Celeron Dual-Core T3100 vs Core 2 Duo P9700

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Celeron Dual-Core T3100 is positioned at rank 711 and the Core 2 Duo P9700 is on rank 564, so the Core 2 Duo P9700 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Celeron Dual-Core T3100

#699

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

1000%

#700

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

985%

#701

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

904%

#702

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

900%

#703

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

892%

#705

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

861%

#706

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

826%

#707

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

825%

#708

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

802%

#711

Celeron Dual-Core T3100

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#712

Core i7-10850H

MSRP: $395|Avg: N/A

100%

#718

Core i3-1315UE

MSRP: $312|Avg: $250

98%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core 2 Duo P9700

#176

Core i9-13900HK

MSRP: $697|Avg: N/A

99%

#178

Core i7-1360P

MSRP: $480|Avg: $280

98%

#179

Core i7-1260P

MSRP: $432|Avg: $432

98%

#552

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

747%

#553

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

736%

#554

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

676%

#555

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

673%

#556

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

667%

#558

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

644%

#559

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

617%

#560

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

616%

#561

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

600%

#564

Core 2 Duo P9700

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#572

A10-9600P

MSRP: $128|Avg: $50

99%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core 2 Duo P9700 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Celeron Dual-Core T3100 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.3% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Celeron Dual-Core T3100	Core 2 Duo P9700
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Celeron Dual-Core T3100	Core 2 Duo P9700
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing

Performance Check

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Celeron Dual-Core T3100 Benchmark Check

Core 2 Duo P9700 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Celeron Dual-Core T3100 and Core 2 Duo P9700

Celeron Dual-Core T3100

The Celeron Dual-Core T3100 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 1.9 GHz. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: PGA478. Thermal design power (TDP): 1 MB. Passmark benchmark score: 1,174 points. Launch price was $69.

Core 2 Duo P9700

The Core 2 Duo P9700 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 June 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 2.8 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 6 MB (total). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: PGA478. Thermal design power (TDP): 28 Watt. Memory support: DDR2, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,178 points. Launch price was $348.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Celeron Dual-Core T3100 and Core 2 Duo P9700 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.9 GHz on the Celeron Dual-Core T3100 versus 2.8 GHz on the Core 2 Duo P9700 — a 38.3% clock advantage for the Core 2 Duo P9700. Both are built on the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture using a 45 nm process. In PassMark, the Celeron Dual-Core T3100 scores 1,174 against the Core 2 Duo P9700's 1,178 — a 0.3% lead for the Core 2 Duo P9700.

Feature	Celeron Dual-Core T3100	Core 2 Duo P9700
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	1.9 GHz	2.8 GHz+47%
Base Clock	—	2.8 GHz
L3 Cache	—	6 MB L2 Cache
L2 Cache	1 MB	6 MB (total)+500%
Process	45 nm	45 nm
Architecture	Penryn (2008−2011)	Penryn (2008−2011)
PassMark	1,174	1,178

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the PGA478 socket with PCIe 1.1.

Feature	Celeron Dual-Core T3100	Core 2 Duo P9700
Socket	PGA478	PGA478
PCIe Generation	PCIe 1.1	PCIe 1.1
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-800	—
Max RAM Capacity	8 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	❌	—
PCIe Lanes	0	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: No (Celeron Dual-Core T3100) / not specified (Core 2 Duo P9700). Primary use case: Celeron Dual-Core T3100 targets Budget. Direct competitor: Celeron Dual-Core T3100 rivals Pentium T4200.