What Intel processor is better...Core 2 Quad or Pentium Dual Core or Core 2 Duo?

Question

I'm thinking of getting a pc tower and hooking it up to a 32" LCD Tv. Which is better? What are the pros & cons? Im assuming the Quad is the best?

so the Quad is overkill? Would you recommend the Pentium Dual Core or Core 2 Duo? Whats the diff between those 2?

The quad core i was considering was this one:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8602407&type=product&id=1192232280889

Answer 1

If the Core 2 Quad is reasonably priced you may as well get that (it is the best processor you can get for a desktop PC right now).

The Pentium Dual Core is a cut down version of the Core 2 Duo (it has less cache) so it's slower than the Core 2 Duo (but still gives pretty good performance).

Any of those processors will do a good job of running pretty much everything you want provided you don't skimp on other components.

Answer 2

Most of tomorrow's applications will utilize the Quad cores. I currently have a Core 2 Quad and the performance I get from it is mind boggling. Core 2 Duo and the Quad are exactly the same processors except for the core count.

By the way, a Pentium Dual core is not a cut down of the Core 2 Duo; it is a completely different processor with a brand new Core architecture and would out-perform a Pentium any day by a huge margin.

Answer 3

The Quad has two Dual Core's, and 4 is better than 2! However, buying one right now is a waste of money because nothing you use will recognize more than 2 cores, and most things will still only utilize one core. Buy a cheap Dual Core now, and in a few years upgrade to Quad core for a great price!

I'd go Dual core, it's basically a more refined version of the Core Duo. I'm building a system in January, so I've been reading up on it quit a bit lately. Follow the link below to see the processor I've chosen to go with. There's a new 45 nm process being used on the next generation of chips to be released, so you'll want to make sure that your motherboard will be able to support that. With that coming up, it makes even more sense to not spend too much on the processor right now, so this one is great speed for the money. Quad core is just overkill, providing processing power at a premium price that can't even be used. Where's the sense in that?

Edit: I love Acer, great brand. It's not a bad price either.

Answer 4

Here's my answer: http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/499
Links to info on Pentium Dual Core, Core2 Duo, Core2 Quad. Compare this for yourself.
1.Pentium Dual Core: http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/478
2.Core2 Duo, and Core2 Quad: http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/366
3.Thought I'd throw this in: http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/481