Anandtech have just tested a couple of Core 2 Quad processors up against some Core 2 Duos. They tested the processors with various different benchmark applications and some of the most popular games, and the result might be surprising to some people:

From the descriptions that Remedy and Epic have given us, it looks like dual cores are a clear winner in the next generation of games, and quad core may be what’s necessary to get that extra level of smoothness or detail when it comes to terrain or physics simulation.

In short, the results of the tests show the top two Core 2 Duo models have better performance than these first two Quad processors tested. However:

If you’re stuck between choosing a Core 2 Extreme X6800 or QX6700 at $999, we’d obviously opt for the latter. Both give you incredible performance, but one is a bit more future-proof.

Personally, I think it’s too early to start moving to Quad Cores, because our software still hasn’t evolved enough to fully take advantage of them. If you were thinking of setting up a “power house” PC this Christmas, you can rest assured that for now, and for a while longer, Core 2 Duo will serve you just fine.