Dual-core refers to a
CPU that includes two complete
execution cores per physical
processor. It has
combined two processors and their
caches and cache
controllers onto a single
integrated circuit (
silicon
chip). Dual-core processors are well-suited for
multitasking environments because there are two complete execution
cores instead of one, each with an independent
interface to the
frontside bus. Since each core
has its own cache, the
operating system has
sufficient resources to handle most compute intensive tasks in parallel.
Multi-core is similar to dual-core in that it is an expansion to the dual-core technology which allows for more than two separate processors.
Also see
All About Dual-Core Processors in Webopedia's "Did
You Know...?" section.
