Whereas Hyper-Threading (HT) technology simulates multiple CPUs, multicore CPUs physically contain two or more actual processor cores in one CPU package. These newer CPUs can have 2, 4, 6, or even 8 cores, each acting as a single entity but in some cases sharing the CPU cache . This enables more-efficient processing of data. Not only is less heat generated, but a lower-frequency, multicore CPU (for example, 2.0 GHz) can process more data per second than a higher-frequency, single-core CPU (for example,3.2 GHz).

Current examples of multicore CPUs include Intel’s various Core series and AMD’s FX CPUs. Today’s CPUs combine multicore technology with Hyper-Threading, enabling for as many as 12 or 16 simultaneous threads in a single CPU package. It just goes on and on!