What CPU should I buy? dual or quad core?

Quad for defenite if your doing Video Editing and 3D render's.

Video n 3D programs were among the first (physics n medical simualtions being the first) programs to offer parralel processing support, as you will have noticed in the comparison's when they do the video and phtoshop test's (If Toms hardware do them)

Also many modern games support Quad bettter if you have it. I distinctly remeber the "Made for Intel Quad" appaering in the load screen for Crysis n not the Intel Duo. And on older games it wont be much of a discernable diffrence as Core2's offer more power than the older gmaes need.

Also theres the bonus of multiple applications at once. which means the entire PC doesnt lock down when your exporitng a video.

Right now for performance vs. price point, you can't beat the E8000 processors.

The E8500 is the best bang for your computing dollar, especially when you are building your own. E8400 is 2nd up. E8600 is the fastest in the group but doesn't show a marked increase in performance vs the price.

A year from now anything you build today will be outperformed by the newest processors. So I suggest you go for the E8500.

The performance benchmarks on Tom's Hardware are very detailed and accurate. The E8000 series processors are outperforming all the AMDs and most of the Intel Quads. This is for gaming, AutoCAD, Video Editing and any other CPU intensive operations.

Im my professional opinion, a 30% performance boost from a 200% increase in processor price is a very limited return. I do own an Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650 3Ghz Quad Core based system also, but only because I won the processor as a door prize at a trade show. I use my E8400 based system the most.

Link to Crysis processor comparison:

http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/desktop-cpu-cha...

ok pay interest, none of those human beings have something interesting to inform you. that isn't any longer that a quad middle is two times as solid as a twin middle. that is the variety of customary 'consumer' element of view. the picture of 4GB of reminiscence being two times and solid and two times as quick as 2GB. in effortless words on paper, it is sweet yet in truth, issues are way diverse. There presently is merely some software that makes use of the whole ability of multi-middle threading. Slowly, that is starting up to enhance even if. In established each and every use of your computing device, you received't be conscious any huge difference between and unmarried middle and a hexacore (8 cores) Even in video games and maximum applications, there is so little huge difference you are able to in effortless words hit upon it with particular software. you want to be certain what those 2 processors of your do in a attempt against at least one yet another. i'm effective there are evaluation charts to be got here across on the internet. regrettably, in case you've shared the precise varieties with us, i'd have advised you the certainly extra perfect one. twin middle or quad middle, that is extra a question of what you're waiting to pay more suitable for. A 512MB videocard isn't unavoidably extra perfect than a 256MB one. there are such distinctive elements in touch like pipelines, clock % and the chipset itself. don't be a 'consumer' and tell your self of what's honestly the great value on your funds. Cheers

Quad for Converting.

Dual for Gaming.

Quad for Video Editing

Dual for Programming / CAD.

I would suggest theE8600 3.33GHz dual core. I have the same thing and it is more than enough for all my video and gaming needs.