- A multi-core processor is several central processing units (CPUs) printed in pairs on chips that work together in order to complete difficult tasks much more quickly. They accomplish this through a shared bus interface that communicates between the different cores while prioritizing and splitting the work load. The benefits gained from multiple cores is limited by the quality of the software that prioritizes the work load. Running multiple programs, or multi-tasking, benefits greatly from these structures as it allows each program to be run by a separate core with little to no slow down for prioritizing.
- The first 64-bit processors were the domain of high-end servers from their introduction in the 1960s until the early 1990s when they began emerging in personal computers (PCs) and consumer electronics. Bit architecture represents how computer memory, such as random access memory (RAM), is stored and accessed. The biggest problem with older designs such as 16 and 32 bit were the theoretical and practical limits of memory they could access. With 32-bit architecture, like what Windows XP utilizes, computers could only effectively access two gigabytes of memory. Anything beyond this practical limit was wasted since the operating system and computer could not make use of it, thereby bottle-necking its power.
- The Intel Core 2 series of processors, such as the T5550, codenamed Merom-2M are dual core processors with 64-bit technology. The T5550 has an effective clock speed of 1.67 gigahertz (GHz), a front side bus of 667 megatransfers per second (MT/s) and 2 megabytes of L2 cache. It is also important to note that the core multiplier is 11x, which is very important when comparing Intel products with AMD because they do not always calculate their core speed with the same formula. This processor was first released in 2008 as part of a widely popular campaign for Dell desktop PCs.
- AMD started competing in the dual core market in 2006 with their Turion series of processors. The most comparable Turion to the T5550 was released in June of 2008, codenamed Lion. The AMD Turion 64-bit Lion has an effective clock speed of 2.1 gigahertz (GHz), a front side bus of 3600 megatransfers per second (MT/s) and 2 megabytes of L2 cache. Looking carefully you will note that the core multiplier ranges from 7x to 8x for the Lion series. The release of the Lion caused a significant price drop in comparable Intel products in order to compete via price since the quality of the Turion had jumped so much from the previous incarnation.
- The Turion Lion series of processors is significantly faster than comparable Intel products such as the T5550. Not only is it faster, it can handle a much larger processing load in each core. While the Intel chip set tends to prioritize and distribute tasks better between cores, this does not make as much of a difference with only two cores. The Lion processors run about $80 dollars more than other products but are well worth the price.
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -