Best Processor for Single Thread Application

[extra]

Yes, he is indeed right... and it is indeed funny.

The nehalem architecture finally did away with the whole "lower core is better for less threaded app, higher core count is better for more threaded apps"... Largely thanks to turbo boost...

Also part of the benefit of the extreme CPUs is both binning and that they are unlocked (for max overclock)...

if willing to OC, then you should go with the above, or with the intel 875K.

If not willing to OC you can still get some solid performance from a nehalem with fewer cores

OP, please provide a budget and a bit more info on what you are doing, why, what for, etc.

Doesn't the larger cache of the 980 extreme edition also help a bit? I admit I haven't researched that chip much (so far out of mah price range, lol) but...If op really needs speed, they may want to look into that and take the cache size into account, right?

 

[taltamir]

yes, good point about the extra cache.

There are some specific applications for which the budget justifies an extreme edition CPU. But very few IMAO. I think the OP needs to clarify more about what he is doing and for what.

 

[AircobraA]

Sorry for the old thread bump, thought someone might be interested in my experience. I have a single threaded app which I run on an old Dual 2.4Ghz Zeon (Prestonia) its takes about 8.5 days to run.

I tried a Dual, Dual Core Intel® Xeon® Processor E5503 and it took 4.5 days.

Running on a i3-530@4Ghz it takes 2 days. I expect its bootlenecked by the HD too, so a SSD might improve things further. But for a few hundred bucks it was far cheaper than re-writing the application. before I didn't know if there were errors until after 4/5 days, now I know in 24 hrs.