What core and cache are?

[mztang52]

Hi there. May I know what are the core and cache does and what are they.

[ImBleu]

Cores are the amount of logical processors on the CPU die (different to HT "Threads")

 

Cache is basically super fast RAM that the CPU can use.

[Starelementpoke]

Cores are the amount of logical processors on the CPU die (different to HT "Threads")

 

Cache is basically super fast RAM that the CPU can use.

Simplified version: Cores; How many separate spaces a cpu can think from. (2 cores, 2 spaces it can think from.)

Cache: Ultra short term memory. Like something you just looked at 2 seconds ago. Faster than something you saw 20 min ago(RAM), and much faster than what you saw last week(HDD). (Look at a color, turn around, and say the color.)

[mztang52]

ThatCoolBlueKidd what you means for super fast ram

[Starelementpoke]

ThatCoolBlueKidd what you means for super fast ram

Just like really short term memory, or something you just saw, and you're currently trying to picture as you just turned around. The image of the object comes to your mind really quickly.

[mztang52]

Just like really short term memory, or something you just saw, and you're currently trying to picture as you just turned around. The image of the object comes to your mind really quickly.

So Gigahertz are important also right? But how Gigahertz can affects the Cache?

[Starelementpoke]

So Gigahertz are important right? How Gigahertz can affects the Cache.

Pretty sure the cache effects the speed of the overall cpu, not the other way around.

[The Official Czex]

So Gigahertz are important right? How Gigahertz can affects the Cache.

 

GHz, while important, are not everything. Pay attention to IPC when CPU shopping.

[mztang52]

GHz, while important, are not everything. Pay attention to IPC when CPU shopping.

By the way what IPC is?

[The Official Czex]

By the way what IPC is?

 

Instructions per core. It can be interpreted by single core performance. Stick with Intel is basically what I'm saying.

[LegacyStijncat]

@mztang52 in the first place, I recommend you read my CPU guide (link in my signature), but I'll give some short info on cores and cache for you.

 

Cores: It's how many different "mini-parts" _{(at least, as far as the pc cares)} your CPU actually has. 2 of them is more than enough for basic tasks and basic gaming, while 4 is recommended for some bigger game titles. 6-8 cores is for big rendering projects.

 

Cache: this is like RAM, Random Access Memory. The CPU stores some REALLY useful stuff there automatically. It's not something you need to worry about. More cache is better, but don't pick a higher end CPU just for more cache (unless you have some very special software that needs allot of cache, if that even exists).

 

Oh, and GHz stands for the processor frequency. It's not directly connected to the cache, it's just a measurement of the CPU's speed. The speed is measured in Instructions Per Second, which you achieve by multiplying processor frequency and IPC, Instructions Per Cycle.

 

EDIT: after seeing that you also asked for IPC

IPC is Instructions Per Cycle. It's basically how well engineered the CPU is. The better, the higher the IPC. Intel is known for his high IPC counts, thus each Intel core is better than an AMD core (AT THIS MOMENT, since AMD is releasing Zen in a year or two and that may change stuff up a little)

Yet at this moment, AMD features more physical cores for a lower price point, so if you need physical cores more than Instructions Per Cycle, grab AMD.

Edited December 9, 2015 by Stijncat

[mztang52]

Instructions per core. It can be interpreted by single core performance. Stick with Intel is basically what I'm saying.

Ya most of my friends asked me to choose Intel but not AMD. But I can see that AMD is more attractive than Intel because they have greater core and cache than Intel. But I still don't understand why eventhough they have so many core and cache than Intel but they still get so low marks than Intel. Just like I did well in my assesment but my teacher degrades my marks and the other student gets higher marks than me who don't even have such well terms than me.

[The Official Czex]

Ya most of my friends asked me to choose Intel but not AMD. But I can see that AMD is more attractive than Intel because they have greater core and cache than Intel. But I still don't understand why eventhough they have so many core and cache than Intel but they still get so low marks than Intel. Just like I did well in my assesment but my teacher degrades my marks and the other student gets higher marks than me who don't even have such well terms than me.

 

A few years ago, AMD put all of their money on games and applications utilizing more less powerful cores rather than fewer stronger cores. The only AMD CPU worth getting is the Athlon X4 860K. It's all about single core performance.

[LegacyStijncat]

Ya most of my friends asked me to choose Intel but not AMD. But I can see that AMD is more attractive than Intel because they have greater core and cache than Intel. But I still don't understand why eventhough they have so many core and cache than Intel but they still get so low marks than Intel. Just like I did well in my assesment but my teacher degrades my marks and the other student gets higher marks than me who don't even have such well terms than me.

AMD indeed has more cores (and maybe more cache) than Intel, yet, remember the following:

• Every core of AMD (again, at this moment) is weaker than one if Intel
• Almost no games benefit from more than 4 cores (so that means that with a quad core Intel, you will be using 4 good cores, and with an 8 core AMD, you will be using 4 bad or mediocre cores)
• AMD's stuff is old, since they didn't release anything worthwhile afaik and iirc.

[mztang52]

AMD indeed has more cores (and maybe more cache) than Intel, yet, remember the following:

• Every core of AMD (again, at this moment) is weaker than one if Intel
• Almost no games benefit from more than 4 cores (so that means that with a quad core Intel, you will be using 4 good cores, and with an 8 core AMD, you will be using 4 bad or mediocre cores)
• AMD's stuff is old, since they didn't release anything worthwhile afaik and iirc.

  

A few years ago, AMD put all of their money on games and applications utilizing more less powerful cores rather than fewer stronger cores. The only AMD CPU worth getting is the Athlon X4 860K. It's all about single core performance.

Well okay I think I had understood something about the processor. Thanks.