Core 2 Duo T5550 vs Core 2 Duo T7100

Core 2 Duo T5550

2 Cores2 Thrd2 WWMax: 1.83 GHz2008

Core 2 Duo T7100

2 Cores2 Thrd2 WWMax: 1.8 GHz2007

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core 2 Duo T5550

2 / 2

1,826

+0.5%

Pentium B950

Core i3-2310M

Pentium J3710

Celeron Dual-Core T1500

1,817

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 T5550 is positioned at rank 23 and the Core 2 Duo T7100 is on rank 24, so the Core 2 Duo T5550 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 T5550

#11

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

161%

#12

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

158%

#13

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

145%

#14

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

145%

#15

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

143%

#17

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

138%

#18

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

133%

#19

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

133%

#20

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

129%

#23

Core 2 Duo T5550

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $5

100%

#24

Core 2 Duo T7100

MSRP: $197|Avg: $15

100%

#27

Pentium 2030M

MSRP: $134|Avg: N/A

96%

#28

Core 2 Duo T5750

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $8

95%

#29

Core 2 Duo T7200

MSRP: $286|Avg: $6

94%

#30

Core i5-3230M

MSRP: $225|Avg: $13

94%

#31

Atom D525

MSRP: $63|Avg: N/A

93%

#32

Atom x7835RE

MSRP: $127|Avg: N/A

93%

#33

Core 2 Duo P8400

MSRP: $209|Avg: $10

91%

#38

Core 2 Duo T8100

MSRP: $209|Avg: $10

85%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core 2 Duo T7100

#12

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

161%

#13

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

159%

#14

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

146%

#15

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

145%

#16

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

144%

#18

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

139%

#19

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

133%

#20

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

133%

#21

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

130%

#24

Core 2 Duo T7100

MSRP: $197|Avg: $15

100%

#27

Pentium 2030M

MSRP: $134|Avg: N/A

96%

#28

Core 2 Duo T5750

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $8

96%

#29

Core 2 Duo T7200

MSRP: $286|Avg: $6

94%

#30

Core i5-3230M

MSRP: $225|Avg: $13

94%

#31

Atom D525

MSRP: $63|Avg: N/A

94%

#32

Atom x7835RE

MSRP: $127|Avg: N/A

93%

#33

Core 2 Duo P8400

MSRP: $209|Avg: $10

92%

#38

Core 2 Duo T8100

MSRP: $209|Avg: $10

85%

#39

Atom 330

MSRP: $43|Avg: $30

84%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core 2 Duo T5550 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core 2 Duo T7100 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.5% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core 2 Duo T5550	Core 2 Duo T7100
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	✅ More affordable ($5)	⚠️ Higher cost ($15)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Merom (2006−2008) / 65 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Merom (2006−2008) / 65 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Efficiency: Even within a comparison of older hardware, the Core 2 Duo T5550 stands out as the superior choice. It is effectively 67% cheaper ($5 vs $15) while identifying as the stronger performer.

Insight	Core 2 Duo T5550	Core 2 Duo T7100
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+201%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($5)	⚠️ Higher cost ($15)

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 T5550 Benchmark Check

Core 2 Duo T7100 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 2 Duo T5550 and Core 2 Duo T7100

Core 2 Duo T5550

The Core 2 Duo T5550 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2008-01-01. It is based on the Merom (2006−2008) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.83 GHz, with boost up to 1.83 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: PGA478. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 1,826 points. Launch price was $249.

Core 2 Duo T7100

The Core 2 Duo T7100 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 9 May 2007 (18 years ago). It is based on the Merom (2006−2008) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.8 GHz, with boost up to 1.8 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: PGA478. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 1,817 points. Launch price was $197.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core 2 Duo T5550 and Core 2 Duo T7100 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.83 GHz on the Core 2 Duo T5550 versus 1.8 GHz on the Core 2 Duo T7100 — a 1.7% clock advantage for the Core 2 Duo T5550 (base: 1.83 GHz vs 1.8 GHz). Both are built on the Merom (2006−2008) architecture using a 65 nm process. In PassMark, the Core 2 Duo T5550 scores 1,826 against the Core 2 Duo T7100's 1,817 — a 0.5% lead for the Core 2 Duo T5550. L3 cache: 2 MB L2 Cache on the Core 2 Duo T5550 vs 0 kB on the Core 2 Duo T7100.

Feature	Core 2 Duo T5550	Core 2 Duo T7100
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	1.83 GHz+2%	1.8 GHz
Base Clock	1.83 GHz+2%	1.8 GHz
L3 Cache	2 MB L2 Cache	0 kB
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB
Process	65 nm	65 nm
Architecture	Merom (2006−2008)	Merom (2006−2008)
PassMark	1,826	1,817

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the PGA478 socket with PCIe 1.1.

Feature	Core 2 Duo T5550	Core 2 Duo T7100
Socket	PGA478	PGA478
PCIe Generation	PCIe 1.1	PCIe 1.1
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR2-667
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	❌

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core 2 Duo T5550) / VT-x (Core 2 Duo T7100). Primary use case: Core 2 Duo T7100 targets Budget. Direct competitor: Core 2 Duo T7100 rivals Athlon 64 X2 TK-42.

Feature	Core 2 Duo T5550	Core 2 Duo T7100
Integrated GPU	—	No
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	VT-x
Target Use	—	Budget

💰

Value Analysis

At current prices ($5 vs $15), the Core 2 Duo T5550 is $10 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core 2 Duo T5550 delivers 365.2 pts/$ vs 121.1 pts/$ for the Core 2 Duo T7100 — making the Core 2 Duo T5550 the 100.4% better value option.