What is a core2 duo processor? can anybody explain it in detail? Thanx?

Answer 1

A Core2 Duo Processor is a CPU chip made by Intel. The words, "Core2" are the name of the series the chips are made in. "Core2" is like "Pentium", it just means, 'any chip that you see within this series will have certain qualities.' Meaning, all the chips in the Pentium series utilized the same general technology and computing techniques. "Core2" is the just the name of Intel's latest series of computer chips. "Duo" is the name of a specific type of chip in the Core2 series. Of the words, "Core2 Duo" the most important part of it, is the "Duo" part. This means you will be getting a dual-core processor from the Core2 Micro-Architechture series. Intel also makes a Core2 Solo processor, which has all the unique computing technologies of the Core2 Series, but in a single-core package.

But, do not be persuaded to buy a Core2 so easily. This is not the first dual-core processor Intel has made. The Pentium D was the first commercial CPU to have dual-core technology from Intel. Though both the Core2 Duo and Pentium D have dual cores, you would definately not have the same computing experience.

Core2's are made using new technology that allows manufacturers to cram more transistors onto the same chip, thus giving it the ability to house 2 processing cores on one die. Also, this new technology gives it the ability to be more power-efficient and operate much cooler. Pentiums on the other hand, are power-hungry, hot as blazes, and pretty fast for their time. You could buy a Pentium D running at 3.6Ghz in its hayday for about $500. Now, if you buy a Core2 Extreme Edition running near the same speed, it would cost you only $100 more, but you would see an enourmous performance leap.

On that note, in order to properly gauge a CPU's performance, you need to take several factors into account.

1. Clock Speed - Usually measured in Ghz, or Mhz (gigahertz[Ghz] being larger). Most people think, 'hmm, two cores, both operating at 3.0Ghz, that must mean they're equivalent to 1 core operating at 6.0Ghz.' Wrong, though a dual-core CPU maybe clocked slower, it theoretically can do twice the amount of work. Old Pentium 4s had technology called "Hyper Threading" which was software that tricked the cpu into thinking it had two cores, when it really only had one. Core2 Duo's have two physical cores, thus enabling you to fully take advantage of both cores. With HT technology, software had to be written to take advantage of the Pentium 4's 'logical dual-cores'. To maximize performance on the Core2, you merely must run two programs at once.

2. Cache - The main factor along with Clock Speed is L2 Cache. What is it? It is a type of RAM, similiar to DDR2, except MUCH faster. So, in keep with general computing themes, the more you have, and the faster it is, the better. L2 cache is the second fastest ram in computing. It is located on the CPU die, and stores information that is waiting to be processed by the CPU. A Core2 Duo E6600 has 4MB of L2 cache (2 per core). Most Pentium 4's only had 1MB of L2 cache for its single Core.

As I'm sure you're beginning to see, given that a Core2 has more L2 Cache, has more transistors, more Cores, and can be clocked just as high a single-core processors, that is where all the advantages come in. Also, along with all that, the Core2's have new processing techniques such as EM64T, which enable the processor to address more than 4GB of memory in a 64-bit environment. Previously, in a 32-bit environment, a system was limited to 4GB on RAM because the CPU just couldn't do the math to address it all. Now, the Core2 can automatically address up 8GB of RAM with EM64T.

I hope this answers your question. Also the Intel website has a pretty good breakdown of what exactly a Core2 is.

Answer 2

Your question was a hot subject back in 2008. At that time you would never find a game to took advantage of more than 2 threads. The e8400 was the clear winner but not by a big margin. Most people would never notice a real difference. Today it's a little bit different. There are games coming out that take advantage of 3 threads. Generally, the 3rd thread is used in AI processing or maybe some moving background objects. Today, the old q6600 may sometimes have an advantage. I would pick a G0 stepping q6600 over an E0 stepping e8400 any day of the week as long as that processor hasn't been abused. The G0 stepping model can easily hit 3ghz on air with room to go higher. I wouln't pay too much for any of these processors. If you don't plan to overclock, you can easily find a Core i5-2400, budget 1155 motherboard, and 4gb or DDR3 RAM for about $320. This makes paying nearly $200 for the e8400 and q6600 a bad value. You should be able to find either of these chips used for less than $100. No you can't add the speed of the cores up. Are two cars traveling on the freeway at 60mph really going 120mph? Each core is it's own worker. They don't team up on a single thread.

Answer 3

Basically a core2 duo processor is two processors on a single chip. Code has to be written in a way that allows for parallel processing. Each cycle in theory there are two operations done This effectively gives a doubling of the throughput without doubling the clock speed. this in turn cuts the performance required of ancillary components such as memory.
Increase in clock speed increases power consumption. This increase in power is non linear. Any method which increases the throughput without increasing clock speed is beneficial.

Answer 4

answer in simple language:
Core 2 duo is the marketing lingo of the Intel corporation. Guys at AMD corporation call it dual core processor.
Now, for the dual core explaination..
Imagine an average computer. You get frustrated while working with it. Now imagine another, of same speed and same limits.
Now imagine what will happen when the processing capabilities of those two computers is combined. It will give more benefit than the computer which you consider as fast..
To sum it up, Dual core processor is nothing but the combination of chips of two average computers to give more performance than a good performer chip.. More superior in all respects..
Hope this helped.

Answer 5

Core 2 is an eighth-generation x86 architecture microprocessor produced by Intel and based on the Intel Core microarchitecture. Core 2 was to mark the retirement of Intel's Pentium brand name that had been used since 1993, Core 2 saw the reunion of Intel's notebook and desktop product lines, which had diverged with the Pentium M and Pentium 4 in 2003.

The first wave of Core 2 processors was officially released on July 27, 2006. Like the Intel Core brand that it supersedes, Intel currently offers the Core 2 series processor in Duo (two-core), Quad (four-core), and Extreme (two- or four-core with higher speed and unlocked multiplier) models. The base processors are code-named "Conroe" (for desktop use) and "Merom" (for portable use); their variants have code names such as "Kentsfield" (quad-core Conroe) and "Penryn" (45 nm Merom). Although the "Woodcrest" server CPUs are also based on Core microarchitecture, they are marketed under the Xeon brand rather than Core 2.[1] As of December 2006, all Core 2 Duo processors are fabricated on 300 mm wafers in Fab 12 in Arizona in the US and Fab 24-2 in County Kildare in Ireland.[citation needed] The 65 nm manufacturing process was developed at Intel's Oregon D1D facility.[citation needed]

Unlike NetBurst-based processors, such as the Pentium 4 and Pentium D, Core 2 does not stress designs based on extremely high clock speeds but rather improvements in the processor's usage of both available clock cycles and power. This translates into more efficient decoding stages, execution units, caches, and buses, as well as many other factors. The CPU-family may also have more than one core on a single chip. The power consumption of these processors is much lower than the Pentium desktop line of products. With a TDP of only 65 W, Core 2 features a significantly reduced power consumption compared to its predecessor desktop chip, the Pentium 4 Prescott with a TDP of 130 W.[citation needed]

Intel Core 2 processors feature Intel 64, Virtualization Technology (except T5500 or lower end E4x00), Execute Disable Bit, and SSE3. Core 2 also introduced SSSE3, LaGrande Technology[citation needed], Enhanced SpeedStep Technology, and Active Management Technology (iAMT2).

Answer 6

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Answer 7

its two independent processor core in one physical package run at the same frequency and share up to 45MB of l2 chace as well as up to 1066MHz front side bus, for parallel computing.
there are four models
E6600, which operates at 2.40GHz, also with a 4MB L2 Cache
E6300 and E6400 processors feature a shared 2MB L2 Cache and come clocked at 1.86GHz and 2.13GHz.
the site will help ya out