Multi-Core Technology Advances
Multiple-core processors have been available inpersonal computerssince the early 2000s.
Processes and Threads
Aprocessis a specific task, like a program, running on a computer.
A process consists of one or more threads.
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Athreadis simply a single stream of data from a program passing through the processor on the computer.
Each system generates its own one-or-many threads depending upon how it is running.
The benefit of having multiple cores is that the system can handle more than one thread simultaneously.
Each core can handle a separate stream of data.
This architecture greatly increases the performance of a system that is running concurrent applications.
Every process, however, is governed by a primary thread that can only occupy a single core.
All of the major current operating systems support multithreading capability.
But the multithreading must also be written into the software software.
A good example to explain this tendency is to look at a typical computer game.
Most games require some form of rendering engine to display what is happening in the game.
In addition, some sort of artificial intelligence controls events and characters in the game.
With a single-core, both tasks execute by switching between them.
This approach is not efficient.
Is 8 > 4 > 2?
For example, many classic games still offer little performance difference between two and four cores.
Thus having eight cores will be even more beneficial than having four.
Clock Speeds
In general terms, a higher clock speed will mean a faster processor.
Thus, if you have a program that is only single-threaded, the dual-core processor is actually more efficient.
