Also, here is some more information that may confuse you. It is difficult to compare many processors by simply comparing clock speeds. Processors with newer technology can perform more calculations per clock cycle than an older central processing units. Some older central processing units may be running at 3.6 gigahertz but could be beat by newer processors running at a 2.5 gigahertz clock speed.

To find out if an upgrade is worth it tell us what you are specifically using your computer for. But I think you were just looking for general information on processors.
 
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