how much better is dual core?

[rigorx]

Can we stop going over and over this question?

We have said there is really no use to dual core till the software supports the hardware. Thats not going to happen till Honeycomb, and there is no info on if and when that will hit phones. I have said before and I will again we are a ways off from seeing dual core phones that actually use both cores well and efficiently.

http://forum.androidcentral.com/htc-thunderbolt/58775-dual-core-processors.html#post588996

Anand is a hardware guru. His word is very reliable. Sure, *more* efficient use of both cores can be utilized better & further with software optimization, but the fact is Android still benefits from dual core, *right now*. That was my point.
LG Optimus 2X & NVIDIA Tegra 2 Review: The First Dual-Core Smartphone - AnandTech :: Your Source for Hardware Analysis and News

 

[rigorx]

Who do I see playing PSP's and DS's? Young kids and/or gamers if they are older. And young kids/teens usually can't afford smartphones unless mommy buys it. I guess what I'm trying to get at is that even though phones will eventually all be dual cores, most users will not be using the phone in a way to take advantage of its full potential. Most users in my opinion will keep using smart-phones for email, text, web surfing, with intensive gaming a close last.

I also believe this to be entirely true, at the moment. I think as we see phones progress and the graphics getting better and better, the interest from "every day folks" playing graphicly intensive games, will grow pretty rapidly. It will also obviously heavily depend on how willing companies are with game demos and full game pricing.

 

[htowngator]

I think Tegra 2 is nice, but the next-gen DC snapdragons will have asynchronous cores that can be controlled independently. That's HUGE. You could literally turn off one core or have it throttled down significantly if not in use. The Tegra 2 has two cores running at the same frequency regardless of load.

IMO the first-gen dual cores are going to be hit-or-miss. I would wait until 2012 when you'll have the next-gen LTE devices running the new DC Snapdragons or Tegras. They will also definitely be optimized by then.

 

[htowngator]

and people.... its DUAL, not DUEL.

SMH

 

[Nitros7]

Anand is a hardware guru. His word is very reliable. Sure, *more* efficient use of both cores can be utilized better & further with software optimization, but the fact is Android still benefits from dual core, *right now*. That was my point.
LG Optimus 2X & NVIDIA Tegra 2 Review: The First Dual-Core Smartphone - AnandTech :: Your Source for Hardware Analysis and News

You have to understand this is a demo unit in a safe controlled environment with LG's software that is optimized for dual core. I am not saying there is no value to dual cores now... I am say its negligible at best, most people want a dual core for gaming... good luck milking anything out of it unless the platform the game is built on support dual core.

My main problem is there have been at least 4 of these threads, and they keep popping up... There is a little tool called the search bar you can look up posts just in this board we don't 4 "do i need x2 core" "is x2 core better" take five seconds and look. Didn't take me that long to find the old posts.

 

[rigorx]

I think I recall reading that Nvidia already has plans in place to let both cores run independently, starting with their Tegra 2 "3D" SoC, which is the next one in line before Tegra 3.

Here is a good preview of Qualcomm's next gen SoC's.
Qualcomm's Announces Krait CPU: The Successor to Scorpion - AnandTech :: Your Source for Hardware Analysis and News

 

[rigorx]

My main problem is there have been at least 4 of these threads, and they keep popping up... There is a little tool called the search bar you can look up posts just in this board we don't 4 "do i need x2 core" "is x2 core better" take five seconds and look. Didn't take me that long to find the old posts.

If it makes you feel any better, this wasn't a new post I made as of today. I'm simply adding to the most recent "dual core" post I saw in the TBolt forum.

And I bring it up because I feel it's very valid that we're literally on the brink of dual cores actually making a difference in Android.

Regardless, the TBolt will still be a great device for some time.

 

[htowngator]

I think I recall reading that Nvidia already has plans in place to let both cores run independently, starting with their Tegra 2 "3D" SoC, which is the next one in line before Tegra 3.

Here is a good preview of Qualcomm's next gen SoC's.
Qualcomm's Announces Krait CPU: The Successor to Scorpion - AnandTech :: Your Source for Hardware Analysis and News

We don't even have Scorpion procs yet much less Krait.

I imagine that the "Thunderbolt 2" will have Scorpion next year.

And my point is that the current Tegra 2 iteration we have does not come asynchronous.

 

[Nitros7]

I think Tegra 2 is nice, but the next-gen DC snapdragons will have asynchronous cores that can be controlled independently. That's HUGE. You could literally turn off one core or have it throttled down significantly if not in use. The Tegra 2 has two cores running at the same frequency regardless of load.

IMO the first-gen dual cores are going to be hit-or-miss. I would wait until 2012 when you'll have the next-gen LTE devices running the new DC Snapdragons or Tegras. They will also definitely be optimized by then.

+1! My thoughts exactly!! by next year multi-core phones will be it. Qualcomm and Nvidia will have 3+ core processors and the implementation will be there, till then your running on untested and patched togather systems, that only slightly utilize the concept.

 

[rigorx]

And my point is that the current Tegra 2 iteration we have does not come asynchronous.

Understood. It's still great to hear that the current Tegra 2 can provide *some* dual core performance increases on Android right now, as well as saving some battery

 

[htowngator]

Understood. It's still great to hear that the current Tegra 2 can provide *some* dual core performance increases on Android right now, as well as saving some battery

I'd hedge my bets on that battery saving feature. I think some have said that the battery life on T2 is terrible -- bordering on 4-5 hours.

 

[tropper]

Just because the kernel powers it up and the system recognizes it doesnt mean the OS runs them congruently.

 

[tropper]

Anand is a hardware guru. His word is very reliable. Sure, *more* efficient use of both cores can be utilized better & further with software optimization, but the fact is Android still benefits from dual core, *right now*. That was my point.
LG Optimus 2X & NVIDIA Tegra 2 Review: The First Dual-Core Smartphone - AnandTech :: Your Source for Hardware Analysis and News

Where ?
that article only states what has been common knowlege for awhile now the system can recognize two cores but still uses one.

 

[rigorx]

Where ?
that article only states what has been common knowlege for awhile now the system can recognize two cores but still uses one.

Read through the next page of test results. While some certainly show processes and tests that are only using 1 core, some are making use of both cores to get the numbers they are.

LG Optimus 2X & NVIDIA Tegra 2 Review: The First Dual-Core Smartphone - AnandTech :: Your Source for Hardware Analysis and News

 

[ufmace]

Will it be better? Yes. How much better? Nobody knows right now, and nobody will know until reviewers get their hands on both phones. But we do know that the TBolt will be out months sooner. And that's the game with high-end phones - you can buy the pretty good phone now, or wait a few months and buy a better one, but there will be an even better phone on the horizon when the next one comes out. You gotta buy sometime, so it's just a matter of when you need one and how much money you want to spend on it. My money's almost certainly going to the Thunderbolt.

 

[zshazz]

Here's what I figured are the options for enthusiasts:

1. Wait 3-4 months for dual core phones. Buy one on a 1-year contract. Then wait 2-3 months for Android 2.4 to make it on those dual core phones. Now you've waited 5-7 months. After that, wait 1-3 months before anyone writes apps using the new multithreading API. Now you're at 6-10 months of total wait time to actually really take advantage of the dual core part of your phone, and you still have a few months left on your contract and you're kicking yourself because you see the new second gen dual core phones with much better battery life coming out.

2. Get a Thunderbolt NOW (ish) on a 1-year contract. Enjoy the extra power it offers and maybe pick up 4g signal and enjoy that too. In one year, buy a second gen dual core and enjoy the dual core apps that are just starting to come in. Less time waiting, less stress. No thinking "Oh, I can't wait until 2.4 comes out so that I can wait for app writers to start making apps so I can finally enjoy the true benefits of my dual core."

Yeah, Tegra 2 is great on its own and might make slightly better phones, but is it worth waiting so much? And then will it be worth seeing the second gen dual cores come out with asynchronous clock speed/voltages which will enable them to get much better battery life and even higher performance and not being able to get them without paying full retail or an ETF? I personally am perfectly happy picking up the Thunderbolt now knowing that when dual core becomes important, I'll be able to upgrade to the best at the time.

If you don't agree, that's fine... I'm just explaining my reasoning.

 

[htowngator]

Here's what I figured are the options for enthusiasts:

1. Wait 3-4 months for dual core phones. Buy one on a 1-year contract. Then wait 2-3 months for Android 2.4 to make it on those dual core phones. Now you've waited 5-7 months. After that, wait 1-3 months before anyone writes apps using the new multithreading API. Now you're at 6-10 months of total wait time to actually really take advantage of the dual core part of your phone, and you still have a few months left on your contract and you're kicking yourself because you see the new second gen dual core phones with much better battery life coming out.

2. Get a Thunderbolt NOW (ish) on a 1-year contract. Enjoy the extra power it offers and maybe pick up 4g signal and enjoy that too. In one year, buy a second gen dual core and enjoy the dual core apps that are just starting to come in. Less time waiting, less stress. No thinking "Oh, I can't wait until 2.4 comes out so that I can wait for app writers to start making apps so I can finally enjoy the true benefits of my dual core."

Yeah, Tegra 2 is great on its own and might make slightly better phones, but is it worth waiting so much? And then will it be worth seeing the second gen dual cores come out with asynchronous clock speed/voltages which will enable them to get much better battery life and even higher performance and not being able to get them without paying full retail or an ETF? I personally am perfectly happy picking up the Thunderbolt now knowing that when dual core becomes important, I'll be able to upgrade to the best at the time.

If you don't agree, that's fine... I'm just explaining my reasoning.

that is exactly how I feel

 

[biff6789]

Here's what I figured are the options for enthusiasts:

1. Wait 3-4 months for dual core phones. Buy one on a 1-year contract. Then wait 2-3 months for Android 2.4 to make it on those dual core phones. Now you've waited 5-7 months. After that, wait 1-3 months before anyone writes apps using the new multithreading API. Now you're at 6-10 months of total wait time to actually really take advantage of the dual core part of your phone, and you still have a few months left on your contract and you're kicking yourself because you see the new second gen dual core phones with much better battery life coming out.

2. Get a Thunderbolt NOW (ish) on a 1-year contract. Enjoy the extra power it offers and maybe pick up 4g signal and enjoy that too. In one year, buy a second gen dual core and enjoy the dual core apps that are just starting to come in. Less time waiting, less stress. No thinking "Oh, I can't wait until 2.4 comes out so that I can wait for app writers to start making apps so I can finally enjoy the true benefits of my dual core."

Yeah, Tegra 2 is great on its own and might make slightly better phones, but is it worth waiting so much? And then will it be worth seeing the second gen dual cores come out with asynchronous clock speed/voltages which will enable them to get much better battery life and even higher performance and not being able to get them without paying full retail or an ETF? I personally am perfectly happy picking up the Thunderbolt now knowing that when dual core becomes important, I'll be able to upgrade to the best at the time.

If you don't agree, that's fine... I'm just explaining my reasoning.

Actually, in a little over a year from now, you'll be able to pick up a phone with one of the new 2.5 GHz quad core snapdragons

Qualcomm Introduces 2.5GHz Quad-core Mobile Processors, Holy ****! - Droid Life: A Droid Community Blog

2.5 GHz per core, with 2/3 less power draw and a GPU with 15x performance over current snapdragon GPUs. Woooo! Moore's Law ain't got nothin on smartphone technology these days

 

[barnebyjones]

Here's what I figured are the options for enthusiasts:

1. Wait 3-4 months for dual core phones. Buy one on a 1-year contract. Then wait 2-3 months for Android 2.4 to make it on those dual core phones. Now you've waited 5-7 months. After that, wait 1-3 months before anyone writes apps using the new multithreading API. Now you're at 6-10 months of total wait time to actually really take advantage of the dual core part of your phone, and you still have a few months left on your contract and you're kicking yourself because you see the new second gen dual core phones with much better battery life coming out.

2. Get a Thunderbolt NOW (ish) on a 1-year contract. Enjoy the extra power it offers and maybe pick up 4g signal and enjoy that too. In one year, buy a second gen dual core and enjoy the dual core apps that are just starting to come in. Less time waiting, less stress. No thinking "Oh, I can't wait until 2.4 comes out so that I can wait for app writers to start making apps so I can finally enjoy the true benefits of my dual core."

Yeah, Tegra 2 is great on its own and might make slightly better phones, but is it worth waiting so much? And then will it be worth seeing the second gen dual cores come out with asynchronous clock speed/voltages which will enable them to get much better battery life and even higher performance and not being able to get them without paying full retail or an ETF? I personally am perfectly happy picking up the Thunderbolt now knowing that when dual core becomes important, I'll be able to upgrade to the best at the time.

If you don't agree, that's fine... I'm just explaining my reasoning.

what he said :-$

 

[htowngator]

Actually, in a little over a year from now, you'll be able to pick up a phone with one of the new 2.5 GHz quad core snapdragons

Qualcomm Introduces 2.5GHz Quad-core Mobile Processors, Holy ****! - Droid Life: A Droid Community Blog

2.5 GHz per core, with 2/3 less power draw and a GPU with 15x performance over current snapdragon GPUs. Woooo! Moore's Law ain't got nothin on smartphone technology these days

Those aren't supposedly sampling till 2012 so unlikely you see it till mid-to-end of next year.