Core 2 Duo T5600 vs Core i3-540

CPU

GPU

Core 2 Duo T5600

2 Cores2 Thrd2 WWMax: 1.83 GHz2006

Core i3-540

2 Cores4 Thrd73 WWMax: 0.07 GHz2010

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core 2 Duo T5600

2 / 2

1,560

+0.4%

1,554

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 T5600 is positioned at rank 1179 and the Core i3-540 is on rank 970, so the Core i3-540 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 T5600

#1167

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

4535%

#1168

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

4468%

#1169

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

4102%

#1170

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

4083%

#1171

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

4046%

#1173

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

3907%

#1174

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

3747%

#1175

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

3740%

#1176

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

3640%

#1179

Core 2 Duo T5600

MSRP: $241|Avg: N/A

100%

#1180

Pentium N3510

MSRP: $161|Avg: $161

100%

#1181

Core i7-7Y75

MSRP: $393|Avg: $285

100%

#1183

Core i7-4500U

MSRP: $398|Avg: N/A

97%

#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

94%

#1188

Celeron T3000

MSRP: $150|Avg: $54

93%

#1189

Core m7-6Y75

MSRP: $393|Avg: $393

93%

#1190

Core M-5Y10

MSRP: $281|Avg: $20

90%

#1193

Celeron 900

MSRP: $86|Avg: $5

87%

#1194

Pentium T3400

MSRP: $150|Avg: $90

87%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i3-540

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

26688%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

25217%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

18310%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

5516%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

4369%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

3822%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

2189%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

2161%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

1967%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

1967%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

1945%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

1893%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

1866%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

1859%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

1842%

#970

Core i3-540

MSRP: $133|Avg: $5

100%

#972

Phenom II X3 700e

MSRP: $125|Avg: $40

99%

#973

Core i5-760

MSRP: $230|Avg: $61

99%

#974

Core i3-7102E

MSRP: $225|Avg: $80

99%

#975

Core 2 Quad Q8400

MSRP: $183|Avg: $128

97%

#976

Pentium E2180

MSRP: $84|Avg: $15

96%

#977

Pentium Dual-Core E2180

MSRP: $84|Avg: $5

96%

#978

Pentium Dual-Core E2140

MSRP: $74|Avg: $5

94%

#979

E1-1500

MSRP: $60|Avg: $10

94%

#980

Core i7-960

MSRP: $309|Avg: $110

94%

#981

Core i5-2405S

MSRP: $309|Avg: $120

94%

#982

Celeron 420

MSRP: $39|Avg: $15

93%

#983

Athlon II X4 615e

MSRP: $186|Avg: $30

93%

#984

Athlon X2 BE-2350

MSRP: $90|Avg: $10

93%

#985

Core 2 Quad Q8300

MSRP: $179|Avg: $10

92%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core 2 Duo T5600 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core i3-540 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.4% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core 2 Duo T5600	Core i3-540
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($241)	✅ More affordable ($5)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Merom (2006−2008) / 65 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Clarkdale (2010−2011) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Value Proposition: While both processors are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Core i3-540 holds the technical lead in efficiency. Priced at $5 (vs $241), it costs 98% less. While offering basic entry-level performance, it results in a 4701% higher cost efficiency score compared to the Core 2 Duo T5600.

Insight	Core 2 Duo T5600	Core i3-540
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+4701%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($241)	✅ More affordable ($5)

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 T5600 Benchmark Check

Core i3-540 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 2 Duo T5600 and Core i3-540

Core 2 Duo T5600

The Core 2 Duo T5600 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 28 July 2006 (19 years ago). 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: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: PGA478. Thermal design power (TDP): 34 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 1,560 points. Launch price was $241.

Core i3-540

The Core i3-540 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 7 January 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Clarkdale (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.06 GHz, with boost up to 0.07 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1156. Thermal design power (TDP): 73 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,554 points. Launch price was $45.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core 2 Duo T5600 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, matching the Core i3-540's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 1.83 GHz on the Core 2 Duo T5600 versus 0.07 GHz on the Core i3-540 — a 185.3% clock advantage for the Core 2 Duo T5600 (base: 1.83 GHz vs 3.06 GHz). The Core 2 Duo T5600 uses the Merom (2006−2008) architecture (65 nm), while the Core i3-540 uses Clarkdale (2010−2011) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Core 2 Duo T5600 scores 1,560 against the Core i3-540's 1,554 — a 0.4% lead for the Core 2 Duo T5600. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Core 2 Duo T5600 vs 4 MB (total) on the Core i3-540.

Feature	Core 2 Duo T5600	Core i3-540
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 4
Boost Clock	1.83 GHz+2514%	0.07 GHz
Base Clock	1.83 GHz	3.06 GHz+67%
L3 Cache	0 kB	4 MB (total)
L2 Cache	2 MB+700%	256 kB (per core)
Process	65 nm	32 nm-51%
Architecture	Merom (2006−2008)	Clarkdale (2010−2011)
PassMark	1,560	1,554

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 2 Duo T5600 uses the PGA478 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Core i3-540 uses LGA1156 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.