Digit-Life: Dual Core Processors in 3D gaming today

[Remedy]

READ

I did a search before posting. What are you're thoughts on people purchasing Dual Core strictly with gaming in mind? The article seems to exploit the benefit is minor as of today. Unless you're a Q4 addict and those servers have been vacant for a long time now.

 

[f4phantom2500]

yup, not now, but the day is coming. when quad core is where dual core is now, i would definitely expect any new major game to be multithreaded.

 

[Canai]

Go for it... I leave Rosetta@home running while gaming and have no problems at all

 

[DrMrLordX]

I would think you'd want a dual-core just because dual-cores are so cheap. There's no real reason to go with single-core processors now. The clock speeds and prices are just as good in dual-core land.

 

[amenx]

Whether dual cores benefit gaming or not, there are no single cores that can match current dual cores even in single thread performance games today. So I doubt serious gamers will choose single core CPUs over todays dual cores.

 

[Noema]

Originally posted by: DrMrLordX
I would think you'd want a dual-core just because dual-cores are so cheap. There's no real reason to go with single-core processors now. The clock speeds and prices are just as good in dual-core land.

Good point. High end dual cores...heck, even high end quad cores cost the same high end single core processors did 2 or 3 years years ago. The QX6800 is about $1100...roughly the same the FX-55 or the P4 EE went for 2.5 years ago.

And with low end C2Ds or X2s for less than $80...no reason not to get dual core.

 

[lyssword]

Originally posted by: Noema

Originally posted by: DrMrLordX
I would think you'd want a dual-core just because dual-cores are so cheap. There's no real reason to go with single-core processors now. The clock speeds and prices are just as good in dual-core land.

Good point. High end dual cores...heck, even high end quad cores cost the same high end single core processors did 2 or 3 years years ago. The QX6800 is about $1100...roughly the same the FX-55 or the P4 EE went for 2.5 years ago.

And with low end C2Ds or X2s for less than $80...no reason not to get dual core.

Lowest end c2d is ~160 so far.. $183 for e6300. soon the prices should drop.
Amd on other hand x3800 and 3600 $82 and $65, affordable

 

[rudder]

WHat are your options to buy a single core cpu now anyway?

Are you going to buy and AMD AM2 4000+ for $90 or get a or an X2 4200+ for $99?

 

[apoppin]

the article IS interesting ... there ARE some concrete improvements with DC

but nothing so *compelling* - right now - to upgrade my SC cpu

 

[destrekor]

Unreal Engine 3.0 is threaded for dual-core, correct?
and I bet CryEngine 2 is also threaded for dual-core. And with those engines, specifically UE3 (but hopefully to include CE2), they will be used heavily in the near future.
I'm looking forward to Americas Army 3.0 that game will kicka$$, if only they can someone remove all the damned people who came from CounterStrike and play like total a$$hats. but at least there are some really good servers who enforce good game play.

 

[apoppin]

UE3, Doom3 and Crysis' Engines are multi-core

Alan Wake *recommends* Quad Core

the FUTURE is indeed Multi-core

BUT - it ain't quite here yet ... next year it will be come much more "necessary" for gamers

that's 'when' i upgrade ... to QC

 

[yh125d]

Originally posted by: rudder
WHat are your options to buy a single core cpu now anyway?

Are you going to buy and AMD AM2 4000+ for $90 or get a or an X2 4200+ for $99?

4000 > x2 4200 in single threaded apps

 

[AnotherGuy]

Originally posted by: destrekor

I'm looking forward to Americas Army 3.0 that game will kicka$$, if only they can someone remove all the damned people who came from CounterStrike and play like total a$$hats. but at least there are some really good servers who enforce good game play.

LOL Im looking forward too for AA... what is it now 4 years it came out? thats when i started playing it.... n never got bored of it best real time simulating Army game!

 

[rudder]

Originally posted by: yh125d

Originally posted by: rudder
WHat are your options to buy a single core cpu now anyway?

Are you going to buy and AMD AM2 4000+ for $90 or get a or an X2 4200+ for $99?

4000 > x2 4200 in single threaded apps

If I am buying a new CPU I will spend the extra $9 in this case and get the dual core. If you want to sit there while your single core finishes encoding before you can start another task... be my guest. I'll take the second core over a slight drop in gaming performance.

 

[kmmatney]

These tests are performed with computers with a bare operating system on them (and often with sound turned off). A real machine will have more crap running in the background, antivirus, skype, messenger, firewall, etc... On the average user's machine, the benefits will be greater than these graphs show. Gameplay will also be smoother overall, which is something the graphs don't show. Si, while you can game just fine with a single core (as I am doing now) I think it iw still worth it to go for dual core.

 

[daveybrat]

Originally posted by: rudder

Originally posted by: yh125d

Originally posted by: rudder
WHat are your options to buy a single core cpu now anyway?

Are you going to buy and AMD AM2 4000+ for $90 or get a or an X2 4200+ for $99?

4000 > x2 4200 in single threaded apps

If I am buying a new CPU I will spend the extra $9 in this case and get the dual core. If you want to sit there while your single core finishes encoding before you can start another task... be my guest. I'll take the second core over a slight drop in gaming performance.

QFT

 

[deadseasquirrel]

Originally posted by: kmmatney
A real machine will have more crap running in the background, antivirus, skype, messenger, firewall, etc... On the average user's machine, the benefits will be greater than these graphs show.

This is easy enough for anyone to test out. Run your games with all the crap running in the b/g and record the results, then shut everything down and rerun. I'm willing to bet you won't notice a difference. I didn't. Antivirus, messenger, other processes, etc. None of them take up much (if any) CPU time. Granted, I wouldn't run a system-wide virus scan while gaming, or decode a DVD, or burn a disc... but you get my point.

Either way, like others have stated, a new build should include a dual-core processor. They're cheap enough now and it doesn't make much sense to build with single-core unless on an ultra-low budget (but, even then, the savings would be minimal).

Where this info is especially relevant is for those current single-core users thinking that a dual-core might make a night&day difference for their gaming. Take your rig, kmmatney, for example. A dual-core might make things "smoother" as you say, but, really, you'll notice a whole heckuva lot more performance in gaming if you upgraded your GPU instead. If you had $100 to upgrade your machine right now, I wouldn't grab an X2 3800+ to replace your 3400+. I'd save up a few bucks more, sell your GTO and get a GTS, and see a huge increase in performance vs what a dual-core CPU would do for you.

I, like you, am still using single-core in my gaming machine. I might skip dual completely and opt for a quad when I upgrade next (sometime late this year or early next). For my settings and resolution, on the games I play, dual-core really wouldn't help me out much at all. Now, if someone wants to toss me theirs for free, I'll gladly install immediately.

 

[DrMrLordX]

It should be noted that single-core CPUs and current-gen dual-core CPU of the same architecture (example: Athlon 64 4000+ vs X2-4200+) overclock to about the same level anyway. I think some folks got San Diegos on air to 3.2 ghz, while Brisbanes can hit 3.1 ghz pretty easily.

The OC differential between single-core and dual-core might have been more relevant back when X2s were often hitting walls at 2.5 ghz on air, but those days are over. On the Intel front, I can't think of any performance advantage to single-core.

 

[Remedy]

Originally posted by: apoppin
UE3, Doom3 and Crysis' Engines are multi-core

Alan Wake *recommends* Quad Core

the FUTURE is indeed Multi-core

BUT - it ain't quite here yet ... next year it will be come much more "necessary" for gamers

that's 'when' i upgrade ... to QC

*ding ding*

Someone finally understood the point of the article.