question on the dual core

MessiahForHire

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ive been looking at different processors for my computer and ive come across a question. amd has a 3800 dual core and a 4000+ going for the same amount. first off what is a dual core? and which of these processors is better?
 
The 4000+ may be the single core version of the Athlon 64 while the 3800 dual core you're referring to is just that: dual core (Athlon 64 X2 CPU). Dual core is better in my opinion.

This is taken from the AMD website:

"The AMD Athlon X2 Dual-Core processor is targeted towards the prosumer & digital media segments. These processors are designed for sophisticated power users who run multiple processor-intensive applications simultaneously. The AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core processor is also ideal for digital content creation and entertainment consumption.

Today's PCs are multi-tasking environments. With the AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core processors, the ability to multi-task, such as creating digital content while checking and writing e-mails, while downloading audio files such as MP3s or music downloads off the Web, will allow users to do more in less time. AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual-Core processors will also deliver superior performance as multi-threaded applications spread from the enterprise server market to the client and consumer markets."

That sums it up. I consider it a high performance processor that is much needed if you work on your computer a lot doing all sorts of stuff on it (games, photo/video editing, watching movies, burning stuff, etc.)

If all you do is surf the net and do basic word processing from time to time, I would get a cheaper single core CPU like an Athlon 64 3000+.
 
Definitely, the 3800+ is better. In short, a dual-core CPU means that it has like 2 CPU's in 1, so it can multi-task much smoother than with a single-core.

I definitely recommend the X2 3800+ over the 4000+.
 
A 4000+ with a higher clock speed would perform better in games. A dual core would be better for video editing, etc. A 4000+ is really just an fx-55 with a slightly lower fsb, which you can easily get by overclocking. A 3800+ is just a 3800+. Lol...
 
I;m getting the 3800+ this week....I'm ordering all my stuff friday.....If you want to know....i'll try to let you know how it is once i get it up and running.
 
Right now the only reason for a Dual core is for better multitasking. In games the dual core will act like a single core. Dual core for gaming is not the way to go. For multitasking grab the dual core.(If gaming isnt your main concern Go intel for the dual core. they beat AMD in everything but gaming pretty much and at 1/2 the cost) If you want gaming more go AMD. and get the best single core CPU you can get just make sure your motherboard supports 64 bit and dual core CPUS so you will be good to go in the future when the prices drop and the software will take full advantge of the Dual core. The best setup today is 2x single cores. a 2 cpu mainboard. It doesnt work the same way as a dual core and you get full benifites from it. In the future Dual slotted boards supporting dual CPU's will be the best way to go. Then Quad cpus etc. grab a single core right now and wait a year or so till you get the real upgrade, Just my 2 cents
 
There will be a nedglidgeable difference between the 4000+ and X2 3800+ in games. Believe me, a 200MHz increase in internal clock speed won't make that big of a difference. It will do everything a 4000+ can do, only it will do better in many things, like encoding.
 
I think people are forgetting the point here. It is known that a single core may do better at gaming, but that doesn't mean a dual core is a piece of crap CPU that won't play games. Of course it will play games. It can do anything a single core can do, but more.
 
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