In This Article
What is Dual Core Processor?
A dual core processor, just as the name suggests, comes with two distinct cores that can work as individual processors. These cores have their own respective cache, Arithmetic Logic Unit, Floating Point Unit, Control Unit, register and are built on the same die.
Technically, dual core processors are two microprocessors combined in one but they work at the same time on the same Integrated Circuit or IC.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- A dual core processor is twice better than the single core processor because it has two separate processors in one. However, the speed of its performance may not always double.
- The dual core processors provide better results because the workload is divided between two cores and does not need switching between threads frequently while dealing with two applications at the same time.
- The dual core processor will however consume more power than a single core processor and all of its power may not be utilized always by most of the applications you run on your system.
Understanding Dual Core Processor
If an integrated circuit is equipped with two execution cores, then that IC is called a dual core processor.
Each core has its separate Cache memory, ALU, Control Unit, FPU, Register, and each core can work as efficiently as a single core CPU.
These two cores of the IC are interlinked to each other. So, this type of processor can perform almost twice the speed of a single core processor.
Plenty of dual core processors are available in the market such as Intel core duo, the dual-core PowerPC G5, and the AMD X2.
On a single silicon chip, the developers of these processors have combined two processor cores. Check out Differences Between Dual Core and Quad Core Processor.
The developers had to try their best to reach such an effective result; the process was not an easy one.
Some advanced systems such as the PowerPC G5 Quad provide four cores to the users by using two separate dual core processors together to offer 4 times performance that of a single core processor.
Importance of Dual Core Processor
A dual core processor is twice as powerful as a single core processor. The processing ability is also twice than that of a single core processor.
But, it doesn’t mean that the processing speed will be twice. That is because some applications don’t utilize the full power of the processors.
Only some operating systems and some software use the full power of a multi-core processor.
The programs that are optimized for multi-core processors can run faster in a dual core processor than a single core CPU.
The Pros
- A dual core processor can provide a better performance than a single core processor.
- A dual core processor can provide more prominent results by dividing the processing procedure between the cores.
- While a dual core processor runs two or more than two applications, it boosts its performance accordingly. While switching between different threats a single core processor has to stop for a while, which indirectly affects the performance of the PC. But, in a dual core processor, the CPU doesn’t need to frequently switch between threads. This is because a dual core processor is able to handle two operations simultaneously.
- Some dual core processors come with the hyper threading feature. By using this feature, the processor can manage the two threads at a time.
- Clock Speed of most of the dual core processors is comparatively higher than that of a single core processor.
The Cons
- If a single core processor has higher clock speed than a dual core processor, then the performing speed of the single core processor will be better.
- Most of the applications don’t utilize the whole power of a dual core processor. Only some operating systems and some advanced programs utilize its complete capacity. It seems like a car equipped with an 8 cylinder engine runs on 4 cylinders most of the times.
- A dual core processor consumes more energy to run in comparison to a single core processor.
- Other multi-core processors like quad core or octa core are more powerful than the dual core processors. A processor with a higher number of cores can handle more number of operations.
FAQs:
What is the speed of a dual core processor?
The clock speed of a dual core processor ranges between 1.3 GHz to 3.4 GHz. The speed of the front side bus in a dual core processor lies between 533 MHz to 800 MHz.
Is a dual core processor good enough for gaming computers?
In this era of high graphical games, it is good to avoid dual core processors in gaming computers. One must have to spend some extra money and should go with a minimum Intel i5 or AMD Ryzen 3 processor to enjoy the games fluently.
But if the budget of a user is too low, then he can use a dual core processor but besides he also has to arrange a GPU of the old model, which is compatible with dual core processors, which is very hard to arrange.
But after investing such a huge amount of money and energy, he will not get satisfactory results as he will not be able to play recent games. So, it is not a wise decision to use a dual core processor in a gaming system.
How many cores are present in a dual core processor?
As the name suggests and as we discussed earlier, a dual core processor comes with 2 cores. Each core is able to perform a single operation at a time.
It is better than single core processors and it consumes less energy than quad core or octa core processors.
Which OS is best for dual core processors?
If the user uses 1 or 2 GB RAM with a dual core processor, then Windows XP and Linux are the best choice. But, it is to be remembered that Microsoft has already phased out Windows XP.
So, only a few applications or software or games will be run in this OS. If the user attaches a minimum 4 GB RAM and minimum 2 GB GPU, then he can easily enjoy all versions of Windows 7 and Windows 8.
What should the capacity of the RAM, present in a PC which is equipped with a dual core processor?
In order to make a PC, which is equipped with a dual core processor, efficient enough to run most of the software, minimum 4 GB RAM is required.
If the user attaches a RAM of more capacity, then the PC will be more powerful and it will be more beneficial for the user.
Can a dual core processor run Windows 10 Operating System?
Yes, a dual core processor can run Windows 10 Operating System but not smoothly with all configurations. It is advised not to run Windows 10 Operating System with 1 or 2 GB RAM.
If a PC has a minimum 4 GB or 8 GB RAM then he can use Windows 10 Operating System. But sometimes the user can face lagging while operating Windows 10 with a dual core processor.
Conclusion
In this era of octa core processors, dual core processors are still in existence. This is enough for anyone, to understand weather a dual core processor is good or not.
A dual core processor is not as powerful as quad core or octa core processors; but dual core processors have the ability to run most of the software. But, the speed will differ from the better processors.
Most important reason of dual core processor’s survival in this era is its price, which is lower than the other processors of higher cores.
