Core 2 Duo E4600 vs Core 2 Solo SU3300

Core 2 Duo E4600

2 Cores2 Thrd65 WWMax: 2.4 GHz2007

Core 2 Solo SU3300

1 Cores1 Thrd3 WWMax: 1.2 GHz2008

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core 2 Duo E4600

2 / 2

1,235

0.0%

1,247

+1.0%

About PassMark

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 Core 2 Duo E4600 is positioned at rank 1006 and the Core 2 Solo SU3300 is on rank 1211, so the Core 2 Duo E4600 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 Core 2 Duo E4600

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

33554%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

31705%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

23020%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

6935%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

5493%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

4806%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

2752%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

2716%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

2473%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

2473%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

2446%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

2380%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

2346%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

2337%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

2316%

#1006

Core 2 Duo E4600

MSRP: $133|Avg: $9.6

100%

#1008

Core i7-870S

MSRP: $300|Avg: $80

99%

#1009

Core 2 Duo E6540

MSRP: $163|Avg: $15

99%

#1010

Celeron 430

MSRP: $49|Avg: $10

98%

#1011

Athlon X2 BE-2300

MSRP: $100|Avg: $80

97%

#1012

Core i7-875K

MSRP: $353|Avg: $175

97%

#1013

Core i5-670

MSRP: $284|Avg: $100

97%

#1014

Core i5-680

MSRP: $294|Avg: $10

96%

#1015

Core 2 Duo E4300

MSRP: $113|Avg: $5

96%

#1017

Core 2 Duo E4500

MSRP: $133|Avg: $10

94%

#1019

Core 2 Duo E7600

MSRP: $133|Avg: $50

93%

#1020

Core i7-3970X

MSRP: $990|Avg: $60

93%

#1021

Core 2 Duo E8700

MSRP: $256|Avg: $30

93%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core 2 Solo SU3300

#1199

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

6164%

#1200

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

6074%

#1201

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

5576%

#1202

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

5550%

#1203

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

5500%

#1205

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

5311%

#1206

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

5092%

#1207

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

5084%

#1208

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

4947%

#1211

Core 2 Solo SU3300

MSRP: $262|Avg: $50

100%

#1212

Celeron 540

MSRP: $86|Avg: $5

100%

#1213

Celeron U3600

MSRP: $134|Avg: $134

98%

#1216

Core 2 Quad Q9000

MSRP: $348|Avg: $15

96%

#1217

Core i5-2537M

MSRP: $250|Avg: N/A

96%

#1218

Core i7-720QM

MSRP: $364|Avg: N/A

96%

#1219

Pentium U5400

MSRP: $289|Avg: $214

93%

#1220

Pentium T2330

MSRP: $150|Avg: $7

93%

#1221

Z-01

MSRP: $50|Avg: $10

90%

#1222

Pentium T2310

MSRP: $150|Avg: $14

88%

#1223

Celeron SU2300

MSRP: $134|Avg: $134

86%

#1224

Core i5-560UM

MSRP: $250|Avg: N/A

85%

#1225

Core i7-660UM

MSRP: $317|Avg: N/A

85%

#1226

C-30

MSRP: $50|Avg: $15

84%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Core 2 Duo E4600 leads in gaming performance. However, the Core 2 Solo SU3300 is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 1% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Core 2 Duo E4600	Core 2 Solo SU3300
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($9.6)	⚠️ Higher cost ($50)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Allendale (2006−2009) / 65 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Efficiency: Even within a comparison of older hardware, the Core 2 Duo E4600 stands out as the superior choice. It is effectively 81% cheaper ($9.6 vs $50) while identifying as the stronger performer.

Insight	Core 2 Duo E4600	Core 2 Solo SU3300
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+416%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($9.6)	⚠️ Higher cost ($50)

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.

Core 2 Duo E4600 Benchmark Check

Core 2 Solo SU3300 Benchmark Check

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 2 Duo E4600 and Core 2 Solo SU3300

Core 2 Duo E4600

The Core 2 Duo E4600 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2008-01-01. It is based on the Allendale (2006−2009) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 2.4 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: LGA775. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR1, DDR2, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,235 points. Launch price was $249.

Core 2 Solo SU3300

The Core 2 Solo SU3300 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 20 August 2008 (17 years ago). It is based on the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Max frequency: 1.2 GHz. L2 cache: 3 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: BGA956. Thermal design power (TDP): 3 MB. Passmark benchmark score: 1,247 points. Launch price was $262.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core 2 Duo E4600 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Core 2 Solo SU3300 offers 1 cores / 1 threads — the Core 2 Duo E4600 has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 2.4 GHz on the Core 2 Duo E4600 versus 1.2 GHz on the Core 2 Solo SU3300 — a 66.7% clock advantage for the Core 2 Duo E4600. The Core 2 Duo E4600 uses the Allendale (2006−2009) architecture (65 nm), while the Core 2 Solo SU3300 uses Penryn (2008−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Core 2 Duo E4600 scores 1,235 against the Core 2 Solo SU3300's 1,247 — a 1% lead for the Core 2 Solo SU3300.

Feature	Core 2 Duo E4600	Core 2 Solo SU3300
Cores / Threads	2 / 2+100%	1 / 1
Boost Clock	2.4 GHz+100%	1.2 GHz
Base Clock	2.4 GHz	—
L3 Cache	0 kB	—
L2 Cache	2 MB	3 MB+50%
Process	65 nm	45 nm-31%
Architecture	Allendale (2006−2009)	Penryn (2008−2011)
PassMark	1,235	1,247

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 2 Duo E4600 uses the LGA775 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Core 2 Solo SU3300 uses BGA956 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR2-800 memory speed. The Core 2 Duo E4600 supports up to 16 GB of RAM compared to 4 GB — 120% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core 2 Duo E4600) vs 1 (Core 2 Solo SU3300). Both provide 0 PCIe lanes.

Feature	Core 2 Duo E4600	Core 2 Solo SU3300
Socket	LGA775	BGA956
PCIe Generation	PCIe 1.1	PCIe 1.1
Max RAM Speed	DDR2-800	DDR2-800
Max RAM Capacity	16 GB+300%	4 GB
RAM Channels	2+100%	1
ECC Support	❌	❌
PCIe Lanes	0	0

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core 2 Duo E4600) / VT-x (Core 2 Solo SU3300). Primary use case: Core 2 Solo SU3300 targets Mobile.

Feature	Core 2 Duo E4600	Core 2 Solo SU3300
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	VT-x
Target Use	—	Mobile

💰

Value Analysis

The Core 2 Duo E4600 launched at $133 MSRP, while the Core 2 Solo SU3300 debuted at $262. At current prices ($9.6 vs $50), the Core 2 Duo E4600 is $40 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core 2 Duo E4600 delivers 128.6 pts/$ vs 24.9 pts/$ for the Core 2 Solo SU3300 — making the Core 2 Duo E4600 the 135% better value option.