[HIB]Threads or Cores: Which Do You Need?

[newsbot]

Intel and AMD have done their best to differentiate the x86 architecture as much as possible while retaining compatibility between the two CPUs, but the differences between the two are growing. One key differentiator is hyperthreading; Intel does it, AMD does not.Multicore and HyperThreading (referred to as “HT”) are not the same, but you can be suckered into believing they are, because hyperthreading looks like a core to Windows. My computer is a Core i7-860, a quad-core design with two threads per core. To Windows 7, I have eight cores.Multicore CPUs were introduced as a solution to the fact that around a decade ago, processors hit a clock speed wall. The CPUs just were not getting any faster, and could not do so without extreme cooling. Unable to get to 4GHz, 5GHz, and beyond, AMD and Intel turned to dual core designs.

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