Finding a laptop is no longer a hurdle since there are lots of review blog posts and articles available online. Besides that, most of the renowned laptop brands have started producing devices with various price ranges and advanced specs for different purposes. If you want a laptop for just casual browsing and some personal stuff, there are plenty. Simultaneously, if you are a professional, there are tonnes of robust machines in today’s Indian laptop industry with required specs and features. But apart from all the potential laptops and expert buying guides, you should know the ideal specs for your purpose to get the right-fit machine that is worth the money you are spending. There are lots of computer features that we need to check beforehand, and often they confuse us. One of the most common confusions is about the processor. With clock speed, core counts, generation, thread counts, etc., the processor is one of the vital components one needs to check. And in this blog post, we will cover some easy and simple steps to conclude about dual core vs quad core which is better.
But before that, we will discuss a bit about the processor and its types along with why you should need to check it beforehand.
About processor and its importance in laptop’s performance:
The processor, aka the CPU of the laptop holds the maximum responsibility among all specs. It is called the brain of the computer. Its main task is to provide the processing power and instructions the laptop needs to work on the inputs given. This is why most people go after the powerful processor, as the more robust the CPU will be, the faster your laptop will work. Also, a powerful CPU helps the computer think and perform faster than ever. Regardless of your purpose, with a sturdy CPU or Central Processing Unit, the overall processing will feel smooth as a glider. Without the correct CPU, the computer programs can be freezed, stalled, or unable to open at all.
Most of the modern-day budget-friendly laptops are equipped with either dual or quad core processors. It is because of the greatness of the multicore CPUs. A processor with more than one core count, can make the laptop capable of multitasking without any lags. There are CPUs with 2, 4, 6, and 8 counts as multicore processors. Among those, octa and hexa cores are mainly found in high-budget gaming and designing laptops, while the dual and quad are more familiar with regular machines under a budget. And, comparing between them is one of the easiest ways to find the right machine for your needs.
About dual core processors and its pros and cons:
A dual core processor is a CPU featuring 2 processors, hence the name dual. Each of them come with individual controllers that allow the processors to perform more efficiently and effectively than that of the single core processors. And therefore, the dual core CPU works faster with its two processors than a single core CPU can ever do. Some of the common dual core processors are AMD X2, Intel Core Duo, etc.
Pros of using a dual core CPU:
- The primary advantage of using a dual core processor is it is more efficient than the single-core processor. It divides the data into its two cores providing a performance boost that allows the computer to run more than one process at the same time.
- Usually, the computer processor stops forcefully when it comes to switching between threads, but a dual core processor can handle two existing threads (hyper threading) at the same time without any lags or freezing.
- A dual core processor provides better battery life and higher clock speed than the multi core processors.
Cons of using a dual core CPU:
- The major drawback of the dual core processor is that a single core processor can outrun it with a faster speed. If compared with a single task performance, then a single core processor with 3.8 GHz clock speed features more efficiency than a dual core processor with 1.8 GHz clock speed.
- Dual core processors can’t run some of the major computer programs. Besides that, it is not capable of running multiple tasks at the same time unlike the multi core processors.
About quad core processors and its pros and cons:
Like the previously mentioned CPU type, a quad core processor is also a multi core processor that features a CPU with 4 processors. Having more cores, the quad core CPU allows the system to divide up the tasks between the 4 cores providing a better performance than ever. The multiple cores of the quad core CPU make the laptop capable of having faster and better performance without even increasing the clock speed. Besides, the quad core CPU can handle multiple intensive tasks at the same time with better ability. Some of the commonly used quad core processors are AMD Phenom X4, Intel Core 2 Quad, etc.
Pros of using quad core CPU:
- The main advantage you will experience using a quad core CPU is that they can handle more tasks at the same time. It allows multitasking with more resourceful programs such as VLC unlike the single core processors.
- Quad core processors consume very little power regardless of its ability to multitask. It can also handle non-intensive tasks as well.
Cons of using quad core CPU:
- One of the most vivid disadvantages of using a quad core CPU is that it uses more energy than that of the single and dual core CPUs that can cause laptop heating. And, thus one would need to purchase a cooling system to prevent overheating which adds extra costs.
- The next thing is that a quad core processor can connect with a single cache pool, and each core in most of the quad core CPU is capable of storing up to 2 MB cache memory, while a core should store up to 8 MB cache memory. Therefore, it is costlier to find a quad core CPU with enough cache memory.
These basic features and advantages-disadvantages have already summed up some thoughts regarding dual core vs quad core which is better. Still, we have to find out which would be the better ones regarding specific purposes. And, thus we will start with the main part of this blog post.
Also Read: A Detailed Comparison between HDD vs SSD – Which is Better?
How to find dual core vs quad core which is better? Following are the 5 ways!
Though it is obvious that a quad core processor is better when it comes to multitasking and other intense task handling than the dual and single core processors, it has many drawbacks as well. And thus, in the following content, we will compare them based on their purposes and specifications.
#1.Dual core vs quad core based on clock speed:
Clock speed or the clock frequency rate is one of the important components one should check in the CPU while choosing a laptop. Most of the time, the clock speed is measured as gigahertz or GHz. And, there is a saying that the processors with higher clock speed works better without any complications than the processors with lower clock speed. But despite all saying, CPU clock speed thoroughly depends on the specific programs running in the system and their multi-core processor usability.
Besides, the overall clock speed of the multi-core CPUs will depend on each core’s design and higher clock speed. Also, there is one more drawback, the processor consumes more power. Therefore, the laptops with faster CPUs come with shorter battery life (unless the batteries are larger) and need a cooling system to prevent the overheating. And that means, they will come with more fans that can create noise while computing.
Also, often most of the high core counts processors come with slower clock speed. But it all depends on the purpose, like a dual core processor with higher clock speed will be best for light usage, i.e., documentation or browsing or a single task. On the other hand, a quad core processor with much slower clock speed will work perfectly to execute multitasking and other complex tasks.
#2. Dual core vs quad core based on power consumption:
One of the important things you need to consider while buying a laptop is its average battery life to ensure if it is portable enough or not. And, the processor has a direct effect on it, the multi core CPUs consume more power. It is because the power will be shared into different cores. And thus, a quad core processor consumes more battery power and a larger battery than that of the dual core processors. Though tonnes of technological advancements have entered into the laptop industry to make the multi core processors power efficient, this power consumption rule is common.
And, if you have the same program running continuously in the machine, then a quad core processor will need to charge up faster than the dual core processor. And, you can study it wisely if you have two laptops with the same battery size but with different processors.
#3. Dual core vs quad core based on heating purpose:
One of the basic drawbacks of getting a laptop is to deal with the heating issues while being used for prolonged time, and our processors play a crucial role in generating heat. Though there are other factors in the CPU that can cause overheating, most of the time it is the cores. As we have seen that multi core processors have a tendency to consume more power, they also have a tendency to produce more heat than a single core processor. Also, if you tend to run multiple intense tasks on your laptop at the same time, it will heat up faster, as it will use the processor the most to execute those.
However, sometimes the laptop’s design and condition can also make it overheat. But the primary issue still remains the core counts. And therefore, a quad core CPU produces more heating than that of the single and dual core CPUs because of its more core counts.
Also Read: How to Connect PS4 to Laptop with HDMI – A Step by Step Guide
#4. Dual core vs quad core based on expense:
Regardless of your laptop buying purposes, the most important thing we check beforehand checking any of the laptop specs is its price. Almost every one of us wants to buy a laptop under a budget but with advanced specifications. And, the processor is one of those things that sets the laptop’s price.
In basic knowledge, a laptop with a quad core processor always costs more than a dual core processor. But above all, you don’t want to buy a laptop that does not need the minimum criterion for your purposes. Simultaneously, you will not invest on a laptop offering more power than you need. All you need to do is to make a healthy balance on the price and performance of laptops. And, based on that, a dual core processor can be a good fit for daily use and single task, but a quad core processor will be a must if you are multitasking, or into serious tasks.
Usually, you can get a laptop with dual core processor under 50000 INR, but the minimum price for a laptop with quad core processor can rise up to at least 60000 INR.
#5. Dual core vs quad core based on purposes:
Whether it is a dual core processor or a quad core, choosing which will be better will totally depend on their performance for specific tasks. If you want to work just on your daily stuff, casual browsing, documentation, and other light tasks, a dual core will be just fine, but can it cope up with any of your other purposes or you have to lean towards the quad core? Well, in these points we will see dual core vs quad core which is better based on specific purposes:
● Basic Tasks:
Basic tasks are one of the primary reasons one needs to buy a laptop. They prefer a laptop so that it can be carried anywhere for different types of light tasks such as web browsing, casual typing, altering word documents, movie watching, video conferencing, etc. And, these such things won’t take more power to get executed and do not require a powerful processor. You can do fine with dual core processor laptops.
Even it will work fine if you open the programs for the tasks simultaneously. Although you can get a quad core processor laptop if you want in that case, that won’t be necessary.
● Programming:
Programming is indeed a high-end power-intense task that needs a powerful CPU. And, the demand for programming laptops has increased since the arrival of eCommerce. As a programmer you will need several heavy powered IDEs and virtual systems. Virtualization is a must in programming and processors play an essential role in this scenario. Though programming does not benefit from the processor counts, all it needs is the base clock frequency rate of the processor. It is required to reduce the compilation time and launch and emulate your programmed application quickly without any delay.
And, hence a quad core processor laptop works fine in programming than a dual core one. But you can still work on a dual core processor in a low texture setting. However, it won’t be a good fit for higher-end programming like game programming.
● Video Editing:
Net comes to the video editing task, which is again one of the hottest marketing approaches in the latest digital marketing and online business era, increasing the demand for robust laptops. You can edit videos on any laptop, but most of the video editing software applications like Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, Sony Vegas Pro, Corel VideoStudio, and more are power-intense and high-end that require a powerful processor.
However, this is not the final thing. Most of these video editing software applications can run on a single thread, which means you can run them on a dual core processor laptop without any issues, but it will lag in the time of rendering. Though video editing has been a single threaded task, video rendering, encoding, and previewing need higher performance. And, therefore, we will recommend you go for a quad core processor laptop for editing videos.
● Image Editing:
Though video editing seems to be fairer for quad core processors because of its higher performance and faster rendering process, image editing is a total difference. Most of the image editing applications like Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, etc., are single threaded and do not care about the processor counts. All they depend on the clock speed, regardless of the dual, quad, hecta, or octa core processors.
If you find a dual core processor laptop with higher clock frequency rate, image editing will be perfect on that.
● Gaming:
In the last few years, gaming has been changed by entering into a new era of technologies and graphical advancements. And if you are purchasing a laptop for gameplay, then you must know the difference between the cores in order to find the right-fit laptop. Gaming needs high processing power and graphics quality for which considering the CPU is one of the important tasks.
Usually, a dual core CPU laptop comes with lower quality GPU or Graphic Processing Unit with low texture setting, which will not be up to the mark for the modern-day AAA titled gaming. But most of the quad core CPU laptops come with higher quality dedicated graphics cards that are ideal for high-octane gaming with real-life like graphics and image loading without lags.
But also, since it is gaming, you should also focus on the battery life of the machine. Though the quad core CPU provides a high-quality GPU, it consumes more power, while a dual core CPU consumes less power offering a lower quality GPU.
● Animation and 3D Modelling:
Though animation and 3D modelling look like a hazardous task, it does not benefit with multiple processor core counts. Most of the software for 3D modelling and animation like AutoCAD, Maya, SolidWorks, Film 4D, etc., care about the clock speed of the processors, except the applications Revit and Inventor (both get beneficiated with more core counts).
However, at the time of rendering, you might get a little benefit from the core counts. Like using a quad core processor laptop, you can shorten the rendering time and make the overall process shorter, while a dual core processor laptop may take a bit longer to render the clips.
Final Verdict:
Though most of the time we think purchasing a laptop with the higher core processor is everything we need, it is not the entire truth that only a processor with higher core counts can do everything right. Not every task gets beneficiated with higher core counts. And, in this scenario, there is absolutely no need to invest in a higher processor count laptop, as we all know that multi core CPUs cost more. Thus, we have come with detailed comparison blog posts finding out dual core vs quad core which is better and after a thorough discussion, we have come to this conclusion that a dual core CPU is a perfect option when you are more into casual or light tasks, but for an intense task or multitasking, you will need a quad core CPU. Apart from that, a quad core processor performs faster than a dual and single core processor, making it overall a desirable option while opting for a laptop. However, if you are on a budget, we will recommend you to stick to a dual core processor, unless you are into gaming, video editing, programming, and other tasks with multitasking.