Double Core Speed

I was looking at the requirements for a 3dmark06 and one thing popped out at me "Intel® or AMD® compatible processor 2.5GHz or higher".

I've read on this forum that with duo core cpus that two cores doesn't mean double the speed. I've been told the 1.6 Ghz is the CPU frequency and doesn't really apply to speed.

So how would a AMD X2 TL-50 1.6 Ghz apply to the above requirement and would it be enough?

 

Yes, the TL50 should be fine. The processor speeds refers in terms of Pentium4 clock speeds since they are the most widely used processors. Any Turion, CD, C2D will be faster than a 2.4GHz P4 in almost all cases.

 

I would say yes its more then enough. Im sure the requirement is to stop people with pentium 4 2.4ghz cpus from using the test. Now remeber that clock speeds are very different from core to core. For instance my t2300 1.66ghz core duo outperforms my old oc'd 3.54ghz ht cpu. You can thank intel for screwing up the scale with the net burst chips. At least before they came along (net burst P4's that is) you could somwhat compare different cores.

 

So how does one know the different levels or speeds of the CPUs?
How can I tell what software will work with my computer if 1.6Ghz
means nothing?

A question unrelated: how is that radeon x1600 working out for you?

 

A TL-50 will run any program out there quite comfortably.

 

well core duo, core 2 duo, turion x2, turion and pentium m cpus can do pretty much anything you need. Granted the dual cores will multitask better, but essentially any of those cpus dont really have to abide to the usaul ratings, but dont quote me on that.

It is great! I play everything on max settings and now with 2gb I have nothing standing in my way....minus next gen games and oblivion(see the thread thats going for this one)

 

With any of the modern CPUs (Pentium M, Turion 64 (X2), Core (2) Duo), clockspeeds are basically irrelevant when referring to system requirements. As posted, the clockspeed race ended with the Pentium 4.

 

Yeah when I got my notebook, I wanted to play HL2 Lost Coast. My processor is the 2.16 Core Duo, the second best processor on the market at the time, it said I wouldnt be able to play it because the minimum is a 2.2 ghz processor. I knew it was fine, and it was because I totally ahnilated the game with my system. Dont listen to the processor requirements as long as you dont have a P4. Like everyone has said, those bencmakrs of performance are outdated, and do not apply to new processors.

 

I ran 3DMark06 on my Desktop just fine. (P4 Prescott 2.4GHz)

 

Even a P4 2.4Ghz would be fine. It's the Northwood-based Celerons that are really slow (and would definitely struggle in most new applications).

Pretty much any new CPU will be fine with 3DMark 2006. It'd probably still work on much older CPUs (PII era) - but obviously it would run very slowly.