What are the benefits of a Core Duo processor?

Question

I have one with one gig of memory. Do I need more memory?

Answer 1

The core duo is kinda like having two Pentium IIIs in one chip. (P4's are inferior). It is cheaper than having two CPU's on the motherboard. Windows will detect two processors. Some programs will take advantage (multithread), most don't.

You will notice the difference when compressing large files with WinRar or 7zip, compress/encode videos, using many Photoshop filters, or, run several CPU intensive tasks simultaneously. (You can try checking the performance tab on the Task Manager)

You won't really benefit with I/O dependent and/or intensive tasks. You do have two CPU's but they have to share motherboard resources. For example, if you open multiple web pages simultaneously, the CPUs are waiting data to arrive.

One gig of RAM is good on XP, but ok on Vista. Also, Vista is more aggressive using RAM to minimize Hard drive I/O.

Answer 2

Duo core processor have 2 processing units so they don't get heated much so are more efficient so the company can bring on higher frequency of processors without overheating problems

Ram's fine for now, i too have the same amount if you are a gamer i wud recommend a minimum of 2GB you'll need 1.5 GB for next year as minimum

Answer 3

It depends on what you're using it for and what operating system you have installed. For Windows XP, 1GB is usually more than enough. For Windows Vista, 512MB is the minimum and 1GB is barely enough.

Also if you plan on doing a lot of video editing or gaming, 2GB is the minimum these days. Be sure to check your manual and the PC manufacturer's website for more info. You need to make sure you are installing the right type of memory and keeping the configuration in "dual-channel".

If you've never heard of some of the terms I've used above, go to http://www.wikipedia.org and search on them.