Which is a better processor?

[webbersam3]

Which is a better processor for producing;

Intel dual core at 3.00 GHz or Intel Quad Core at 2.4 GHz


(the dual core one is the Intel Core 2 duo, and the Quad core one is Intel Core 2 Quad)

 

[kingmars]

quad but it would be wiser to get an i7

 

[Salem Beats]

There's no way to tell -- you didn't give enough information.

There are some dual-core processors that can outperform lesser-spec'd quad-core processors,
especially in "real world" usage scenarios which aren't heavily optimized for multithreading.

Once you give model numbers, I can give you an accurate response.

-Ki
Salem Beats

 

[webbersam3]

Core 2 duo processor # is E8400 Core 2 quad processor # is Q6600

 

[Salem Beats]

Core 2 duo processor # is E8400 Core 2 quad processor # is Q6600

Alright, so according to Passmark's benchmark site:

The Core 2 Duo E8400 has
a multithreading score of 2164
with a single-thread score of 1257.

The Core 2 Quad Q6600 has
a higher multithreading score, at 2984,
with a lower single-thread score of 920.

Generally,
most newer DAWs and Operating Systems make good use of multiple cores to get the most of a CPU.
However, there are exceptions:
Maschine 1.8 (and earlier) is a single-threaded application,
and each individual plugin in a DAW is usually run within a single thread.

You'll likely get better performance in larger DAW projects from the Q6600,
but the E8400 will give you better performance in small projects at low latency
where most of the CPU strain comes from 1 or 2 particular plugins (especially if you use multitimbral plugins!).

Sorry if this gave you more questions than answers.
If you're looking for a solid, concrete suggestion without taking circumstances into consideration,
I'll tell you to get the quad-core.

-Ki
Salem Beats