Is there a noticeable increase in computer performance moving from a Dual Core to an i5?

Question

I have an i5-3470 3.2Ghz and 6GB or RAM. I also have a Dual Core E5700 3.0 and 8GB or RAM. Both use Windows 7 Pro. I am currently using the latter. I would like to use the i5, but as a developer, it is a hassle unless I'm going to see a really big speed difference. Not for games. For work.

Is there any difference I can detect with the human eye? I don't care about a benchmark, if I have to have a computer to see it.

Answer 1

The i5-3470 has more than five times the overall performance of the E5700 and about three times the single-thread performance. The difference would be impossible to miss.