Core 2 Duo SU9300 vs Pentium 2030M

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 SU9300 is positioned at rank 143 and the Pentium 2030M is on rank 27, so the Pentium 2030M 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 SU9300

#36

Core i5-11500B

MSRP: $185|Avg: $185

99%

#131

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

316%

#132

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

312%

#133

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

286%

#134

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

285%

#135

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

282%

#137

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

272%

#138

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

261%

#139

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

261%

#140

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

254%

#143

Core 2 Duo SU9300

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#147

Atom N2800

MSRP: $47|Avg: $3

99%

#158

Core i5-3210M

MSRP: $225|Avg: $30

95%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Pentium 2030M

#15

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

168%

#16

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

166%

#17

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

152%

#18

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

151%

#19

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

150%

#21

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

145%

#22

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

139%

#23

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

139%

#24

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

135%

#27

Pentium 2030M

MSRP: $134|Avg: N/A

100%

#28

Core 2 Duo T5750

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $8

100%

#29

Core 2 Duo T7200

MSRP: $286|Avg: $6

98%

#30

Core i5-3230M

MSRP: $225|Avg: $13

98%

#31

Atom D525

MSRP: $63|Avg: N/A

98%

#32

Atom x7835RE

MSRP: $127|Avg: N/A

97%

#33

Core 2 Duo P8400

MSRP: $209|Avg: $10

95%

#38

Core 2 Duo T8100

MSRP: $209|Avg: $10

89%

#39

Atom 330

MSRP: $43|Avg: $30

88%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Pentium 2030M delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core 2 Duo SU9300 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.3% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core 2 Duo SU9300	Pentium 2030M
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($134)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Core 2 Duo SU9300	Pentium 2030M
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($134)

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 SU9300 Benchmark Check

Pentium 2030M Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 2 Duo SU9300 and Pentium 2030M

Core 2 Duo SU9300

The Core 2 Duo SU9300 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2008-01-01. It is based on the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.2 GHz, with boost up to 1.2 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 3 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: BGA956. Thermal design power (TDP): 10 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 1,392 points. Launch price was $249.

Pentium 2030M

The Pentium 2030M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 January 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 2.5 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: PGA988. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,396 points. Launch price was $134.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core 2 Duo SU9300 and Pentium 2030M share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.2 GHz on the Core 2 Duo SU9300 versus 2.5 GHz on the Pentium 2030M — a 70.3% clock advantage for the Pentium 2030M (base: 1.2 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Core 2 Duo SU9300 uses the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Pentium 2030M uses Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core 2 Duo SU9300 scores 1,392 against the Pentium 2030M's 1,396 — a 0.3% lead for the Pentium 2030M. L3 cache: 3 MB L2 Cache on the Core 2 Duo SU9300 vs 2 MB (total) on the Pentium 2030M.

Feature	Core 2 Duo SU9300	Pentium 2030M
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	1.2 GHz	2.5 GHz+108%
Base Clock	1.2 GHz	2.5 GHz+108%
L3 Cache	3 MB L2 Cache+50%	2 MB (total)
L2 Cache	3 MB+1100%	256K (per core)
Process	45 nm	22 nm-51%
Architecture	Penryn (2008−2011)	Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)
PassMark	1,392	1,396

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 2 Duo SU9300 uses the BGA956 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Pentium 2030M uses PGA988 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.