Processor question

[Simba]

so im looking to buy a gaming laptop and im really good with computers but i want to know the difference between dual core with hyperthreading 4 threads and a quad core im looking 1k laptop at least that can run games on high like skyrim/rust/ etc etc i just cant figure out the difference i know 4 cores is better because its less work for the processor then a dual with hyper cause it has the job of working 2 threads

[plutomaniac]

When you say difference, do you mean the performance or the lexical one?

Lexical: Hyper Threading "divides" each core to two threads which means that the same core can focus on more than one tasks at a given time. It it still a single core though, single-core performance but with the ability for multiple tasks. So, a dual core with HT has 2 cores and 4 threads, a quad core has 4 cores and 4 threads, a quad core with HT has 4 cores and 8 threads.

Performance: Hyper Threading is useful for multitasking environments, especially when it comes to video editing, rendering etc. In the near future games will also be able to benefit from multiple threads because since now usually 1-2 cores were used while gaming with the other ones doing nothing for the game itself. The rule is that a core is better than a thread, so you will get a lot better performance by getting a quad core (4 cores/4 threads) rather than a dual core with HT(2 cores/4 threads).

[Googolplex]

plutomaniac already told you the differences.

A dual core CPU with HT has two real cores where each core has an additional "virtual" core. That means two real and two virtual cores. The operating system use it like a virtual quad core. In general the CPU can work more efficient, but when you run older games made for single tasks, it can slow down the performance, because of additional internal operations and the system sometimes can assign a task on a virtual core instead of a real core. But nevertheless it's better to have a CPU with HT instead without.

A real quad core is even better than a dual core with HT.

But a 1k laptop should have an Intel Core i7 which is a quad core with HT, that means virtual eight cores of total.


Your laptop should have at least:

- 17" Full-HD LED display
- Intel Core i7-4700MQ
- 8 GB RAM
- nVIDIA GeForce GTX 760M

Or this one:

- 17" Full-HD LED display
- AMD A10-5750M
- 8 GB RAM
- AMD Radeon HD 8970M (Between a GeForce GTX 770M and 780M)

The last one has a weaker CPU, but a faster graphics card. It's almost the fastest card you can get. But I prefer nVIDIA.

[Simba]

i know the difference between the 2 i just didnt know if i could go play skyrim on high or something like that with a dual core hyper thread i shoulda worded my question thanks

[plutomaniac]

For laptop gaming get an i7 cpu (4 cores / 8 threads). Otherwise, for everyday use, internet, work, HD videos, small games etc... an i3 cpu (2 cores / 4 threads) would be just fine. When it comes to laptops, the intermediate between i3 & i7 which is the i5 (2 cores / 4 threads) is not really worth it.

Notice that I'm talking about laptops. Desktop cpu's & gaming there is another thing.

[Simba]

ok thanks ive had my eye on this one
this should do the trick
http://www.amazon.com/MSI-Series-GE70-2O...msi+laptop  ???

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wrong laptop this one but same specs basically
http://www.amazon.com/MSI-GP60-2OD-072US...msi+laptop

[plutomaniac]

I glanced at it for some seconds (main specs) and it's not bad. However, if you really want a gaming laptop this graphics card is not so much for that. I suggest something like 760M or up.

[Simba]

but will this laptop work for running skyrim and stuff im not looking for one that is like ultra im just looking for a decent gaming laptop for skyrim/dishonored/league/amnesia and stuff

[Acies]

Look at charts instead of hardware specs:
http://www.cpubenchmark.net/

That will give you a better comparison between products, rather than looking at frequency/cores/etc.

[Googolplex]

Yeah, this laptop will run Skyrim on Ultra settings!
But 12 GB RAM really is not needed at all. I would recommend 8 GB RAM and a GeForce GTX 770M. But it's not bad.
And... do install Windows 7 instead of the crappy 8.