I know that in most cases when you buy a dual-core CPU for the same price you could get a quad-core, you end up getting 2 cores that are faster individually than the 4 cores individually in the quad-core CPU.
Yes, you can essentially have 4 processes run simultaneously with a quad-core as compared to 2 with a dual-core, but because of the aforementioned difference you may find that the dual-core CPU performs better on your desktop machine.
This is in theory of course.
Has anyone tested this? Also, what are everyone's thoughts on this topic?
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Check out these posts from Coding Horror:
Choosing Dual Core or Quad Core
Quad Core Desktops and Diminishing Returns