Celeron M 540 vs Core Duo T2600

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 M 540 is positioned at rank 873 and the Core Duo T2600 is on rank 350, so the Core Duo T2600 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 M 540

#861

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

1447%

#862

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

1426%

#863

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

1309%

#864

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

1303%

#865

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

1291%

#867

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

1247%

#868

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

1195%

#869

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

1193%

#870

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

1161%

#873

Celeron M 540

MSRP: $86|Avg: $20

100%

#877

Microsoft SQ1

MSRP: $300|Avg: $180

99%

#879

Core i5-6440HQ

MSRP: $250|Avg: N/A

99%

#883

Celeron Dual-Core T1600

MSRP: $150|Avg: $150

99%

#884

Athlon II N330

MSRP: $100|Avg: $50

99%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core Duo T2600

#101

Core i5-1350P

MSRP: $320|Avg: $250

100%

#102

Core i3-1220P

MSRP: $250|Avg: $150

99%

#107

Core Ultra 5 228V

MSRP: $295|Avg: $295

98%

#338

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

499%

#339

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

491%

#340

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

451%

#341

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

449%

#342

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

445%

#344

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

430%

#345

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

412%

#346

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

411%

#347

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

400%

#350

Core Duo T2600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core Duo T2600 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Celeron M 540 in both compute-intensive tasks (1.2% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Celeron M 540	Core Duo T2600
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($20)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Merom (2006−2008) / 65 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Yonah (2005−2006) / 65 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Celeron M 540	Core Duo T2600
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($20)	✅ More affordable ($0)

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 M 540 Benchmark Check

Core Duo T2600 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Celeron M 540 and Core Duo T2600

Celeron M 540

The Celeron M 540 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Merom (2006−2008) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Max frequency: 1.86 GHz. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 65 nm process technology. Thermal design power (TDP): 1 MB. Passmark benchmark score: 1,744 points. Launch price was $69.

Core Duo T2600

The Core Duo T2600 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 5 January 2006 (19 years ago). It is based on the Yonah (2005−2006) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.16 GHz, with boost up to 2.16 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: PGA478. Thermal design power (TDP): 31 Watt. Memory support: DDR1. Passmark benchmark score: 1,765 points. Launch price was $440.

⚡

Processing Power

The Celeron M 540 packs 1 cores / 1 threads, while the Core Duo T2600 offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the Core Duo T2600 has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 1.86 GHz on the Celeron M 540 versus 2.16 GHz on the Core Duo T2600 — a 14.9% clock advantage for the Core Duo T2600. The Celeron M 540 uses the Merom (2006−2008) architecture (65 nm), while the Core Duo T2600 uses Yonah (2005−2006) (65 nm). In PassMark, the Celeron M 540 scores 1,744 against the Core Duo T2600's 1,765 — a 1.2% lead for the Core Duo T2600.

Feature	Celeron M 540	Core Duo T2600
Cores / Threads	1 / 1	2 / 2+100%
Boost Clock	1.86 GHz	2.16 GHz+16%
Base Clock	—	2.16 GHz
L3 Cache	—	0 kB
L2 Cache	1 MB	2 MB+100%
Process	65 nm	65 nm
Architecture	Merom (2006−2008)	Yonah (2005−2006)
PassMark	1,744	1,765+1%