How are two painters and a dual-core processor alike?

A: Before I answer your question, let’s talk a minute about what the processor’s role is inside your computer. The processor, sometimes referred to as the CPU or chip, is the workhorse inside your computer. It is responsible for processing the millions of instructions your computer receives every second.

Much like human beings there are certain processors that are faster than others when it comes to completing a task. In the processor world this is known as the processor speed and is commonly measured in gigahertz (GHz). Usually, the higher the number, the faster the processor.

Dual-core processors take two processors and cram them into the space where there is usually only one. Ever heard the saying “two heads are better than one?” This shouldn’t be confused with a computer that actually has two separate processors or CPUs, known as a multi-processor, since the processors on a dual-core processor have to share the same resources while the ones on a multi-processor each have their own set of resources.

Back to the human analogy. Let’s pretend you are trying to get two rooms painted in your house. You start with only one painter painting the first room. That’s a single processor. He has to finish painting the first room all by himself before he can move on to the second room. Now, let’s add another painter to the same room. The room would get done a lot faster wouldn’t you agree? But the two painters may have to share the same bucket of paint and thus may not be able to move on to the second room until the first one is done. That’s a dual-core processor.

But what if you could give each painter their own bucket of paint and let them each paint their own room? Each painter would be free to paint his own room without having to share anything and without any distractions from the other painter. That’s a multi-processor.

So in the processor world, a single core processor running at 3.0 GHz is fast. A dual-core processor with each processor running at 1.8 GHz is faster. But a multi-processor with two separate processors each running at 1.8 GHz would win the race every time.

Keep in mind that both your operating system and your software have to be written to take advantage of multiple processors so just because you have a dual-core or multi-processor, it doesn’t mean your computer and all of its applications can necessarily utilize all of your processing power.

This post was originally broadcast Friday, October 26, 2007 on Tech Talk with Noobie, a weekly radio show on WCBK 102.3 FM in Martinsville, Indiana. Tech Talk with Noobie airs every Friday between 11:30 a.m. and noon. If you have a question you would like Noobie to answer on the air, simply e-mail your question to .