If you have four cores, you can work on four different tasks at once without losing any performance.
You can think of each core as increasing the amount of power that your Mac can contribute to various tasks. Dual-core means you get two cores, quad-core is four cores, etc. You’ll also see various “generations” of each processor again, the bigger the number, the more powerful the processor.įor most users, what’s going to be more important here is the number of cores. The bigger the number, the more powerful the CPU. Most of the numbers you see in front of the CPU options on Apple’s website, usually something-something GHz, represent how powerful the CPU is. When you ask your computer to do something, it’s the CPU that does it. A computer’s processor, also known as its central processing unit (CPU), is more or less your Mac’s engine. The first thing you’ll be asked about upgrading is your Mac’s processor. However, they also play a big role in customizing your Mac’s performance, so understanding each will help you get the Mac that’s just right for you. Upgrading each of these factors is optional and can add several hundred dollars to the price of your Mac.
When you get ready to purchase your Mac from Apple’s website, you’ll run into three main customizable options regardless of which Mac you’re looking at: Processor, Memory, and Storage. Processor, Memory, and Storage: What’s the difference? What’s the difference between RAM and storage?.