Core 2 Duo SL9400 vs Pentium G3430

CPU

GPU

Core 2 Duo SL9400

2 Cores2 Thrd6 WWMax: 1.86 GHz2008

Pentium G3430

2 Cores2 Thrd54 WWMax: 3.3 GHz2013

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core 2 Duo SL9400

2 / 2

2,144

+0.8%

2,127

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 SL9400 is positioned at rank 1147 and the Pentium G3430 is on rank 829, so the Pentium G3430 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 SL9400

#1135

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

3886%

#1136

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

3829%

#1137

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

3515%

#1138

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

3499%

#1139

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

3467%

#1141

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

3348%

#1142

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

3211%

#1143

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

3205%

#1144

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

3119%

#1147

Core 2 Duo SL9400

MSRP: $284|Avg: N/A

100%

#1149

Pentium N3540

MSRP: $161|Avg: $161

99%

#1150

Core i7-3555LE

MSRP: $300|Avg: $280

99%

#1151

Core i3-2377M

MSRP: $250|Avg: N/A

98%

#1152

Core 2 Duo E8435

MSRP: $150|Avg: $74

97%

#1153

Celeron M 723

MSRP: $161|Avg: $161

97%

#1154

Core M-5Y51

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

96%

#1155

Core i7-3517UE

MSRP: $330|Avg: $35

96%

#1156

Pentium N3530

MSRP: $161|Avg: $20

95%

#1157

Core i3-330E

MSRP: $177|Avg: $89

94%

#1159

Core i7-2640M

MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A

94%

#1160

Core M-5Y71

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

93%

#1162

Core i7-2620M

MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A

93%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Pentium G3430

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

16996%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

16060%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

11661%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

3513%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

2783%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

2434%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

1394%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

1376%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

1253%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

1253%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

1239%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

1205%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

1188%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

1184%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

1173%

#295

Core i9-7940X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $275

99%

#829

Pentium G3430

MSRP: $116|Avg: $30

100%

#830

Core i5-4570R

MSRP: $250|Avg: $20

100%

#831

Pentium E5400

MSRP: $55|Avg: $49

100%

#832

A6-3650

MSRP: $115|Avg: $20

99%

#833

Core i7-4770R

MSRP: $360|Avg: $89

99%

#835

Core i7-2600

MSRP: $294|Avg: $50

99%

#836

Pentium G870

MSRP: $86|Avg: $15

99%

#837

Athlon II X2 210e

MSRP: $60|Avg: $28

99%

#838

Pentium G645

MSRP: $80|Avg: $15

99%

#840

Pentium G630

MSRP: $75|Avg: $46

98%

#841

Core i5-2550K

MSRP: $235|Avg: $46

98%

#842

Athlon II X4 600e

MSRP: $100|Avg: $20

98%

#843

Core i5-6442EQ

MSRP: $250|Avg: $250

98%

#844

Core i7-4785T

MSRP: $306|Avg: $32

98%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Pentium G3430 leads in gaming performance. However, the Core 2 Duo SL9400 is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.8% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Core 2 Duo SL9400	Pentium G3430
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($284)	✅ More affordable ($30)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Efficiency: Even within a comparison of older hardware, the Pentium G3430 stands out as the superior choice. It is effectively 89% cheaper ($30 vs $284) while identifying as the stronger performer.

Insight	Core 2 Duo SL9400	Pentium G3430
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+839%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($284)	✅ More affordable ($30)

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 SL9400 Benchmark Check

Pentium G3430 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 2 Duo SL9400 and Pentium G3430

Core 2 Duo SL9400

The Core 2 Duo SL9400 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 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.86 GHz, with boost up to 1.86 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 6 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: BGA956. Thermal design power (TDP): 17 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 2,144 points. Launch price was $284.

Pentium G3430

The Pentium G3430 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.3 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1150. Thermal design power (TDP): 53 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,127 points. Launch price was $116.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core 2 Duo SL9400 and Pentium G3430 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.86 GHz on the Core 2 Duo SL9400 versus 3.3 GHz on the Pentium G3430 — a 55.8% clock advantage for the Pentium G3430 (base: 1.86 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). The Core 2 Duo SL9400 uses the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Pentium G3430 uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core 2 Duo SL9400 scores 2,144 against the Pentium G3430's 2,127 — a 0.8% lead for the Core 2 Duo SL9400. L3 cache: 6 MB L2 Cache on the Core 2 Duo SL9400 vs 3 MB (total) on the Pentium G3430.

Feature	Core 2 Duo SL9400	Pentium G3430
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	1.86 GHz	3.3 GHz+77%
Base Clock	1.86 GHz	3.3 GHz+77%
L3 Cache	6 MB L2 Cache+100%	3 MB (total)
L2 Cache	6 MB+2300%	256 kB (per core)
Process	45 nm	22 nm-51%
Architecture	Penryn (2008−2011)	Haswell (2013−2015)
PassMark	2,144	2,127

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 2 Duo SL9400 uses the BGA956 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Pentium G3430 uses LGA1150 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core 2 Duo SL9400	Pentium G3430
Socket	BGA956	LGA1150
PCIe Generation	PCIe 1.1	PCIe 3.0+173%
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1066	—
Max RAM Capacity	8 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	❌	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—