I have a CPU gauge on my G15 kb and it shows me in real time how much of my CPU is in use. I know from experience that one core maxed on my quad w/HT is 12% on that graph. Two would be 25%, etc.
In most of my games, outside of initial loading and occasional loading between maps/levels/whatever (times when you're watching a loading screen) when I will see it spike as high as 70-80%, the majority of my gaming time that graph is under 20%. To put it another way, most games don't even max 2 cores during times of interactivity. If I had 6 or 8 or more cores, I'd still be using just one to two cores. They'd sit idle and do nothing.
What matters most is how fast those 2 cores are running. This is because games are inherently serial, not parallel. Each step depends on what happened before it so you can't have things all processed at the same time.
What I would really like to see is a 5+Ghz 2/3 core CPU. I bet it would beat these multicore behemoths in games hands-down.
As for those CPUs doing better in other applications, well...all I use my PC for is gaming so that ability is totally immaterial.
The Jedi Master
The anteater is wearing the bagel because he's a reindeer princess. -- my 4 yr old daughter
