Core 2 Duo T5550 vs Core i3-2330E

CPU

GPU

Core 2 Duo T5550

2 Cores2 Thrd2 WWMax: 1.83 GHz2008

Core i3-2330E

2 Cores4 Thrd35 WWMax: 2.2 GHz2011

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core 2 Duo T5550

2 / 2

1,826

+0.2%

Pentium B950

Core i3-2310M

Pentium J3710

Celeron Dual-Core T1500

1,823

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 i3-2330E is on rank 1133, 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 i3-2330E

#1121

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

3622%

#1122

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

3569%

#1123

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

3277%

#1124

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

3262%

#1125

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

3232%

#1127

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

3121%

#1128

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

2993%

#1129

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

2988%

#1130

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

2907%

#1133

Core i3-2330E

MSRP: $225|Avg: $10

100%

#1135

Core i5-4288U

MSRP: $342|Avg: N/A

96%

#1136

Core m3-6Y30

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

96%

#1137

Core i3-2340UE

MSRP: $200|Avg: $200

95%

#1138

Core i7-2820QM

MSRP: $568|Avg: N/A

95%

#1139

Core i5-520M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

95%

#1141

Celeron 807

MSRP: $70|Avg: $10

94%

#1142

Pentium B950

MSRP: $134|Avg: $35

94%

#1143

Celeron 220

MSRP: $42|Avg: $42

94%

#1144

Pentium B960

MSRP: $134|Avg: $15

94%

#1146

Pentium 957

MSRP: $134|Avg: $10

93%

#1147

Core 2 Duo SL9400

MSRP: $284|Avg: N/A

93%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Core i3-2330E leads in gaming performance. However, the Core 2 Duo T5550 is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.2% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Core 2 Duo T5550	Core i3-2330E
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	✅ More affordable ($5)	⚠️ Higher cost ($10)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Merom (2006−2008) / 65 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 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 50% cheaper ($5 vs $10) while identifying as the stronger performer.

Insight	Core 2 Duo T5550	Core i3-2330E
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+100%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($5)	⚠️ Higher cost ($10)

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 i3-2330E Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 2 Duo T5550 and Core i3-2330E

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 i3-2330E

The Core i3-2330E is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 June 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 2.2 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: PGA988. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,823 points. Launch price was $225.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core 2 Duo T5550 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, matching the Core i3-2330E's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 1.83 GHz on the Core 2 Duo T5550 versus 2.2 GHz on the Core i3-2330E — a 18.4% clock advantage for the Core i3-2330E (base: 1.83 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Core 2 Duo T5550 uses the Merom (2006−2008) architecture (65 nm), while the Core i3-2330E uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Core 2 Duo T5550 scores 1,826 against the Core i3-2330E's 1,823 — a 0.2% lead for the Core 2 Duo T5550. L3 cache: 2 MB L2 Cache on the Core 2 Duo T5550 vs 3 MB (total) on the Core i3-2330E.

Feature	Core 2 Duo T5550	Core i3-2330E
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 4
Boost Clock	1.83 GHz	2.2 GHz+20%
Base Clock	1.83 GHz	2.2 GHz+20%
L3 Cache	2 MB L2 Cache	3 MB (total)+50%
L2 Cache	2 MB+700%	256K (per core)
Process	65 nm	32 nm-51%
Architecture	Merom (2006−2008)	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
PassMark	1,826	1,823

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 2 Duo T5550 uses the PGA478 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Core i3-2330E uses PGA988 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core 2 Duo T5550	Core i3-2330E
Socket	PGA478	PGA988
PCIe Generation	PCIe 1.1	PCIe 2.0+82%
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR3-1333
Max RAM Capacity	—	16 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core 2 Duo T5550) / VT-x (Core i3-2330E). The Core i3-2330E includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 3000), while the Core 2 Duo T5550 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i3-2330E targets Embedded.

Feature	Core 2 Duo T5550	Core i3-2330E
Integrated GPU	—	Yes
IGPU Model	—	HD Graphics 3000
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	VT-x
Target Use	—	Embedded

💰

Value Analysis

At current prices ($5 vs $10), the Core 2 Duo T5550 is $5 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core 2 Duo T5550 delivers 365.2 pts/$ vs 182.3 pts/$ for the Core i3-2330E — making the Core 2 Duo T5550 the 66.8% better value option.