Dual Core Processors

[calhoun]

Im really new to dual core technology. If you get an Athlon 3800+ X2 with dual core technology, will the processor be 4 Ghz? I dont understand dual core, can someone help me out?

[noob]

some information regarding this is in the link below:
http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/..._13041,00.html

Dual core is 2 processors working in parallel, on the same die. Its like 2 processors joined together.

The processor will still be at 2.0GHz, but the 3800+ tends towards the output will be the equivalent of 3.8GHz (3800MHz). Think of it like 2 AMD 3200+ cores, running parallel.

Just think:

You have a string of data - A B C D E F G H I

1 core process this linearly.
2 cores can process this the same by using 1 core, or 2 cores, 1 doing A C E G I, and the other a half clock cycle behind doing B D F H, giving performance increases. Not twice as fast, but enough from say an increase from 3.2GHz to 3.8GHz equalivent.

You could also have 2 threads of information:

A B C D E F G H I
A B C D E F G H I

while 1 core would do A A B B C C D D E E F F G G H H I I

2 cores would do A B C D E F G H I each at the same time.
Giving roughly twice the performance of the single core.

[Exile69]

Let's try and keep this in one thread, please.