Core 2 Duo T5870 vs Phenom II X4 830

Core 2 Duo T5870 vs Phenom II X4 830 Performance Spectrum

Core 2 Duo T5870

2 / 2

2,089

+0.8%

Core i7-640UM

Pentium 3825U

Celeron Dual-Core T1500

2,072

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

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.

Core 2 Duo T5870 vs Phenom II X4 830 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Core 2 Duo T5870 vs Phenom II X4 830: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Core 2 Duo T5870

2008

Why buy it

✅+0.8% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 2W instead of 95W, a 93W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (2 MB vs 4 MB).

Phenom II X4 830

2009

Why buy it

✅+100% larger total L3 cache (4 MB vs 2 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (2,072 vs 2,089).
❌4650% higher power demand at 95W vs 2W.

Quick Answers

So, is Core 2 Duo T5870 better than Phenom II X4 830?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Phenom II X4 830 is ahead with a 0.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core 2 Duo T5870 pulls ahead with 0.8% better PassMark. Phenom II X4 830 also has the bigger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (4 MB vs 2 MB).

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core 2 Duo T5870 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.8% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 2 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Core 2 Duo T5870 still makes the most sense overall. Core 2 Duo T5870 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you 0.8% better PassMark.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Phenom II X4 830 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2009 vs 2008) and 100% larger total L3 cache (4 MB vs 2 MB). That makes it the safer long-term bet.

Core 2 Duo T5870 vs Phenom II X4 830 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Core 2 Duo T5870

The Core 2 Duo T5870 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 2 GHz, with boost up to 2 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 65 nm process technology. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 2,089 points. Launch price was $249.

Phenom II X4 830

The Phenom II X4 830 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 1 September 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Deneb (2009−2011) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 2.8 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,072 points. Launch price was $80.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core 2 Duo T5870 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Phenom II X4 830 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Phenom II X4 830 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2 GHz on the Core 2 Duo T5870 versus 2.8 GHz on the Phenom II X4 830 — a 33.3% clock advantage for the Phenom II X4 830 (base: 2 GHz vs 2.8 GHz). The Core 2 Duo T5870 uses the Merom (2006−2008) architecture (65 nm), while the Phenom II X4 830 uses Deneb (2009−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Core 2 Duo T5870 scores 2,089 against the Phenom II X4 830's 2,072 — a 0.8% lead for the Core 2 Duo T5870. L3 cache: 2 MB L2 Cache on the Core 2 Duo T5870 vs 4 MB (total) on the Phenom II X4 830.

Feature	Core 2 Duo T5870	Phenom II X4 830
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	2 GHz	2.8 GHz+40%
Base Clock	2 GHz	2.8 GHz+40%
L3 Cache	2 MB L2 Cache	4 MB (total)+100%
L2 Cache	2 MB+300%	512 kB (per core)
Process	65 nm	45 nm-31%
Architecture	Merom (2006−2008)	Deneb (2009−2011)
PassMark	2,089	2,072
Geekbench 6 Single	203	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	314	—