Core Clock Speed

• Core clock speed is one of the most important considerations when comparing computer hardware such as processors. The core clock speed is representative of how quickly an individual processor can make calculations based upon user applications or the operating system. The AMD Turion 64 X2 has a clock speed of up to 2.4 GHz. The Intel Core 2 Duo has a range from 1.06 GHz to 3.33 GHz.
  
  

Front Side Bus

• The speed of the front-side bus helps determine how quickly the CPU can communicate with other devices in the PC like the memory and graphical processing unit. This is often the bottleneck in data computation, it's important in faster processors. The Intel Core 2 has a range from 533 MHz to 1600 MHz. The AMD Turion can reach a front side bus up to 2,200 MHz.
  
  

Turion 64 X2 Features

• The AMD Turion X2 features many new technologies to reduce the power consumption and heat generated by cores including; Dynamic Power Management, PowerNow Technology and AMD CoolCore Technology. The Turion's enhanced virus protection adds an additional layer of protection against infections.
  
  

Core 2 Features

• The Core 2 Duo's features include Wide Dynamic Execution, which optimizes how clock cycles are used to improve media compression and playback, and Intelligent Power, which limits how much energy is used when the processor is idling. You also have the option of activating Smart Memory Access, which optimizes the use of available Internet bandwidth.
  
  

Conclusion

• When comparing products from Intel and AMD you need to make sure that each chip you consider will fit the sockets available on your motherboard. While the AMD Turion is significantly cheaper than the comparable Core 2 Duo, there are several Duos that are much faster. The Turion features are also a bit more advanced then the Core 2 Duo, but often the pure processing speed afforded the Duo far outweighs the additional benefits that can often be supplemented with additional hardware or software.