Technically speaking, you won't benefit from a multicore-CPU or a multiprocessor-board, as long as you use XP. This OS was build for a different generation of computers, does not natively support these features and draws little to none benefit from it. Users posted about stutters and other problems when setting it to two cores, others, as yourself, that the effect is minimal, or rather placebo as you put it.
Switching to Vista gave me a performance boost when playing IL2 with both cores assigned, especially over urban areas, but since IL2 is an old engine, you also have some side-effects. The only really important I personally ran into was with my new ATI4780 graphics card. It didn't render the light from the muzzle-flashes in yellow, but in purple, which was quite psychedelic.
With my nVidia everything runs fine, though.
In other words: Never change a running system unless you are willing to pay the price. A brandnew system doesn't mean an 11 year old sim will run like silk on it and the benefit for IL2 is not really worth the price (especially not for an i7, looking at the actual price!)
Wait for BoB or for another new program you want to play, then decide on that.
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