A single fast processor is better than a slower dual-core for Poser and most games.  Neither can utilize multiple processors.    Multiple processors will shine when you want to run Poser and other programs concurrently.  Having plenty of memory is always good, especially for Poser.

To do a really fair comparison between processors you need to have the same memory, disk, video, and operating system setups in the systems being compared.  Also, you need to run the same "benchmark" programs.  Most of us can't afford to do this, so we have to rely on magazine reviews.    Many benchmarks are gaming benchmarks.  www.Anandtech,com is good, because they include  a 3DS MAX benchmark in their tests.  Gaming is very CPU/Video intensive, so gaming performance can give you a pretty good idea of how a system will perform in 3D Graphics Applications.