- When Cheap Tech is Bad Tech
- Expanding Your Desktop: PCI versus PCIe
- Old Tech to Beware of In Displays, Projectors, and HDTVs
- Dual-cores Out, More Cores Are In
Dual-core’s Out, More Cores Are In
A few years ago, a dual-core processor was a powerhouse. Now, with single-core processors relegated to netbooks, dual-core processors in desktops or notebooks are at the bottom of the performance barrel. Typically, for not much more, you can opt for four-core or larger multicore processors from Intel’s Core i5 or i7 families or AMD’s Phenom II X4, X6, or X8 families.
Even if you don’t use software with multiple threads, multicore processors help your computer multitask better. Thus, you can render a big video and play a 3D game at the same time.
Shop with your eyes open, check out advertised specials in print media by checking out the specifications before you shop, and be sure to check different vendors’ weekly specials against each other. Use these tips along with the guidelines in this article, and your tech buying this year should be more rewarding and provide longer-lasting hardware than in years past.