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Single Core CPUs :Single core CPUs are the oldest type of computer CPU available and initially this was the only type of CPU that could be used in computers. Single core CPUs can only start one operation at a time, so they were not very good at multi-tasking.

Dual Core CPUs:A dual core CPU is a single CPU that has two cores and thus functions like two CPUs in one. Unlike single core CPUS where the processor had to switch back and forth between different sets of data streams if more than one operation was running, dual core CPUs can handle multitasking much more efficiently.

Quad Core CPUs: Quad Core CPUs are a further refinement of the multi-core CPU design and features four cores on a single CPU. Just as dual core CPUs could split the workload between two cores, quad cores allows for even greater multitasking. This doesn't mean that a single operation will be four times faster however, and unless the programs and applications running on it has SMT code, the speed increase will not be so noticeable. These types of CPUs are useful for people that need to run a lot of different programs at the same time as well as gamers, as there are games like the Supreme Commander series that are optimized for multi-core CPUs.