Core 2 Duo T5550 vs Core i3-2105

Core 2 Duo T5550

2 Cores2 Thrd2 WWMax: 1.83 GHz2008

Core i3-2105

2 Cores4 Thrd65 WWMax: 3.1 GHz2011

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core 2 Duo T5550

2 / 2

1,826

0.0%

Pentium B950

Core i3-2310M

Pentium J3710

Celeron Dual-Core T1500

1,837

+0.6%

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 i3-2105 is on rank 935, 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 i3-2105

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

23420%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

22129%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

16068%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

4840%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

3834%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

3354%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

1921%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

1896%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

1726%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

1726%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

1707%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

1661%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

1638%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

1631%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

1616%

#934

Athlon II X3 405e

MSRP: $100|Avg: $10

100%

#935

Core i3-2105

MSRP: $138|Avg: $30

100%

#936

Core i3-3225

MSRP: $172|Avg: $167

99%

#937

Athlon II X3 400e

MSRP: $100|Avg: $10

99%

#938

Core i3-3220T

MSRP: $149|Avg: $146

98%

#939

Athlon II X2 245e

MSRP: $87|Avg: $15

98%

#940

Athlon II X2 240e

MSRP: $77|Avg: $77

98%

#941

Pentium G630T

MSRP: $79|Avg: $15

98%

#942

Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition

MSRP: $990|Avg: $175

98%

#945

Core i5-650

MSRP: $176|Avg: $22

96%

#946

A10-6790B

MSRP: $122|Avg: $50

95%

#947

Phenom X3 8600

MSRP: $100|Avg: $20

95%

#948

Core i3-6100TE

MSRP: $250|Avg: $90

95%

#949

FX-4320

MSRP: $250|Avg: $100

95%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core i3-2105 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core 2 Duo T5550 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.6% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core 2 Duo T5550	Core i3-2105
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($5)	⚠️ Higher cost ($30)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Merom (2006−2008) / 65 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Value Proposition: While both processors are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Core 2 Duo T5550 holds the technical lead in efficiency. Priced at $5 (vs $30), it costs 83% less. While offering basic entry-level performance, it results in a 496% higher cost efficiency score compared to the Core i3-2105.

Insight	Core 2 Duo T5550	Core i3-2105
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+496%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($5)	⚠️ Higher cost ($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 T5550 Benchmark Check

Core i3-2105 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 2 Duo T5550 and Core i3-2105

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 i3-2105

The Core i3-2105 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 22 May 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.1 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,837 points. Launch price was $145.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core 2 Duo T5550 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, matching the Core i3-2105's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 1.83 GHz on the Core 2 Duo T5550 versus 3.1 GHz on the Core i3-2105 — a 51.5% clock advantage for the Core i3-2105 (base: 1.83 GHz vs 3.1 GHz). The Core 2 Duo T5550 uses the Merom (2006−2008) architecture (65 nm), while the Core i3-2105 uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Core 2 Duo T5550 scores 1,826 against the Core i3-2105's 1,837 — a 0.6% lead for the Core i3-2105. L3 cache: 2 MB L2 Cache on the Core 2 Duo T5550 vs 3 MB (total) on the Core i3-2105.

Feature	Core 2 Duo T5550	Core i3-2105
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 4
Boost Clock	1.83 GHz	3.1 GHz+69%
Base Clock	1.83 GHz	3.1 GHz+69%
L3 Cache	2 MB L2 Cache	3 MB (total)+50%
L2 Cache	2 MB+700%	256 kB (per core)
Process	65 nm	32 nm-51%
Architecture	Merom (2006−2008)	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
PassMark	1,826	1,837

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 2 Duo T5550 uses the PGA478 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Core i3-2105 uses LGA1155 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core 2 Duo T5550	Core i3-2105
Socket	PGA478	LGA1155
PCIe Generation	PCIe 1.1	PCIe 2.0+82%
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR3-1333
Max RAM Capacity	—	32 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core 2 Duo T5550) / VT-x (Core i3-2105). The Core i3-2105 includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 3000), while the Core 2 Duo T5550 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i3-2105 targets Desktop.

Feature	Core 2 Duo T5550	Core i3-2105
Integrated GPU	—	Yes
IGPU Model	—	HD Graphics 3000
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	VT-x
Target Use	—	Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

At current prices ($5 vs $30), the Core 2 Duo T5550 is $25 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core 2 Duo T5550 delivers 365.2 pts/$ vs 61.2 pts/$ for the Core i3-2105 — making the Core 2 Duo T5550 the 142.6% better value option.