Core 2 Duo P8400 vs Core i5-2390T

Core 2 Duo P8400

2 Cores2 Thrd3 WWMax: 2.26 GHz2008

Core i5-2390T

2 Cores4 Thrd35 WWMax: 3.5 GHz2011

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core 2 Duo P8400

2 / 2

2,497

+0.2%

2,491

0.0%

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 P8400 is positioned at rank 33 and the Core i5-2390T is on rank 926, so the Core 2 Duo P8400 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 P8400

#10

Ryzen 7 260

MSRP: $199|Avg: $70

86%

#21

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

176%

#22

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

174%

#23

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

159%

#24

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

159%

#25

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

157%

#27

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

152%

#28

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

146%

#29

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

145%

#30

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

141%

#33

Core 2 Duo P8400

MSRP: $209|Avg: $10

100%

#38

Core 2 Duo T8100

MSRP: $209|Avg: $10

93%

#39

Atom 330

MSRP: $43|Avg: $30

92%

#43

Core 2 Duo SU7300

MSRP: $289|Avg: N/A

90%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i5-2390T

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

22770%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

21515%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

15622%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

4706%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

3728%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

3261%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

1868%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

1843%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

1678%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

1678%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

1660%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

1615%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

1592%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

1586%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

1571%

#302

Core i7-6900K

MSRP: $1089|Avg: $1089

98%

#303

Core i7-5960X

MSRP: $999|Avg: $83

98%

#926

Core i5-2390T

MSRP: $182|Avg: $182

100%

#927

Phenom II X4 910e

MSRP: $157|Avg: $69

100%

#928

FX-8100

MSRP: $300|Avg: $50

100%

#930

Celeron E1400

MSRP: $53|Avg: $63

99%

#932

Pentium E6800

MSRP: $86|Avg: $10

98%

#933

Core i3-530

MSRP: $113|Avg: $15

98%

#935

Core i3-2105

MSRP: $138|Avg: $30

97%

#936

Athlon II X3 405e

MSRP: $100|Avg: $10

97%

#937

Core i3-3225

MSRP: $172|Avg: $167

97%

#938

Athlon II X3 400e

MSRP: $100|Avg: $10

96%

#939

Athlon II X2 245e

MSRP: $87|Avg: $15

96%

#940

Core i3-3220T

MSRP: $149|Avg: $146

96%

#941

Athlon II X2 240e

MSRP: $77|Avg: $77

96%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Core i5-2390T leads in gaming performance. However, the Core 2 Duo P8400 is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.2% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Core 2 Duo P8400	Core i5-2390T
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	✅ More affordable ($10)	⚠️ Higher cost ($182)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Efficiency: Even within a comparison of older hardware, the Core 2 Duo P8400 stands out as the superior choice. It is effectively 95% cheaper ($10 vs $182) while identifying as the stronger performer.

Insight	Core 2 Duo P8400	Core i5-2390T
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+1724%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($10)	⚠️ Higher cost ($182)

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 P8400 Benchmark Check

Core i5-2390T Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 2 Duo P8400 and Core i5-2390T

Core 2 Duo P8400

The Core 2 Duo P8400 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 15 July 2008 (17 years ago). It is based on the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.26 GHz, with boost up to 2.26 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 3 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: PGA478. Thermal design power (TDP): 25 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 2,497 points. Launch price was $209.

Core i5-2390T

The Core i5-2390T is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 20 February 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,491 points. Launch price was $100.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core 2 Duo P8400 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, matching the Core i5-2390T's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 2.26 GHz on the Core 2 Duo P8400 versus 3.5 GHz on the Core i5-2390T — a 43.1% clock advantage for the Core i5-2390T (base: 2.26 GHz vs 2.7 GHz). The Core 2 Duo P8400 uses the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Core i5-2390T uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Core 2 Duo P8400 scores 2,497 against the Core i5-2390T's 2,491 — a 0.2% lead for the Core 2 Duo P8400. L3 cache: 3 MB L2 Cache on the Core 2 Duo P8400 vs 3 MB (total) on the Core i5-2390T.

Feature	Core 2 Duo P8400	Core i5-2390T
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 4
Boost Clock	2.26 GHz	3.5 GHz+55%
Base Clock	2.26 GHz	2.7 GHz+19%
L3 Cache	3 MB L2 Cache	3 MB (total)
L2 Cache	3 MB+1100%	256 kB (per core)
Process	45 nm	32 nm-29%
Architecture	Penryn (2008−2011)	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
PassMark	2,497	2,491
Geekbench 6 Single	—	614

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 2 Duo P8400 uses the PGA478 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Core i5-2390T uses LGA1155 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches 1066 on the Core 2 Duo P8400 versus DDR3-1333 on the Core i5-2390T — the Core 2 Duo P8400 supports 198.9% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i5-2390T supports up to 32 GB of RAM compared to 8 — 120% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 0 (Core 2 Duo P8400) vs 16 (Core i5-2390T) — the Core i5-2390T offers 16 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: GM45,GS45,PM45 (Core 2 Duo P8400) and H61,H67,P67,Z68,B75,Z77 (Core i5-2390T).

Feature	Core 2 Duo P8400	Core i5-2390T
Socket	PGA478	LGA1155
PCIe Generation	PCIe 1.1	PCIe 2.0+82%
Max RAM Speed	1066+35433%	DDR3-1333
Max RAM Capacity	8	32 GB+419430300%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	❌	❌
PCIe Lanes	0	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: true (Core 2 Duo P8400) vs VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-2390T). The Core i5-2390T includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 2000), while the Core 2 Duo P8400 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-2390T targets Legacy Low Power Desktop. Direct competitor: Core 2 Duo P8400 rivals Turion II Ultra M600; Core i5-2390T rivals A8-3800.

Feature	Core 2 Duo P8400	Core i5-2390T
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	None	HD Graphics 2000
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	true	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	—	Legacy Low Power Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The Core 2 Duo P8400 launched at $209 MSRP, while the Core i5-2390T debuted at $182. At current prices ($10 vs $182), the Core 2 Duo P8400 is $172 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core 2 Duo P8400 delivers 249.7 pts/$ vs 13.7 pts/$ for the Core i5-2390T — making the Core 2 Duo P8400 the 179.2% better value option.