Quad versus dual core

Will I see an advantage in Photoshop CS5 (32 bit) if I upgrade my existing dual core processor to quad core? (Clock speed slightly lower on the quad core - 2.66GHz as opposed to 3.00GHz on the dual)

Part of the answer depends on the cache specs.
A processor must access programs and data in main memory.  The more cores you have, coupled with sufficient cache space, will get more processing done in general.  Many things in Photoshop and Windows in general are multi-threaded, and if all the processors can get data from RAM into the cache, then spend some time (in parallel) working on it, you will have gained.  On the other hand, if each processor is just chunking through RAM then the single bus from the processor (set) to RAM will be a bottleneck and you may actually see the system get less done.
Very generally speaking, more cores are better, so your computing experience may well seem nicer (smoother) with a 4 core processor.  Oh, and enable Hyperthreading if you can.
-Noel

Similar Messages

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    Any input or factual data would be greatly appreciated.
    Floyd

    Mark, I know what paid for my G5 Tower compared to what I can get from the new iMacs is incredible. 
    I do ad layouts in Illustrator, sometimes very large layouts 6 feet by 4 feet for menu boards.  I use Photoshop extensively for pre layout work and for my own photography.   I do a bit of video work but nothing major. I use either iMovie or Final Cut Express, again mostly simple stuff, not to much rendering. 
    I'm probably going to put 8 gig of ram, running Snow Leopard, For what I am comparing, the Quad machine is about $300 more the the Duo Core.  The Quad processor speed is 2.66 ghz, the Duo Core processor is 3.06 ghz.  so this is where it gets all muddy.  Duo has faster processor but if the software I use does not have the "treading" capability to make use of the 4 cores than it seems that the duo is a better choice.  Am I making proper sense out o this.  It used to be so much easier to compare the options.. And no one seems to want to post a list of programs that truly benefit from Quad Core. 
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  • 13 vs 15" Retina.  Quad or Dual Core for Aperture and IMovie?

    Does iMovie or Aperture take advantage of quad core?  I'm debating if I should return the 13" Retina I just purchased for the 15".  Thanks

    A quad core will definitely allow you to stack more layers of instruments and decrease your buffer size (resulting in lower latency).  I have a 3.06gHz core 2 duo 17" with 8GB RAM and a mate of mine has a 13" i5 with 4GB RAM and we compared how many synths we could cram into 1 patch before we got system overloads.  My mate's i5 easily handled at least 60% more than my machine....I was blown away by how much difference the extra CPU speed makes. 
    If I were in your shoes, I'd definitely go for the quad core if you want MS to handle (just about) anything you can throw at it.  This will also give you a few more years of use as plugins evolve and consume more and more processing power.  That's one of the main reasons why I splurged at the end of 2009 and upgraded every "power" feature I could when I bought my current MacBook Pro.....I've easily gotten more life and use out my system than most users who bought the standard config at the time.  I've also just upgraded to a 512GB SSD to get some more juice out of my machine to keep me happy for at least another year before I get a new MacBook Pro.

  • Dual core versus quad core?

    Is there a noticeable difference in speed when comparing a dual core versus a quad core iMac where the advertised speeds are essentially the same, say -- 2.7 ghz CPUs, both running the latest Mac OS 10.82, and iLife, iWork, or MS Office suite programs for MAC?

    Chances are for the type of work you're doing an i7 iMac would be a complete waste of money. Where  you may benefit is 5 years from now if your work flow changes a lot where you use apps that draw on the power of an i7. However  none of can look into a crystal ball and decide today what we will need years down the road so if you want to bet safe, buy as much as you can afford.

  • 2 Dual core intel xeon vs quad core. Whats the difference??

    I came across someone who's selling his mac pro 1.1 (aprox 2-3 years old machine) which hosts 2 dual core intel xeon processors 2.66 Ghz (4 total cores) with an L2 cache of 4 MB per processor and 3 gb of RAM. He is asking for 1200.00
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    2. Is 1200 a good deal considering its a 2-3 year old machine? how much would it cost me brand new?
    3. I am planning to purchase the machine to use Logic Pro 8 (considering to upgrade to 9) which I currently run on my mac book intel core duo 1.8 GHZ. Which of the two machines will be optimal for it?
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    Using the scores on the GeekBench site, I show that a Mac Pro 1,1 2.66GHz gets a score of 4544.
    http://browse.geekbench.ca/geekbench2/view/218641
    The Mac Pro 4,1 Quad Core 2.66GHz with all its Nehalem glory gets a score of 9256.
    http://browse.geekbench.ca/geekbench2/view/229504
    Benchmark tests versus real-world performance, along with your mileage, may vary. But that should give you an idea of what kind of what you're getting.

  • Quad-Core 2.2Ghz i7 vs. Dual-Core 2.8Ghz i7

    Currently, I own an early-2011 13" MacBook Pro 2.3Ghz i5 with 8Gb of RAM and a 500Gb Momentus XT HDD.
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    I work with cs5.5 mostly in Photoshop, Premiere Pro (AE and AI too).
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    Suggestions?
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    Thank you both for the help!  Another question... how much better are the graphics of the 2.4GHz MBP (with theAMD Radeon HD 6770M w/ 1GB GDDR5) versus the 2.2GHz MBP (with the AMD Radeon HD 6750M w/ 512MB GDDR5)?
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    Furthermore, I would prefer to not spend over $2000...
    Currently, I would set mine up as follows:
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    Upgrade the 4GB of RAM to 8GB or more (via Crucial). $45.99
    Purchase AppleCare Protection Plan. $239.00
    Swap out the HDD for my Momentus XT (and eventually upgrade my 500GB Momentus XT to the new 750GB Momentus XT).
    That's it.
    Total cost of 2.2GHz with above changes:
    $1,699.00 + $90.00 + $45.99 + $239.00 = $2,073.99
    Total cost of 2.4GHz with changes:
    $1,999.00 + $90.00 + $45.99 + $239.00 = $2,373.99
    Advice?
    Thanks,
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  • Should I go with a dual core or quad core MacBook?

    Hi all,
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    Will I see a noticeable difference between dual core i5 and i7? From what I have seen, it has not been much of a difference. I only plan to do light Photoshop and doubt I will do any video editing or even 3D modelling for the most part. This will mainly be used for research (web), streaming, and Office. I know that the i5 is more than capable of all of that, but I am looking to make this machine last 4+ years at least. That is why I am considering jumping up to the 15" MBP just to get the quad core and ensure that I will have a longer lasting machine.
    Most of the time the laptop will be travelling around, but I will also be plugging this into a Thunderbolt Display for more screen space.
    Let me know what you all think! Right now, I am leaning towards the 13" MBP with dual core i7, but this is subject to change. Will it last throughout college?
    Thanks,
    Sean

    seanbrownie wrote:
    Screen size set aside since I plan on using a TBD most of the time,
    Then you want the more powerful graphics of the 15" with it's dedicated GPU to better/faster drive the external display as it's larger, and larger displays pumps more pixels so you also need the better cooling of the 15"
    would adding more RAM solve the OS X upgrade issues over time?
    Yes, but more RAM isn't a cure all, processors and graphics also has to be powerful to last longer.
    RAM allows one to do more things at the same time, and gives a performance boot with programs with larger files it's working on (like large Photoshop and video files)
    Plus, would upgrading the HD to SSD help in making the jump to say OS X 10.11, 10.12 down the road easier?
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    http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100008120%2060041492 0&IsNodeId=1&name=513GB%20-%201TB
    It would be nice to save a little on the screen size since I won't be able to utilize the 15" to its maximum potential when I'm working at my desk.
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    If you compare specs and performance of the hardware Apple offers for sale and equivilent i5/dual cores with Intel HD graphics, you'll find for $1500 buys a Mac and for $400 buys the same in a Windows PC.
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    The really best value is a Windows 7 tower, that way it's parts are all upgradable and can last a decade or more on one Widnows OS version.
    Several of my friends think I'm crazy spending $10,000 on Mac's in 10 years, they are still on their XP towers and haven't paid much more than $2000 over that same time.
    Of course now XP is dead and they have to upgrade to Windows 7 towers, but they really get good value out of their boxes.
    Mac's are not for those tight on a budget, I don't advise. A Windows machine will do the job for most people
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  • Dual core or Quad Core

    I know elements will run on a "Dual core or Quad Core" system, but will it use the "Dual core or Quad Core" feature

    Yes, the Editor will make good use of multiple processors, while the Organizer appears to make somewhat less use of multiple processors. PSE 7 has a severe bug with respect to raw files, but that's fixed in PSE 7.

  • Upgrading Zbook 15 From i5 4200m Dual Core to an i7 Quad Core; Is it possible?

    Hi. I have this laptop. Is it possible to replace the i5 dual processor with an i7 quad core? If so, I might upgrade. I am just not sure if the Zbook dual core laptop shares the same motherboard as a quad core. 
    Thanks much! 
    Gary
    This question was solved.
    View Solution.

    Hi Gary
    Yes you're correct: you've to change out board for upgrading to Quad core processor. It's going to cost you much compared to price of the laptop.
    Manual (second one) - go through page 26, 27: http://h20565.www2.hp.com/portal/site/hpsc/template.PAGE/public/psi/manualsResults/?sp4ts.oid=538780...
    Documentation: http://h20195.www2.hp.com/v2/default.aspx?cc=ca&lc=en&oid=7081970
    Regards
    Visruth
    ++Please click KUDOS / White thumb to say thanks
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  • 13'' dual-core with 16gb ram vs 15'' quad-core 8gb ram -- ram vs cores?

    Hello.  I am at a point between choosing a 13'' dual-core i5 with 16gb ram vs the 15'' quad-core with 8gb ram - both retinas.
    I will be using photoshop and illustrator while uploading/downloading large files constantly.  After much headscratching I almost decided on the 13'' i5 because from my experience, RAM limitations is where I usually run into problems, and don't see the extra price of i7 worth it when it is still a dual-core.  For the same price I can get a 15'' quad, but will be stuck with 8gb ram.
    I don't care about the screen size, I have good eyes and the weigth trade-off makes this a non-issue.
    I'm thinking about down the road, as either of these I'm sure will be fine solutions.  I'm just wondering where does the edge really come in this case?  Ram or processor / cores?
    Thanks.

    Thanks for your reply tjk, of course with 16gb on the 15'' for $200 more  I'd have easier time, but in this case I am comparing a refurbished - the lowest 15'' 16gb I could find would cost $500 more, I just can't do it. 
    I should make clear that this particular comparison between 13''w/16 and 15''w/8, they are the same price (the 13 being new) - which is why I'm stuck.
    To rephrase - for the same price - which will I regret less in 4 years?
    As a side note, I can't believe I'm even thinking about paying this much money for something that is not upgradeable, but that's another discussion entirely.

  • Macbook pro, dual core or quad core?

    Hey guys Im getting an early college present and was wondering which Macbook I should look at. This will be my one and only computer while im in college. No photo editing or anything like that, maybe some video editing but it will be almost none. Will be used to surf the web and write documents. My question is should i get the dual core or quad core processor? Will it really matter for what i want it for? One thing I absolutely hate is lag! So the faster of the two the better.

    tony477g wrote:
    So if I went with the quadcore because you guys say it is faster than the 2.9 ghz dualcore. Would the difference be noticable between the 2.6 ghz and the 2.3 ghz? I noticed the 2.6 has 8 gb to the 4gb and 750gb to the 500 gb.
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    So unless there are more things you want to do that you haven't mentioned, there is just about no way it's worth paying for quad-core or a 2.6GHz processor if all you are going to do is surf the web and write documents.
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    13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display with 256GB SSD storage and 8GB RAM
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    I suggested 13-inch because it's more portable than the 15-inch but more comfortable for 4 years than an 11-inch. I chose storage sizes that would be appropriate since you said you would do some video. And I chose 8GB RAM because 4GB may not be enough for 4 years, and also because insufficient RAM is often a bigger cause of lag than CPU or disk speed.
    If you have a limited amount of money, from this point on you'll need to justify why you would want a bigger screen, a faster CPU, or more cores given the two tasks you said you'd be doing most of the time. Because again, if you didn't actually need a Mac, you could write documents and surf the web on an iPad with the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover and be done for $600.

  • All things being equal, does 4th gen quad core i7 (2.5GHz) need more RAM than 5th gen dual core i5 (2.7GHz) for same tasks?

    Bought mid/late 2014 15" MBPr with the i7 2.5GHz and 16GB RAM. I'm within 2 week exchange period at Best Buy, and thinking of switching to 2015 13" MBPr with i5 2.7GHz and 8GB RAM for battery life and weight, and they don't offer the upgraded 16GB RAM option for any 13" models.
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    Also to note, would like this to last 4 years, which was reason that I bought the higher spec'd model even though I don't run games or video editing

  • How can I tell if I have an i7 dual core or quad core processor?

    I just got my brand new (2011 refurbished) MacBook Pro yesterday and it is slow and choppy right out of the box. I checked the "About This Mac" screen and it says I have the "2.2 GHz Intel Core i7". It says nothing about "dual core" or "quad core". I thought I was buying a quad core, but now I'm starting to wonder exactly what I bought.
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    Matt
    Chicago, IL

    You have a quad core.
    Number of Cores: 4
    Regards,
    Captfred

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    We are planning to purchase around 25 computers for a computer lab for working with CS4 Production Premium at the high school level.  Mainly Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Photoshop.  Our budget is, unfortunately, a mere $550-$625 per machine (just the tower though, we have monitors).  I've already established that a 64-bit operating system makes a significant difference in the performance, even though Photoshop is the only 64-bit application, and I'm now hung up on whether or not it's worth the cost of a quad-core processor over a dual-core.
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