Dual core laptops - what are the benefits?

[GordonBennet 10]

Okay, so I'm not totally daft - I do know that dual core laptops have twice the number of processors!

 

But if all you want to use the laptop for is surfing the net and downloading music and videos, are there any advantages in having two processors - ie can you download twice as much data as a single processor laptop of the same type in the same amount of time? Or is your download speed determined by your mobile broadband connection and in this case processor speeds are irrelevent?

[DaFoot 10]

You suspect correctly.

 

For the most part, dual core would make minimal difference if your just browsing web, speed would rely on network speed.

 

However... in addition to faster processor, in the laptop you could expect faster componants than in an older (non dual core) machine. The sum of those parts (eg IO throughput) should come together to provide a machine that is generally faster, but not soley down to the processor(s).

 

If you wanted to edit the stuff you downloaded, then the dual core would definately make a difference

[steev 10]

You can get a decent idea of what's improved & by how much by looking at the tomshardware.com CPU charts here.

 

They test a number of things on computer setups where the only part which differs is the processor (as much as possible), so looking at different benchmarks (drop down box at the top) will give you an idea of how much benefit you'll get from an upgrade for the things you do. So if as DaFoot says you do anything with the music & video you download, such as re-encoding or editing them there'll be a benchmark relevant to you.

[Redyam 10]

Processors help when playing music and videos - decoding the divx and mp3. If all you want to do is downloads stuff, that depends solely on your broadband speed.

 

A single processor has to split its time with all the different threads that are going on. Say a computer is running 10 threads at once, the processor has to dedicate its time between each, giving each process a certain amount of time, before pausing and going on to a different thread.

 

Having 2, 4 or more cores means the computer can dedicate each processor to a different thread, speeding everything up considerably.

 

Quote: I do know that dual core laptops have twice the number of processors!

No they have 2 cores on 1 processor. It's still 1 physical processor. Stupid.

 

Actually each core is a different processor. So there are as many processors as cores. you are the stupid one!

[posthere 10]

Processors help when playing music and videos - decoding the divx and mp3. If all you want to do is downloads stuff, that depends solely on your broadband speed.

 

A single processor has to split its time with all the different threads that are going on. Say a computer is running 10 threads at once, the processor has to dedicate its time between each, giving each process a certain amount of time, before pausing and going on to a different thread.

 

Having 2, 4 or more cores means the computer can dedicate each processor to a different thread, speeding everything up considerably.

 

 

 

Actually each core is a different processor. So there are as many processors as cores. you are the stupid one!

 

 

LOL. Oh dear your so silly

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-core (A dual core processor is a CPU with two separate cores on the same die)

 

Have a read, you may learn something.

 

HA HA HA

[Redyam 10]

LOL. Oh dear your so silly

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-core (A dual core processor is a CPU with two separate cores on the same die)

 

Have a read, you may learn something.

 

HA HA HA

 

You are the one that needs to read your own link

 

"A multi-core processor is a processing system composed of two or more independent cores or CPUs"

 

A CPU is, as you don't seem to know, a Central Processing Unit, or simply a processor.

[posthere 10]

You are the one that needs to read your own link

 

"A multi-core processor is a processing system composed of two or more independent cores or CPUs"

 

A CPU is, as you don't seem to know, a Central Processing Unit, or simply a processor.

 

Just to clarify... When I go to my local PC shop and buy, for example, a T7200 Intel Core 2 Duo CPU I can expect to walk out of the shop with 2 items?

 

Have I got that right? Thanks

 

LOL. OMG Some people.

[wwp8 10]

i thought the op was specifically asking for "dual core"

 

dual = 2?

core = core?

 

from wiki : "A dual-core processor contains two cores, and a quad-core processor contains four cores"

 

if the op asked about multi-cores, then it could be a trick question.

 

just my 10p

[floyd77 10]

Just to clarify... When I go to my local PC shop and buy, for example, a T7200 Intel Core 2 Duo CPU I can expect to walk out of the shop with 2 items?

 

Have I got that right? Thanks

 

LOL. OMG Some people.

 

It's brilliant when people act like a smart arse and get it totally wrong isn't it!

 

Like what you just did you tool.

[Ghozer 112]

ok, just to shut people up and clarify..

 

physically, there is 1 item, one single 'casing' that contains 2 (or more) CPU's

 

so while it's one physical package, there's two physical cpu's inside it. just like having 2 hard drives in your pc, they are still in the same box, just 2 of them in there.

 

so yes, a Dual Core is 2 Processors, they are just in the same 'box' so to speak.

[posthere 10]

It's brilliant when people act like a smart arse and get it totally wrong isn't it!

 

Like what you just did you tool.

 

It is yes. the op will be so embarrassed. Thanks for pointing that out.

 

LOL