LSMFT wrote:

If I build a new pc with a new motherboard and processor, how many cores
are necessary and or used. Is x2 still adequate? or should I go for 3,
4, 7 or what?

Since you never bothered to mention a cost restraint, get a processor
with as many cores (as your OS will support, something else you didn't
bother to mention). You never identified WHAT software you will be
running on your new build. Maybe you'll be running VMWare Server and
would like to have several virtual machines loaded and running at the
same time and would like to assign a core to each one.