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Is it time for Quad Core?

This is Intel dual-core / 64bit all over again ... where AMD bring out a proper versions first and it then takes Intel a good few years to catch up (remember Intel's 1st dual core chips were 2 single core dies in one pack, rather than AMD who had proper dual cores).

But native Quad Cores (i.e. Phenoms) are no more (i.e. much less) powerful than C2D's.

The efficiency of the architecture is much more important than whether the chips are native or not.

i7's are native now anyway. Although, I don't know whether the rumoured 8-core i7's will be native or not.

edit: damn, didn't mean double post.
 
But native Quad Cores (i.e. Phenoms) are no more (i.e. much less) powerful than C2D's.

The efficiency of the architecture is much more important than whether the chips are native or not.

i7's are native now anyway. Although, I don't know whether the rumoured 8-core i7's will be native or not.

edit: damn, didn't mean double post.

Oh I never said that the architecture was bad, I'm prepared to agree that AMD got it wrong with Phenom ... however chances are were C2Q native they would possibly perform better.
 
The Q6600 is a pair of dual core dies in one package, the AMD quads are a single quad core die. Saying the Q6600 isn't a proper quad core is a bit misleading though, it has 4 fully functional cores just like the AMD chips.

No mate, it is the opposite, saying its a Real Quad is false, it even shares the Cache and Cores need wait turn.

The new I7 and newest AMD's are Real Quads. ;)

99% of peeps don't have a clue so they get away with it, and IMO there is not much use for Quads still today.

Some will argue that fact but even peeps who have owned them have said so and some jumped to faster Duals lately with Wolfdales.

By the time Windows (even Windows 7 AKA Vista SE Ballsup Fixer) and Apps use Quads fully the CPU's we have now will be old hat and the Q6600 will be a total POS you buy for £5-10 on the MM or E-Gay.
 
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I see there is a Q8200 now. Is this rubbish? It has 4mb of cache whereas the Q6600 has 8mb cache.

There seems to be many steppings of Q6600. Which one do I need?
 
I'd leave it a while Fox. There are so many problems with GTA4 anyway that you may very well upgrade to the Q6600 and find that it makes no difference! Wait until the game gets patched and then decide. By then the mid-range i7 chips may be out :)
 
If I leave it a while I need to buy another E4300 which strikes me as a missed opportunity? I'm being told in the GTA thread that my system is crap :p
 
yeah a gtx 280 is crap ;) obviously a lot of love on that forum

maybe get a friend with with a quad to lend you one and see if it changes your world. bit sad to get a expensive q6600 (it is now) when things may get more competitive between intel and amd in near future
 
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Just get a cheap Q6600 fox. Saying they're not 'true' quad cores isn't really relevant to their performance when you remember the 'true quad core' chips from AMD get whipped by the Intel Core 2 'Quads' in every benchmark. The more recent Q8000 and Q9000 series are just the same and are not 'true' quad cores either, and you don't see anyone complaining about them do you.

The Q8000 series quads are a budget processor with small cache and no Intel VT extensions. The equivalent to the Q6600 out of the new 45nm chips is the Q9300 so anything under that and you'll be getting a slower chip.
If you can get a Q9300 for cheap then happy days, but I guarantee if you get a decent Q6600 you'll be getting it at a much lower price than a Q9300 and it's performance will be near identical, they both overclock about the same too..

HTH.
 
such as what?

honestly, i can't see my e8500 holding me back on any game to be released in the near future.

Please don't mention GTA4 as it has to be the worst coded game released this year....and even so, from what I've seen a quad doesn't have much over a wolfdale in that game...
 
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such as what?

honestly, i can't see my e8500 holding me back on any game to be released in the near future.

Please don't mention GTA4 as it has to be the worst coded game released this year.

Yup, it took that title away from NFS.
 
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