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Just a quick question. I know daul core means two cores on one chip. But if you have a 2.0ghz daul core cpu dose it mean you are equal to or better than a 4.0ghz
cpu? People keep asking me this. They want to know if they have a peice of software that requires a 3.0ghz cpu and they have a 1.5ghz daul core if they can run the software.
I'm just not understanding single core to daul core thing completely and i am not sure if i am answering them correctly. I think so but just want to confirm.

No. It simply means you have more than 1 CPU on the die. A 4 core 2.0 CPU means you have four (4) 2.0ghz cores on the die.

At this point, just because a GHz is faster doesn't mean the system or the die is faster or slower than others. There are many things now that affect speed - ram (or lack thereof), the efficiency of the programs to multi-task, HD rpm, chipsets, and others. The trend to faster GHz CPUs with single cores ended a couple of years ago as CPU makers discovered they ran into a thermal barriers with smaller circuitry that they couldn't get around. So they decicded it would be better to put more than one CPU on the die. Thus we got multi core CPUs. Yes- even here they are trying to make each core faster, but there is still a thermal barrier.

For the most part, you really won't notice much of a difference in speed after a certain point. - You have to take the whole system together. Gamers need to pay special close attention to their graphics cards and RAM.

So, if you have say a game that says it need a 3.0ghz cpu that means you need 3.0ghz cpu. You can not try to Substitute a 2.0ghz daul core and expect the game to run. Correct?

Dont worry about speed. A lot has changed since the speed wars. Without getting to technical. most currant day multi core cpu's clocked at 2.0-2.4ghz are going to womp any 3ghz single core of the past. Its just the way they process information. If you look at the AMD line of yester year a athon 64 3000+ running at 2.0ghz was equally as fast as a pentium 4 at 3.0ghz. Companies might put a 3.0ghz requirment on a peice of software, but that is let the customer know the minimum single core CPU it will take to run.