Advantages of DUAL quad/6-core processors over single core

[617arg]

I have an early 2008 dual quad core 2.8 Mac Pro that I use for work. Most of my work requires using Fusion to run Windows. With 16GB of RAM the machine is plenty fast to run AutoCAD and other Windows only programs on the Windows side and practically anything else on the Mac side simultaneously (Photoshop, Illustrator, multiple Firefox tabs, iTunes, etc, etc....)

I'm now at a point where I might need a new machine for an employee, and would like for that machine to be a Mac. I have a 2008 MacBook Pro, but it's very slow when trying to cope with only Fusion on Windows and Firefox on the Mac side.

My question is: Does the relative ease in dealing with two operating systems and multiple programs running on the Mac Pro come from the dual core processor, or does that have more to do with the amount of RAM on the machine?

(I realize this question might be better suited for the "Windows on the Mac" section, but no other Macs have the dual core processors.)

 

[Hellhammer]

It's mainly the RAM. Running two OSs isn't very heavy unless you do CPU heavy tasks but today's OSs will easily use 1-2GB of RAM and are happy to use even more.

 

[philipma1957]

HH is correct. A single hex cpu will best just about any dual cpu as long as you have enough ram. so if you can run great with 16gb ram a 2010 hex will work better then any other machine out there. the 2010 hexes can run 48gb ram max 3 16gb sticks. My hex has 4 32gb sticks it flies.