Windows 7: Quick question about Intel Core2Duo and QuadCore

Which is better Intel E8600 or Intel Q9650?



According to "Intel® Processors and Boards Compatibility Tool - Search Results Page" (My mobo is DG31PR), Intel E8600, which is a Core2Duo, is better than Intel Q9650, which is a QuadCore. But isn't QuadCore supposed to be better than Core2Duo?

Or am I wrong in deciding that E8600 is better than Q9650?

You'll get a lot of different answers looking here Google many will agree with you, tho'

Since they are so close in cycle time, I would go for the quad. It may not be faster in the bread and butter jobs, but e.g. for video editing it will make a big difference.

I read somewhere that quad cores are more future proof. But that doesn't make sense. Does it? How can a processor be future proof?

I guess what they mean is that in the future, more and more programs (including the OS) will make use of the 4 cores. Because right now, only a few programs use the 4 cores. For the OS, they have to make changes to the kernel.

I have Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU (identified as Q6600), but it's not