AMD Multi-Core Technology

Multi-core processors represent a major evolution in computing technology. Placing two, four, or more powerful computing cores on a single processor opens up a world of important possibilities.
Evolution of multi-core technology
With the introduction of the first computer came market demands for more computing capacity. Symmetrical multi-processing (SMP) has long been used to increase computing performance and efficiency by spreading computing loads across multiple processors. SMP has proved effective in multi-threaded environments where many tasks (threads) need to be handled simultaneously.
As application performance demands grow, processor designers are facing the issue that it takes more power to drive more computing capability. More power means that heat dissipation levels also need to be managed. Add the demand for computers to decrease in size – more servers in a rack, thinner and lighter laptops, and reduced footprints for desktop systems.
Multi-core processing helps address these computing challenges. This evolution in technology allows for increased performance and higher productivity in smaller computers that can simultaneously run multiple complex applications and successfully complete more tasks in a shorter amount of time.
Multi-core advantage
In today's digital world the demands of complex 3D simulations, streaming media files, added levels of security, more sophisticated user interfaces, larger databases, and more online users are beginning to exceed the capabilities of single-core processors.
Multi-core processors enable true multitasking. On single-core systems, multitasking can max out CPU utilization, resulting in decreased performance as operations wait to be processed. On multi-core systems, since each core has its own cache, the operating system has sufficient resources to handle most compute intensive tasks in parallel.
Multi-core technology can improve system efficiency and application performance for computers running multiple applications at the same time.