i was wondering if sw 2010 would take advantage of quad or duo core most?   i would only use single core so a fast core was better then 4 slower... 

is that true, even when running simulation?

i was offered:

Hi Pascal:

I found a recertified DELL Lattitude which should run Solidworks.   The unit is open box and has 730 days remaining on its warranty.

The unit has an INTEL Core i5 2540M Processor which runs at 2.6Ghz,  When it senses Solidworks it will run in Turbo Mode which is

3.3 Ghz.  Solidworks does not recognize multiple processors.  The important things are the higher speed processor and the video card.

A gaming card is not suited for CAD applications.  The Nvidia Quadro or AMD Fire Pro are the optimum cards but they are expensive.

On the lower end for CAD an Nvidia NVS is suited to handle the application.   The unit quoted has Nvidia NVS 4200M.   The processor

on the card will overclock to 810 Mhz when it senses the Solidworks program.

\$985

DELL,LATITUDE E6520,i5 2540M,2.6 GHZ,4.0 GB,500GB,DVD/RW,INTEL WIFI LINK 6205 802.11A/G/N,NVIDIA NVS 4200M 512MB DDR3 DISCRETE GRAPHICS,WINDOWS 7 PROFESSIONAL  64 bit,6 CELL BATTERY ,  15.6" Display , 730 days of Warranty Remaining by DELL.

is this a good compromise?

thanks