Do many applications/games benefit from 4 cores?

[galadial]

I'm not even sure if Photoshop elements benefits from 4 cores so I was wondering if it's time to upgrade to a quad core system, OR would a fast dual core still perform similarly?

Are there even many games out there that utilise all 4 cores on a quad core?

Pete

 

[Predicament]

Well bud, I am still using ONE fast core, so I'd say for the next year or so you'd be ok with two..

If your itching to burn your cash.. then I'd wait for bulldozer/ivybridge or just buy Sandy

 

[Albino Eatpod]

There are some well-optimised multi-core games. Supreme Commander, Bulletstorm, DiRT, FSX (with patch), most Unreal Engine games, Alan Wake, Call of Duty 4 - they all support quad core. Many more support dual core.

 

[cmsbfent]

Alan wake? eh?

Is that out?

 

[cmsbfent]

Ah man, got me excited then

Thought I'd slept through its release but a quick search says nope

 

[~>Dg<~]

no joke a decent quad and your card u would probably get double the fps you have now in a lot of games

if your not sure get a secondhand q6600 for 50 or 60 quid.

theres no point in going dualcore when quads start at like 75-80 new.

 

[Random Guy]

Short answer: yes.

Especially with Video Encoding/Unzipping/Photo Editing.

Most games are optimised for at least 3 cores (in our heady days of multiplatform releases), and many PC games are optimised for 4 (Unreal Engine 3, Bad Company 2 for example).

 

[Albino Eatpod]

Alan wake? eh?

Is that out?

haha oops! I didn't mean to put Alan Wake. I remembered it being championed as a multi-core development, but then the PC version was cancelled.

 

[drifting]

Games? No. Most games which claims to be able to use more than 2 cores are console ports which actually only use 3 cores. By 2012 there will still be more than 80% games using only 2 cores.