X-Core

[Ratch]

To the Ineffable All,

     Is dual-core or mult-core just another name for dual processor or multi-processor?  In otherwords, more than one processor on a single chip.  Or is it more than that.  I would be happy with a single yes or no answer.  Or maybe a brief explanation.  Ratch

[hutch--]

Ratch,

I don't claim to be up to date but with recent AMD and now Intel duo core processors, they have multiple processors but apparently share the same on chip memory. This stuff is changing very fast at the moment.

[sluggy]

Is dual-core or mult-core just another name for dual processor or multi-processor? 

Yes. They are two pysically distinct cpus on the same chip, and they appear that way to the OS. I have a dual core, but i still haven't checked whether the L1 and L2 caches are separate  :red But a quick google will tell you that anyway.

[dsouza123]

The dual core Intel Core 2 Duo (Merom, Conroe, Woodcrest (Xeon 51xx))
have a shared 4 MB or 2 MB L2 cache, 64 KB (32 instruction, 32 data) L1 cache per core
with direct L1 to L1 transfers.

The dual core AMD X2 have independent 1 MB or 1/2 MB L2 cache per core
also 128 KB (64 instruction, 64 data) L1 cache per core
with on chip core to core communication.

The soon arriving Intel Core 2 Quad (Kentsfield, Clovertown (Xeon 53xx))
are two separate dual cores in one package (one socket).
Two Core 2 Duo together in the one package with a total 8MB or 4MB L2 cache
but not shared between the four cores only between each dual core.

The AMD X4 quad core will have 1/2 MB L2 cache per core
and the Opteron version also a 2MB shared L3 cache.