Could someone please explain dual/quad core?

[SixTwoSix]

Hi there, new here and in the process of upgrading my system, but a little confused with dual core and so on.

My current system is a p4 2.4Ghz, so obviously it's about 4 years old, i haven't really checked up on any computer stuff since I bought it 4 years back. Now, i'm not a tech noob, i understand quite a bit, it's just that i've neglected to follow cpu development over the last 4 years or so.

Correct me if i'm wrong, but i'm guessing dual core means there are 2 cpu's working in conjunction with one another, so for example if you had a dual core 2.4Ghz, do you combine these and essentially have a 4.8ghz processor or doesn't it work like this. I've googled lots of articles, but can't seem to figure it out.

Last time I looked there were single core 3.2ghz chips and I just assumed this number would keep going up as it's done since my highschool days of 386's and so on.

Also I notice quad core, does this mean 4 cpu's, and if so, if you have a quad core 3ghz, does this mean a 12ghz system?

I know these are quite trivial questions as i'm guessing most of you know this stuff off by heart, but please be patient with me, thanks!

 

[SixTwoSix]

So you could in effect have 3 design programs open, be using a quad core and each core would deal with a different program?

 

[SixTwoSix]

Okey doke...thanks guys, think i've got my head around it now.

So then, if you were using programs that just supported single core, would you get the same performance on a single core 2.4ghz as a dual/quad core 2.4ghz, from what i've read it's pointless having the extra cores if the software doesn't support it?

 

[SixTwoSix]

So even if the program only supports single core, you can still assign a few different programs to different cores if you have to use them at the same time?