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john8217

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Difference between "dual core" and "core 2 duo"

-What is the difference between Intel's "dual core" CPU and their "core 2 duo" CPU? Don't they both have 2 "cores."
-While we're at it, what exactly is a "core?"
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jdera

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Shanmuga Sundaram D
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mickyvd

As I understand it, a "Core 2" in the name denotes two cores on a single die (a single meta l, and the term "Duo" means there are a total of two cores on the processor.  So a Core 2 Duo is a dual core processor made on a single die, and a Core 2 Quad is a quad core processor made on two dual core dies.

Presumably, then, a Core Duo is a dual core processor made on two single core dies, but they're not like the Pentium D's, which according to jdera are essentially two Pentium 4's slapped together in much the same way a bush mechanic might do it, if they were proficient in CPU manufacture.

By the way, a "die" is basically a metal stamp that imprints the entire processor's circuitry onto the silicon base in one hit.  A processor made on a single die uses less power than a processor made from two dies.