Here is a little core 101 in gaming.
Most games do handle multi core systems.
Problem is, most only use 2 cores. As far as I know all most all games use just 2 cores.
So when you have a four core system, and playing skyrim. Core one will be taking most of the load. If it peaks it will shift some of the load to the second.
Some cpu's do not do so well at this multitasking. Even when they have multi cores. Or in another words they just cant keep up.
The ones that do are simply higher price. The only thing multi cores are good at are multitasking. Or, Running many programs at one instance.
For instance. Running minecraft, Internet browser with multiple tabs, Music player, Mumble, and so on. Also for systems that need many programs to run, or
has a very high cpu load. Such as Movie making software, Flash, or any 3d molding software that need's to do real time rendering. As well for any digital compressing.
It will do the same and split the loads.
So really as for the time being a simple high end 2, or 4 core cpu running at 3.0ghz is all any one really needs at this time.
For games a good cpu, great video card, Good amount of ram about 6gb, and a decent hdd with good seek and write time's.
Also a good sound card if your mb is not reall all that good can help. If you like music... GET A DAMN SOUND CARD. Using your on board works. But it sucks when you hook up a hi-fi sound system.
That is it in a nut shell. Or a simple version.
Also that was the Bulldozer cpu. It clocks fast. but really sucks. I was gonna buy it, until I found out that the I7 was better at almost every thing.
Also I will be locking this board, or renaming it. Because this has gone way of track.
