Modern desktop computers are frequently multitasking. While the user is browsing the Internet, typing up a report, or playing a video game, they may also be listening to music, streaming their favorite TV show, and running an antivirus program in the background. But each of these programs takes up computational power from the micro-processor, and a processor’s core can only compute one task at a time. Therefore, most modern processors are multi-core, able to juggle multiple programs at the same time.
Multi-core processors have been available in PCs since the 1990s, and answer the problem of processors reaching the physical ceiling in terms of clock speeds, effective cooling, and maintaining accuracy. By placing extra cores on a single processor chip, hardware manufacturers are able to circumvent the issues with clock speeds by multiplying the amount of data that a CPU can handle. Originally processors could fit just two cores on a single CPU, but there are now options for four, six, and ten or more core processors.
To clarify how useful multi-core processors are, we need to understand just what a process is. A process is a specific task, such as a program running on a computer like a web browser, game, word processor, etc. A process consists of one or more threads depending on how it is running. A single-core processor can only handle one thread at a time, so they system has to rapidly switch between threads to process data in a way that seems concurrent. Multiple cores, however, allow the system to run multiple concurrent applications. This technology was originally developed for business servers, but has expanded into the PC market as they have become more and more complex.
The biggest downside to multi-core processors lies in software. To truly benefit from multiple processors, the software running on the computer processors must be able to support multi-threading. Without such software, threads will be run through a single core, degrading the computer’s efficiency. If it can only run on a single core in a quad-core processor, it may be faster to run on a dual core processor with higher base clock speeds. All current operating systems support multi-threading, but application software, like mail programs, video editors, video games, and 3D modeling programs must support multi-threading as well.
Whether to focus on getting multi-core processors or higher base clock speeds depends on the tasks you intend to use the PC or notebook for. Video games, for instance, don’t offer much improvement for going from two cores to four, or four to six, etc. A video encoding program that transcodes video, however, will likely see benefits as frame rendering can be passed to different cores and then combined into a single stream by the software. When it comes to clock speeds, processors can handle multiple data threads thanks to the extra cores, but each of these cores has to run at a slower speed due to thermal restrictions. A dual core processor can support base clock speeds of 3.5 GHz for its two cores, but a quad-core processor can only run at 3.0 GHz. Therefore, if a program is only single-threaded, the dual-core would actually be faster. But if the program uses all four processors, the quad-core would be far more efficient.
At Just IT Hardware, owned and operated by ASAP Semiconductor, we can help you find all the multi-core processors for the aerospace, civil aviation, and defense industries. We’re always available and ready to help you find all the parts and equipment you need, 24/7-365. For a quick and competitive quote, email us at sales@justithardware.com or call us at 1-714-705-4780.
All Orders are Fulfilled in the U.S.A.
All shipments must comply with U.S.A export laws.
No exceptions.
The only independent distributor
with a NO CHINA SOURCING Pledge
If You Would Like to Get High Quality IT Hardware Parts, Just Click on The "Request For Quote" Button Below.
Request for Quote
