Just wanted to see what you guys thought of the new Quad Core computers. Is there really a need for them now? And does anybody have one yet? Fill me in....
Quad Core
Four-core CPU, like the Kentsfield, processes very well multi-threaded applications (typical for video editing, ray-tracing, or rendering), where its processing ability may approach a double of its each half's equally clocked dual-core CPU. It cannot reach almost double of its each half's equally clocked dual-core CPU due to a loss of performance resulting from the narrow memory bandwidth and operating system overhead of handling twice as many cores and threads. Single or dual-threaded applications alone, including most games, will not benefit from the second pair of cores of a quad-core CPU over an equally clocked dual-core CPU. Kentsfield's relatively small increase in FSB and processor speed over Core 2 Duo's does not alone boost the overall performance for those applications, however a high-speed, low latency RAM may bump up the numbers. Nevertheless, a simultaneous use of (multitasking) several processor-demanding single/dual-threaded applications on a four-core CPU will see a dramatic overall performance increase over an equally clocked dual-core CPU. A four-core CPU is useful also to run the both client and server processes of a game without noticeable lag in either thread, as each instance (up to four) could be running on a different core.
Quad Core
Four-core CPU, like the Kentsfield, processes very well multi-threaded applications (typical for video editing, ray-tracing, or rendering), where its processing ability may approach a double of its each half's equally clocked dual-core CPU. It cannot reach almost double of its each half's equally clocked dual-core CPU due to a loss of performance resulting from the narrow memory bandwidth and operating system overhead of handling twice as many cores and threads. Single or dual-threaded applications alone, including most games, will not benefit from the second pair of cores of a quad-core CPU over an equally clocked dual-core CPU. Kentsfield's relatively small increase in FSB and processor speed over Core 2 Duo's does not alone boost the overall performance for those applications, however a high-speed, low latency RAM may bump up the numbers. Nevertheless, a simultaneous use of (multitasking) several processor-demanding single/dual-threaded applications on a four-core CPU will see a dramatic overall performance increase over an equally clocked dual-core CPU. A four-core CPU is useful also to run the both client and server processes of a game without noticeable lag in either thread, as each instance (up to four) could be running on a different core.
...my Macs from 99...G3s still hold me down...and I used to use music apps heavily...now it's just Photoshop...if I had the loot to burn I wouldn't mind test driving some of these new Macs though...