Dual Core vs Single Core Processor

**ayvuir_red** · April 12, 2009, 08:44 AM

What is the conversion from dual core processors to single core? My laptop have a 2.0Ghz Core2 Duo processor while ETW requires a 2.4Ghz single core processor.

I bought ETW thinking that it will run smoothly (since i read somewhere dual core speed = 2x single core speed), but it crashes everytime i start a tutorial/campaign. It is only when i changed the settings to "shader model 2" with other absolute minimum settings that the game can run decently. Or is this a problem with my other specs?

My other specs are
2Gb Ram
Windows Vista Home premium
Nvidia GeForce 8400M GT

i am confused... Which component is not good enough for ETW? I am thinking it is the processor, but i am not sure...

thanks in advance for your help.

**rsslcs** · April 12, 2009, 09:16 AM

Quad cores are recommended, but it's not the CPU that's the problem. It's your graphics card. If you upgrade that (if it's possible on a lappy), then you might get results. BUT: with that CPU, it'll never run great. I recommend that you get a very good desktop PC, unless you're willing to dish out thousands on a gaming laptop.

**hamzta09** · April 12, 2009, 04:23 PM

Originally Posted by rsslcs

Quad cores are recommended, but it's not the CPU that's the problem. It's your graphics card. If you upgrade that (if it's possible on a lappy), then you might get results. BUT: with that CPU, it'll never run great. I recommend that you get a very good desktop PC, unless you're willing to dish out thousands on a gaming laptop.

Quads for this game? Yet it uses 1 core.. wtf.

**horendus** · April 12, 2009, 11:25 PM

Originally Posted by hamzta09

Quads for this game? Yet it uses 1 core.. wtf.

It will use 2 cores but u need to manually set this using affinity. If you dont do this on a quad core it will run very poorly.

**hamzta09** · April 13, 2009, 05:15 AM

Originally Posted by horendus

It will use 2 cores but u need to manually set this using affinity. If you dont do this on a quad core it will run very poorly.

Eh. Its set on 4 cores in the Affinity, if I set it to be on 2, theres no usage different nor performance difference, neither if I set it to use 1..

So wtf is up with these 'The game is using 2 cores if you set it properly!' when it does not? Benchmarks and many other things says its not doign any difference with the game, lol.

And the default for this game in the Affinity is 4 cores if you have 4, 2 if you have 2, 1 if you have 1.

**horendus** · April 14, 2009, 02:54 AM

Originally Posted by hamzta09

Eh. Its set on 4 cores in the Affinity, if I set it to be on 2, theres no usage different nor performance difference, neither if I set it to use 1..

So wtf is up with these 'The game is using 2 cores if you set it properly!' when it does not? Benchmarks and many other things says its not doign any difference with the game, lol.

And the default for this game in the Affinity is 4 cores if you have 4, 2 if you have 2, 1 if you have 1.

If you look around the forum ull discover countless people who have had performance gains by manually setting the affinity of the game to CPU core 0, then minimize again and set to 0+1

I my self started a thread about it and had many people report there performance games

The gains are mainly on the campaign map, smoothing out the stuttering, however it doesnt complelty get rid of it

**tarloch** · April 13, 2009, 03:50 AM

Originally Posted by rsslcs

Quad cores are recommended,.

you are below minimum cpu spec so u are lucky that the game runs at all, however personally if price is an issue i would buy a faster dual core over a slower quad core mainly because most apps wont even use 2 threads let alone 4
2.4Ghz single core processor
256MB Gfx card (DX9 compaitble)
1GB RAM (For XP, 2GB if using Vista

**ayvuir_red** · April 12, 2009, 09:41 AM

Hmm... I didn't expect it to be my graphic card. I thought my card is quite decent. Isn't the requirement a 256mb card? Mine is 512mb...

**horendus** · April 12, 2009, 09:55 AM

9400m is a great mobile GPU for running Valves Soruce Engine and games of that erra, but ETW is in another league.

People have performance issues on high end Desktop hardrware with this game, so im sorry to say, your laptops graphics card hits about 2 when ETW needs about an 16.

To run this on a laptop it needs to be a GAMING LAPTOP, cost about 4 times what you paid for yours.

Just wondering, where did you get the idea that a 9400m would be able to play games like ETW?

**ayvuir_red** · April 12, 2009, 10:22 AM

I am unfamiliar with all these hardware stuff, so when i buy games, i usually just look at the simplified mimimum/recommended settings. Well, i guess i just have to make do with the ultra-low settings. The game is still quite interesting, even though the graphics sux. Thanks for all ur help.

**mandalore9** · April 12, 2009, 01:36 PM

I would recommend getting more RAM too as ETW is very RAM intensive.

**D.B. Cooper** · April 12, 2009, 11:47 PM

Originally Posted by ayvuir_red

I bought ETW thinking that it will run smoothly (since i read somewhere dual core speed = 2x single core speed), but it crashes everytime i start a tutorial/campaign.

This is a common misconception but very WRONG. Two cores =/= twice the speed. A 2.4 GHz dual core processor, for example, does not mean 2.4GHz+2.4Ghz=4.8Ghz. It can just do twice the calculations, but not twice as quickly.

**johncage** · April 13, 2009, 03:53 AM

are dual cores two physical cpus? and if the game doesn't use one half, does that mean 1 cpu lays dormant?

**tarloch** · April 13, 2009, 04:03 AM

http://www.cp65.com/news/20061017.shtml

**Hosky** · April 13, 2009, 04:24 AM

If anyone wants a hardcore gaming computer, I would recomend either the NRG Storm or the Dell XPS 730x Desktop. Jack up the Dell with dual Nvidia 280 GTX 817mb graphics cards. If either of these computers doesn't play every game on high definition with no lag for the next 5 years... this is a scam lol