A processor with two different cores

I had an idea, let me know if it's silly.

It's like wayy back when they had a special math processor in the computers.

We're always saying this core is better for this, and this other core is better for that.

Some things benefit from a long pipeline, while others benefit from a shorter one. Why not have one of each one a processor? I don't know processors enough to know if that's possible or not.

So is it possible to sort the work and be able to tell if it'd be better on this one or that one? Or do they just take what they get, and figure out what to do with it when it gets there?

Intel already has the best of both worlds with the P4 and the P-M. If they were able to put both together, you could have the best processor for the job and only invest in one processor. Not to mention an overall boost in available power.

I figure this is too advanced for a processor, and goes against the way that they work. It's a good idea at 4:30 AM though!

It's certainly not impossible. Have you looked at the TI OMAP line of processors? I believe they're dual core (although I'm not sure if it's multi-threaded or not). One core is a TI DSP (Digital Signal Processor, good at floating point and such) and the other is a standard ARM processors. It's used in some PDAs and samrt phones and the like. I know palm OS and apps are not generally written to take advantage of the DSP, but it is possible.

edit: .=?

So why isn't this pursued in desktop processors? Maybe we'll hear about it a little after these dual core processors come out.

maby cause it would require to much recources to make and mot realy make enough performance to justify it

or maby they are just lazy

It's much more difficult to impliment something like that with multiple threads than it is to balance load accross identical processors. I think that the added complexity, difficulty and overhead outweigh the benefits.