Core 2 Duo SL9600 vs Celeron 2955U

Core 2 Duo SL9600

2 Cores2 Thrd6 WWMax: 2.13 GHz2009

Celeron 2955U

2 Cores2 Thrd512 WWMax: 1.4 GHz2013

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core 2 Duo SL9600

2 / 2

2,054

0.0%

Core 2 Duo E7600

Core i3-2370M

Pentium Dual Core T2370

2,069

+0.7%

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 SL9600 is positioned at rank 1177 and the Celeron 2955U is on rank 427, so the Celeron 2955U 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 SL9600

#1165

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

4514%

#1166

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

4448%

#1167

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

4083%

#1168

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

4065%

#1169

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

4027%

#1171

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

3889%

#1172

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

3729%

#1173

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

3723%

#1174

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

3623%

#1177

Core 2 Duo SL9600

MSRP: $316|Avg: N/A

100%

#1178

Athlon PRO 3045B

MSRP: $426|Avg: $180

100%

#1179

Core 2 Duo T5600

MSRP: $241|Avg: N/A

100%

#1180

Pentium N3510

MSRP: $161|Avg: $161

99%

#1181

Core i7-7Y75

MSRP: $393|Avg: $285

99%

#1183

Core i7-4500U

MSRP: $398|Avg: N/A

96%

#1185

Athlon Neo X2 L325

MSRP: $100|Avg: $5

95%

#1186

Core i3-2370M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

94%

#1187

Core i3-3217UE

MSRP: $225|Avg: $35

93%

#1188

Celeron T3000

MSRP: $150|Avg: $54

93%

#1189

Core m7-6Y75

MSRP: $393|Avg: $393

92%

#1190

Core M-5Y10

MSRP: $281|Avg: $20

90%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Celeron 2955U

#415

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

567%

#416

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

559%

#417

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

513%

#418

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

511%

#419

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

506%

#421

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

489%

#422

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

469%

#423

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

468%

#424

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

455%

#427

Celeron 2955U

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 Trade-off: The Core 2 Duo SL9600 leads in gaming performance. However, the Celeron 2955U is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.7% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Core 2 Duo SL9600	Celeron 2955U
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($316)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Core 2 Duo SL9600	Celeron 2955U
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($316)	✅ 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.

Core 2 Duo SL9600 Benchmark Check

Celeron 2955U Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 2 Duo SL9600 and Celeron 2955U

Core 2 Duo SL9600

The Core 2 Duo SL9600 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 March 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.13 GHz, with boost up to 2.13 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: 2,054 points. Launch price was $316.

Celeron 2955U

The Celeron 2955U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.4 GHz, with boost up to 1.4 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1168. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,069 points. Launch price was $69.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core 2 Duo SL9600 and Celeron 2955U share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.13 GHz on the Core 2 Duo SL9600 versus 1.4 GHz on the Celeron 2955U — a 41.4% clock advantage for the Core 2 Duo SL9600 (base: 2.13 GHz vs 1.4 GHz). The Core 2 Duo SL9600 uses the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Celeron 2955U uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core 2 Duo SL9600 scores 2,054 against the Celeron 2955U's 2,069 — a 0.7% lead for the Celeron 2955U. L3 cache: 6 MB L2 Cache on the Core 2 Duo SL9600 vs 2 MB (total) on the Celeron 2955U.

Feature	Core 2 Duo SL9600	Celeron 2955U
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.13 GHz+52%	1.4 GHz
Base Clock	2.13 GHz+52%	1.4 GHz
L3 Cache	6 MB L2 Cache+200%	2 MB (total)
L2 Cache	6 MB+2300%	256K (per core)
Process	45 nm	22 nm-51%
Architecture	Penryn (2008−2011)	Haswell (2013−2015)
PassMark	2,054	2,069

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 2 Duo SL9600 uses the BGA956 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Celeron 2955U uses FCBGA1168 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR3-1066 memory speed. The Celeron 2955U supports up to 16 GB of RAM compared to 8 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 0 (Core 2 Duo SL9600) vs 10 (Celeron 2955U) — the Celeron 2955U offers 10 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: GS45,GM45,PM45 (Core 2 Duo SL9600) and Wildcat Point-LP (Celeron 2955U).

Feature	Core 2 Duo SL9600	Celeron 2955U
Socket	BGA956	FCBGA1168
PCIe Generation	PCIe 1.1	PCIe 3.0+173%
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1066	DDR3L-1600
Max RAM Capacity	8 GB	16 GB+100%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	❌	❌
PCIe Lanes	0	10

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core 2 Duo SL9600) vs VT-x (Celeron 2955U). The Celeron 2955U includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics (Haswell)), while the Core 2 Duo SL9600 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core 2 Duo SL9600 targets Mobile, Celeron 2955U targets Budget. Direct competitor: Celeron 2955U rivals Pentium 2117U.