6 Cores and 6 Threads CPU = 3 Cores and 6 Threads CPU = Same Performance?

[SeriousGaming101]

If you have these 2 different CPUS

1. 6 Cores and 6 Threads at 3.5ghz
2. 3 Cores and 6 Threads at 3.5ghz

Do they both perform almost the same? Because all that matters is threads?

 

[drtweak]

Not always. Just depends on what you are doing. I do have to ask of how you have a 3 core 6 thread CPU though as the only ones to have ever made 3 cores that i know of was amd like 8 years ago which didn't have any kind of hypertreading.

 

[why_wolf]

No, true cores are superior to threading. Threading is really just scheduling for how to efficiently use each cycle of a physical core.

 

[norcalsc]

At the same time individual chip architectures have different IPCs so comparing clock speed to clock speed is not necessarily valid. Just because you have 8 cores for example (fx 8350) doesn't mean it can do more than a i7 4770 4 core.

 

[why_wolf]

should also point out until the Ryzen age the AMD "threading" was way different and frankly worse than how Intel does it. Which is why you saw 4 core Intel CPUs crushing "8" core AMD CPUs pre Ryzen.

 

[SeriousGaming101]

Not always. Just depends on what you are doing. I do have to ask of how you have a 3 core 6 thread CPU though as the only ones to have ever made 3 cores that i know of was amd like 8 years ago which didn't have any kind of hypertreading.

I was just making a random example. If it helps, think of 4 cores and 4 threads vs 2 cores and 4 threads. Same performance?

 

[Tim K]

I was just making a random example. If it helps, think of 4 cores and 4 threads vs 2 cores and 4 threads. Same performance?

No. Assuming identical architecture, clock speed, etc, the 4core/4thread beats out the 2core/4thread basically every time.

By exactly how much depends upon the specific workload, in my experience at least, 1core/2thread is something like 40% better overall as compared to 1core/1thread.

 

[mdd1963]

Not always. Just depends on what you are doing. I do have to ask of how you have a 3 core 6 thread CPU though as the only ones to have ever made 3 cores that i know of was amd like 8 years ago which didn't have any kind of hypertreading.

I was just making a random example. If it helps, think of 4 cores and 4 threads vs 2 cores and 4 threads. Same performance?

No...

One only has to compare 7th gen i3 models with 7th gen 4c/4t models *in applications that utilize at least 4 threads*...

Dual core has been mostly relegated to budget mini-NAS devices, routers/firewalls, etc...

Will 2c/4t still run older games, and, even current games but at a somewhat core/thread-throttled' frame rate? Of course, along w/ office apps, general surfing, etc...

 

[apesoccer]

If someone tosses an egg, to a person juggling, is it going to always be better if 2 people throw eggs to a person juggling eggs? There are times when a juggler can add 1 additional egg (or thread to a cpu), but maybe 10% of the time a juggler can take a second egg in the same space of time to juggle an additional egg. That's basically what we're talking about. So if you have 3 jugglers vs 6 jugglers...which set of jugglers are going to be able to juggle more eggs, assuming they can all juggle the same amount of eggs.

 

[R0GG]

True physical Cores performance is far superior to threads

- CORES and THREADS Explained (with Performance Tests) >> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uqv8Y_gkkhc

- Difference between Multiprocessing and Multithreading >> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIN488Ldg9k

- CS:GO: Cores and Hyper-Threading/scaling benchmarked >> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fj9cuHuTNVU

 

[Gam3r01]

The physical core vs thread debate really does not matter, you arent going to have two processors that are identical in every other aspect, so the generic comparison means nothing.

Compare two specific processors, make your decision based on their cumulative performance, not by each individual aspect.

 

[USAFRet]

If you have these 2 different CPUS

1. 6 Cores and 6 Threads at 3.5ghz
2. 3 Cores and 6 Threads at 3.5ghz

Do they both perform almost the same? Because all that matters is threads?

Doesn't work like that.
You have to compare the two specific CPU's.

And the usage matters as well.

 

[geofelt]

Processors that have more threads than cpu's will make that happen by using unused resources of the base cpu to dispatch a second thread.
That means that the second thread must be less strong than the base cpu.
How much this difference is will depend on the resources available in the main cpu and also how well the second app/task can use the unused resources.
It will never be 2x.
And, you have to compare apples to apples.
Differing processor architectures will have different instructions per cycle.

 

[USAFRet]

"perform almost the same..."

Consider this:
2 Intel CPU's.
1 at 3.8GHz base clock speed, 1 at 3.2 GHz base clock.

Which is faster? Which would you buy today?

Spoiler

The 3.8GHz is a Pentium 4 Prescott Extreme, from 2005. The 3.2GHz is a current i7-8700k.

You need to look far beyond just the raw numbers. Or core/threads.