Before you buy Quad Core PC

[texasboy]

  Its rather long so here is the link
http://apcmag.com/3906/wake_up_quad_core_is_overkill

Hope this helps.
cheers

[Quantum]

I've seen many benchmarks rate the top level stock Intel CoreDuo out perform their top level stock Quad Core, I've also seen the quad core cause many bugs. So more than any reason not to buy a quad core PC, is the technology just isn't there yet.

Multi-threading applications are the future (and more, perhaps parallel processing and streaming as well), dual and quad cores are amazing for multi-tasking, but as always, Intel's latest crack at a new commercial technology falls way behind the quality standards that we'd expect of other CPU technologies. If you're a big multi-tasker and want something with a bit more kick dual core (because I sure do), wait off for AMDs Barcelona core, load of info on it here:

http://anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=2939

It should be the same as this core architecture compared to AMD64s as Core2s were to Pentiums. I'm quite excited to see how early benchmarks fare.

[Synbios]

I think I'm still going to go ahead and build a quad-core PC despite what everyone is saying. (just about everyone is saying that it's not worth it).

I'm going to build it for two reasons:
1. I like to be as future proof as possible, while some might say that this is impossible in the computing world, as a fact I built the computer I'm using right now 3 years ago and with only slight modifications it has been able to keep up with even most high end computers today.
2. I like to run servers but I always have to shut them down when I'm playing a game or some other high intensive CPU process. If I get a quad-core I can probably run my service daemons in the background and not worry about a decrease in gaming/other performance.

I AM going to wait for the new 1600Mhz FSB however. The 1066Mhz just doesn't cut it anymore, that's so old!

[Quantum]

Synbios, I'd seriously advise you over clock, the best dual core CPUs at the moment are generally out benchmarking the best quad cores.

Also, be aware, there will be massive price cuts in Q3, http://www.dailytech.com/Intel+Readies+New+Xeons+and+Price+Cuts/article6493.htm

Intel will responding very quickly to AMDs new architecture. I don't often tell people to wait off, but if you can, it'll be worth it, particularly given AMD and nVidia will be at each with cost / performance of their graphics cards as well. I don't honestly think now is such a good time to buy a quad core, directX10 gaming computer, you've only got one company choice for both, so massively under competitive.