Should I go for 2 or 4 cores for an all around CPU?

[IlliterateDino]

I'm trying to decide between 2 or 4 cores. The thing is, I do everything with my PC. Everything from gaming, video editing, movies, web browsing, the works. Are 4 cores useful enough now, or should I save some money and go with 2?

 

[Gryz]

I think you should go for 4 cores now. There are more and more games that make use of them. And if you want your system to be good for gaming for the next 2-4 years, I suspect the majority of game(-engines) will make good use of those 2 extra cores.

I think 4 cores +Hyperthreading is still not worth it for gaming.

When I got my i5-3570K, I did some testing with Skyrim. By allowing the game to run only on 2 cores, I could simulate a 2-core system. The test might not have been perfect, but it seemed that even in Skyrim, those 2 extra cores would give me a ~20% fps boost. While the word on the street is that Skyrim only used 2 cores.

 

[Yuriman]

4 cores are noticeably better than 2 with HT if you're a heavy user.

 

[shadow_k]

From my experience so far their really isn't much program that utilise 4 cores (threads)

Still I would get 4 cores to be safe in the up coming years

 

[billyb0b]

go with 4

 

[2is]

4.

 

[dbcooper1]

Video editing and/or encoding is one of the uses you will really notice the additional cores.

 

[infoiltrator]

How tight is the budget?

 

[Gigantopithecus]

How tight is the budget?

This. Even with intensive multitasking of software that uses all four cores, I'd still rather have a high-end dual core with Hyper-threading like an i3-3220 with a fast SSD than a quad core like an i5-3570 with a mechanical hard drive. If you can afford an i5 and an SSD, absolutely go quad. If you can't, I'd think about an i3 and an SSD.

 

[IlliterateDino]

This. Even with intensive multitasking of software that uses all four cores, I'd still rather have a high-end dual core with Hyper-threading like an i3-3220 with a fast SSD than a quad core like an i5-3570 with a mechanical hard drive. If you can afford an i5 and an SSD, absolutely go quad. If you can't, I'd think about an i3 and an SSD.

Kinda low budget. I was thinking about a i5-2320

 

[OCGuy]

4. No question.

 

[MLSCrow]

As many times as it's been said, I must concur, 4 is what you want. I hope that's enough responses for you to make a decision.

 

[soccerballtux]

This. Even with intensive multitasking of software that uses all four cores, I'd still rather have a high-end dual core with Hyper-threading like an i3-3220 with a fast SSD than a quad core like an i5-3570 with a mechanical hard drive. If you can afford an i5 and an SSD, absolutely go quad. If you can't, I'd think about an i3 and an SSD.

doesn't make sense to me, get 8GB of RAM and you'll never be limited by the HDD IMO.

 

[IlliterateDino]

Yes, I think there are enough to convince me to go with 4.

 

[Ferzerp]

4 is the sweet spot unless you're a light/moderate user. Then 2+2 (2 real cores + whatever flavor fake core you want) is the sweet spot.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

I vote 4 if you can swing it. My Q9650 still easily handles everything.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

The interesting question is 4-6 core amd or 2 core Intel.

 

[dma0991]

Definitely 4 if you could afford it.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Foar coars!!!

Moar coars!!!

 

[Arkadrel]

More and more applications and games are useing 4-6-8 threads.
I think you should go with 4 cores.

 

[ctsoth]

4 cores.

 

[pcsavvy]

4 cores

 

[andg]

2+SSD. Will 'feel' faster.

 

[cytg111]

I'm trying to decide between 2 or 4 cores. The thing is, I do everything with my PC. Everything from gaming, video editing, movies, web browsing, the works. Are 4 cores useful enough now, or should I save some money and go with 2?

"video editing"

- This, how important is that to you?
But really, how many $'s are you going to save on a new build by NOT going 4 cores ... 40$ ? Who cares ..

 

[Puppies04]

doesn't make sense to me, get 8GB of RAM and you'll never be limited by the HDD IMO.

I guess all those SSD sales were a con then lol. Do you have a SSD? The performance in general tasks is night and day compared to a HDD, doesnt matter if you have 256GB of RAM.