Intel's Core 2 Quadro Kentsfield

From Tomshardware:

Basically, Intel packs two Core 2 Duo processors into one package. This poses several questions: How fast are four cores versus the not-exactly-a-weakling dual-core version? What will the heat dissipation and power consumption figures be like in a PC system with a quad core processor? Which applications can truly benefit from the increased core count? Is the current platform still sufficient? And finally, the question real enthusiasts are sure to pose: What can be expected in terms of maximum clock speed?

Conclusion: Core 2 Quadro Soups Up Performance

Compared with the already not-too-shabby Intel Core 2 Duo/Extreme, the Core 2 Quadro can give performance a mighty tweak - but only for specific applications. In the best-case scenario, performance can even be doubled. However, this depends on the particular program. Software makers have yet to initiate the needed optimizations for multiple physical CPU units. The table below lists a hodgepodge of applications that benefit from four cores right away.

The future belongs to HD content. If we take our benchmarks into consideration you can no longer get by without a quad-core processor. Test results with the software packages Main Concept with H.264 encoding and the WMV-HD conversion make this very clear. We noticed performance jumps of up to 80% when compared to the Core 2 Duo at the same clock speed (2.66 GHz). A Core 2 Quadro at 2.66 GHz and higher is the answer for HD video (editing and rendering) at full HD resolution (1920x1080).

Editor's Opinion

For me, working with one of the first quad core systems was amazing. No matter how many applications you run at the same time, the system reacts to user commands quickly. Some applications require half the time to finish tasks. To me, it's like being catapulted a year into the future and is unlike the past few years when computing power increased only marginally. Intel pumped out 30% more performance with Core 2 Duo and will double that again with Core 2 Quadro soon.