Quad core and Dual core CPU perfomance

**PortmannJohnan** · 01-31-2013, 01:20 AM

Hello!
I was looking for comparison tests for these processors and found some of them of course. Synthetic tests show big difference, but i don't care, as it is not real performance they show.
I want to ask - how quad core cpu (in comparison with dual core ones) affect real smartphone performance in common tasks like web-browsing, office documents work, watching videos etc.?
Thank you!
-Johan

**Kevin O'Quinn** · 01-31-2013, 09:15 AM

A good example of this is the Galaxy Nexus vs. Nexus 4. Both are really smooth, but when you start firing up more than one app the Nexus 4 shows its chops (less stutter, less lag, apps open lightning fast) compared to the Galaxy Nexus. Both are capable of a perfectly smooth UI, but when you start doing demanding things (taking Photosphere's, for example), the extra horsepower shows through.

**AndroidJunkie420** · 01-31-2013, 07:15 PM

I have an HTC One S and my brother has a Nexus 7 and I have to say even though he has a quad core CPU and mine is only a dual core, I notice he has a lot more problems with lag, things not opening very fast and I have little to zero problems. It has a lot to do with software more than hardware imo. I'm rooted and he is not and my device seems much, much quicker and smoother than I ever see his.

So I would say, quad core is good to have for somethings maybe but dual core seems to be plenty for Android.

**Shadowriver** · 01-31-2013, 10:31 PM

More cores adds up power that is quite conditional in order to use it. It all depends how app is coded and how it use threads (if it use more then one), so for single app if its not using multithreating it will only use power of single core. But on other hand as mentioned above when one use one core the other can use another one, so more core = better backgroud processes prefermence.

**Kevin O'Quinn** · 01-31-2013, 10:58 PM

Originally Posted by AndroidJunkie420

I have an HTC One S and my brother has a Nexus 7 and I have to say even though he has a quad core CPU and mine is only a dual core, I notice he has a lot more problems with lag, things not opening very fast and I have little to zero problems. It has a lot to do with software more than hardware imo. I'm rooted and he is not and my device seems much, much quicker and smoother than I ever see his.

So I would say, quad core is good to have for somethings maybe but dual core seems to be plenty for Android.

Well a lot of that has to do with which dual-core and quad-core you have. The dual-core in the One S is a really good dual-core, being of the newer generation of Snapdragon processors, while the quad-core Tegra 3 is technically older generation ARM A9 based cores.

**Shadowriver** · 02-01-2013, 08:00 AM

Originally Posted by Kevin O'Quinn

Well a lot of that has to do with which dual-core and quad-core you have. The dual-core in the One S is a really good dual-core, being of the newer generation of Snapdragon processors, while the quad-core Tegra 3 is technically older generation ARM A9 based cores.

You mean cpu core architecture ; p does not really have much to do with number of cores, ofcorse older generation core will preform less

**Kevin O'Quinn** · 02-01-2013, 10:25 AM

Originally Posted by Shadowriver

You mean cpu core architecture ; p does not really have much to do with number of cores, ofcorse older generation core will preform less

Sure it does. I'd take the dual-core in the One X/S over the quad-core in the S3 International version. Architecture IS the difference. Look at the first Qualcomm dual-core and how terrible they were. Now look where they are, all because of an architecture change.

**Shadowriver** · 02-01-2013, 01:46 PM

Originally Posted by Kevin O'Quinn

Sure it does. I'd take the dual-core in the One X/S over the quad-core in the S3 International version. Architecture IS the difference. Look at the first Qualcomm dual-core and how terrible they were. Now look where they are, all because of an architecture change.

But architecture has nothing todo with the number of cores, ofcorse that same number of cores with weaker architecture will preform weaker then same number of cores of stonger architecture.

**Kevin O'Quinn** · 02-01-2013, 04:50 PM

Originally Posted by Shadowriver

But architecture has nothing todo with the number of cores, ofcorse that same number of cores with weaker architecture will preform weaker then same number of cores of stonger architecture.

No, obviously, but it has everything to do with performance. You can't reliably discuss performance of dual-core vs quad-core without mentioning which specific chips and/or architecture you're talking about. That's like asking which car is faster, but not specifying which cars you're specifically comparing.

**PortmannJohnan** · 02-01-2013, 07:00 PM

Was away for a while.. today got here at last. I've read all suggestions, yesterday i was testing quad-core china phone that my mate bought (Newman or something like that). Well, i did not found some big difference between this quad-core device and those samsung and motorola dual-core devices i owned. Just as you stated - big difference on which exactly quad-core processor built in device and software part ofc..