Dual Core or Not Dual Core

Hello All,

I am starting to think about building a new PC for when I get Vista (a few months off yet) and want to make it a capable of DX10 games and pretty fast.

I have been looking at COre 2 Duo processors and although I understand that they can act like two processors on different tasks I am not sure whether they will give me the performance increase I expect.

Here is my question. If a Core 2 Duo processor runs at a slower speed than my current processor (3 gig HT) will it be faster for games that are not especailly threaded? for Dual Core? Or will I potentially have a performance drop?

Note - I am not concerned about running multiple resourse heavy apps at one time - just the one, in the case of this debate that will be a game.

I understand that this may sound like a silly question, but I don't want to spend the big money if I don't get a big performance increase.

 

Hello silverwork,

I think this thread answers your question:

http://www.windowsbbs.com/showthread.php?t=62759

Regards - Charles

 

That thread was useful - many thanks, but I don't think it answers my specific query, though I may have not seen that.

If I am running a game - and nothing else...will a Dual Core CPU actually give me a performance drop as it runs at a slower speed than my 3.0g CPU and the game is not specifically threaded for dual core CPUs?

Or will I see little difference? If it is either of those answers I will save my £160 as I do not run anti virus or video coding at the same time as playing games...

However, if the new toys perform much better on single applications too - then I will invest, but I am not convinced.

 

It's a valid question, Silverwork, but its relevance seems to be passing with time. At some point soon, I wonder if you'll be able to even buy single-core cpus anymore.

Your "outlook" (Vista, DX10 gaming, etc.) seems very future-forward but it's mixed with the desire for the very best in gaming performance in a single-app situation.

To put it simply, a dual-core cpu will not improve gaming performance in a game that is not optimized for dual-core. In such a situation, fast single-core cpus come out on top. I know some big-name titles like COD2 are optimized but I still think the list is quite small.

On the contrary, if I knew someone was just putting together a system now and is going to run Vista, I would definitely recommend a dual-core cpu as multi-cores are simply the way of the future. And go ahead and take the hit that you might see in gaming performance.

I recently made my final cpu upgrade to my Socket 939 gaming PC. And, not to seem hypocritical, it was a single-core Athlon 64 that I have clocked at the high speed of 3.0Ghz. I do not multi-task and I try and squeeze the very best performance out of my rig for gaming. I also have absolutely no intention of migrating to Vista.

My PC is what it is and I will use it until it no longer performs as well as I need it to.

But I do have a suggestion that might meet both of these goals with one solution. And that solution would be to buy an Intel Core 2 Duo processor. Yes, it has two cores but the real upside is the fact that it will most likely outperform any AMD cpu whether it be single- or dual-core. And, a Core 2 Duo is my recommendation for people building a new system regardless of what it will be used for. It's simply a smart move based on its performance.

 

Thanks Chiles4, I am actually looking at those CPUs.

To be honest I would happily wait for my Vista upgrade, but my GFX card has broken and it is an AGP one....so I don't want to get another AGP card that wont have much future (DX10 etc)...so I thought maybe go the whole hog, but that means CPU, RAM and Mainboard as well as the PCI-e Card......

The cost is quite off putting to be honest, hence my caution!

 

Yeah, sounds like you have a hard decision ahead of you: buy another AGP card or abandon your whole system and build another. Your sig looks like you overclock so maybe you could try and "control" the price by going with a Core 2 Duo E6300 (and crank it a bit), a Biostar Tforce board like this one (which is currently sold out - probably due to its popularity and value), and an eVGA 8800GTS (320MB) that's only $260 after MIR.

Those are the parts I'd probably snag if I was to go to a Core 2 Duo setup. Yeah, it sure adds up fast! And RAM prices are supposed to go up this summer with so many people upgrading to Vista.

Thought of an irony here...you're worried about losing gaming performance with a dual-core. Keep in mind that simply going to Vista will take a toll on your gaming performance as well.

 

An excerpt from a driverheaven.net article on Vista gaming...

It sounds like dual-core is definitely the way to go if you plan on running Vista. And my statement about XP outperforming Vista seems to be one that has an expiration date on it.

It seems that as the video drivers improve, Vista gaming performance will improve significantly. But 1GB-RAM owners need not apply.

 

Thanks again chiles4.

I am still having the debate with myself about way to go. I think I will get the AGP card replaced as cheaply as possible, and look to upgrade the whole system (CPU, Mainboard, GFX, RAM and PSU) in about 6 months.

I will try to get an SLI board, but with just one 8 series card - but with the thought of adding another 2 years later when they are cheaper, so I don't need to get the newer card then.

Though SLI seems to have gone off the boil lately...will keep an eye on what gamers are up to...