Core Duo vs. Core 2 Duo

Is there much of a difference besides Core 2 Duo being 64 bit compatible?

 

They say 20%... so maybe a 10% difference It's not worth it. Unless you do lots of video/audio work where there is NEVER enough power, I wouldn't wait.

 

I disagree, somewhat huskyfan. If your buying a pre-core 2 notebook, id consider upgrading. They're souposed to be about 20% more powerful, use 20% less power and create less heat, those are all pluses for notebooks. But If at all possible id wait untill 2007 when the second batch of core 2's come out. The ones that will be on Santa Rosa, with the new sockets. Those will be beasts of processors.

 

Would it be possible for me to upgrade my Core Duo to the 62 bit verion?(meaning buy a while new pros)

 

you mean upgrade your current core 1 duo to the new core 2 duo when it comes out? Yes, at least you can with the first batch. In 2007 the second line of core 2's come out, and along with them a new socket and chipset...i think that what santa rosa is, a new chipset. The core 2's will be "drop in compatable" with current core 1 notebooks. All that is needed is a BIOS update for most notebooks. You need to check with you manufacturer before you buy, and make sure they have a BIOS update, or if they even need one.

I think I read somewhere that Dell Inspion notebooks dont need a BIOS update, can someone confirm that? And list any other know notebooks that wont need a BIOS update?

 

Will an drop-in upgrade from the Core 1s to a Core 2 still see the same battery life improvements? At this point, since I already have a Core Duo, that's the only feature for which I would want to upgrade.

 

if i recall correctly, the core 2 duo codename merom does not have battery life improvement over the core duo codename yonah. I believe its all performance factors.

 

I really doubt you will see a real world improvement of 20%. The fact is nearly all computers these days have more power than we need. This of course applies to the everyday user, not the gamer/video editor/science model dude. For everyday day tasks, you likely will not see the difference. And even for those who need more power, there are many other bottlenecks in a computer. I do not believe it is worth a voided warranty to upgrade to something that you likely won't need or notice. If you do need it, wait for the Santa Rosa platform. That will help in a few areas instead of just one.

 

I seem to recall reading the same--no more battery performance and a bit more heat. I wish I could remember where I read that.

 

I dont think so monk. The advertised performance increase, clock to clock between a core 1 and a core 2 is about 20%. They then say that the amount of power less used is 20%, which means its 20% more powerful, but uses the same amount of power. I read that they created alot less heat. But mabey that was to P4 processors. Yeah thats what it was. The conroe will create alot less heat than a P4, but I can imagine a processor using the same amount of power creating more heat than its predasessor.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_Core_2_Duo

Merom

Merom, Intel's first mobile version of the Core 2 processor, will be released in August 2006 and will replace the Intel Core Duo line of mobile processors. Merom will largely have the same features as Conroe, but with more emphasis on low power consumption to enhance notebook battery life. Intel has claimed that Merom will provide 20% more performance yet maintain the same battery-life as the Yonah-based Core Duo. Merom will be the first Intel mobile processor to feature EM64T 64-bit extensions.

 

Those wikipedia people work fast don't they? Sorry, just sayin'.

 

Yea, well, they have at least 100 editors on this article alone from a pool of well over a million Wiki editors/users. So someone's always watching... Wikipedia never blinks.

 

I'm sorry but this is a pretty silly comment, if he waits 6 months to buy a notebook due to a certain processor he'd be in a perpetual wait. in 6 months when that comes out, something else will be 6 months out

 

Yup, if you wait for the second revision Merom (running on Santa Rosa) you'll be waiting for a while. The chipset's not due until Q1 2007, with product using it taking anywhere up to 2-3 months longer...

Of course, by then Intel will have announced something even newer and shinier. Oh, and AMD may have a quad core scheduled around then.

 

the 20% improvement has been proven several times at xtremesystems. core 2 is awesome

 

I presume you mean the desktop CPU, Conroe. It's either that, or xtremesystems don't mind being sued. Every magazine/website that's had access to a pre-production sample for Merom has had to sign a rather brutal NDA.

 

which one is better??? core 2 duo 1.8 or core duo 2.0

 

Do you expect the machines with Santa Rosa to be a lot more expensive?

 

Back to battery life ... it depends on your perspective.

If you can get 20% more work done in the same amount of time, it would at a minimum give you more bang for your buck and a "percieved" battery life increase because you can now possibly get more work done under one charge, where you could not prior.

 

"synthetic benchmarks are not equal to real world performance"

 

I opted out of buying a Core Duo notebook and ended up with a Core2 Duo (Merom) instead. As far as comparisons go, I'm at a loss, but the 1.66Ghz version I got feels plenty fast to me.

 

so is the core 2 due 64bit compatible? WOuld like to get the 64bit vista later this year but at the mo ive only got a 32bit core duo?