A few years ago, Intels best processor was the Pentium 4. It had one processor inside of it. Then, Intel put two of those into one package to make a dual core processor. This just means that there are two cores on one processor(Pentium D ok!) So there were two Pentium 4's inside the processor.

Three years ago, Intel introduced a new processor. It was a much more efficient design, and it came with two cores in one package by itself. Instead of putting two different processors in one package, it was just built like that "natively". These new processors were called the Core 2 Duos beat the older Pentium D's (the dual core Pentium 4's) by a lot.

Since the introduction of the Core 2 Duos, there have been a few less powerful processors introduced, that were slightly different and at a lower price, but still based off of the same architecture. So, they were still dual core processors, but not necassarily a Core 2 Duo.

These less expensive processors typlically had a smaller amount of cache, and a lower Front Side Bus standard(FSB).

The models that only have 1MB of cache are named "Dual-Core" prrocessors, to seperate them as "having less cache". It really means nothing, other than the less cache.
*************************************************************************


INTEL Core 2 Duo processors are next gen processors from Intel on 65 nm platform… developed on new architecture called Core… so they are whole new Processors, just Jump like Pentium 2 to Pentium 3 or Pentium 4…
Expect one Core 2 Duo Lowest End Processors like E4400/E4300 beating Intel Pentium D 3.8 GHz ones with ease … runs damn fast and can be safely over-clocked.


Intel Dual Core Processors are striped down version of Core 2 Duos. These are not Pentium D rather they are same batch like Core 2 Duo based on the new Core Technology…. they perform same like Core 2 Duos but they were launched with a very low price to counter the market of super low cost but high performer AMD X2 range line.