How Fast is a Dual-Core Processor?

A dual-core processing unit is not the same as dual processors.

Dual-core processors are, theoretically, up to twice as fast as single-core processors. This is not because they operate at higher clock frequencies, as clock frequency depends on a given processor's make and model. Rather, it's because they can perform multiple tasks simultaneously.

Frequency

Processor manufacturers often use the terms "clock frequency," "clock speed" or "clock rate" to refer to speed. These terms indicate the number of times per second a processor works to execute software instruction. Dual-core processors do not innately operate at higher frequencies than single-core units.

Parallelism

According to the Topbits website, dual-core processors are able to perform faster than single-core units because they can process two threads at a time (e.g., in parallel) to the single-core's one. A thread is the smallest unit of a software instruction. It commands the processor to perform a calculation. While it may seem like this should make a dual-core twice as fast, in reality this is rarely the case.

Software

PC Mag reports that software must be specifically written to take advantage of dual-core processing. Otherwise, it won't split up its instructions by sending some to one core and others to the second core. Software that can do so is known as "multi-threaded" software.

References

• PC Mag: Inside Intel's First Dual Core CPU
• Topbits: Dual Core

Resources

• Topbits: Dual Core