Core 2 Duo T5900 vs Core 2 Duo T6400

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 T5900 is positioned at rank 19 and the Core 2 Duo T6400 is on rank 49, so the Core 2 Duo T5900 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 T5900

#7

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

138%

#8

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

136%

#9

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

125%

#10

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

124%

#11

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

123%

#13

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

119%

#14

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

114%

#15

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

114%

#16

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

111%

#19

Core 2 Duo T5900

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $5

100%

#22

Core i3-3130M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

90%

#23

Core 2 Duo T5550

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $5

86%

#24

Core 2 Duo T7100

MSRP: $197|Avg: $15

86%

#27

Pentium 2030M

MSRP: $134|Avg: N/A

82%

#28

Core 2 Duo T5750

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $8

82%

#29

Core 2 Duo T7200

MSRP: $286|Avg: $6

81%

#30

Core i5-3230M

MSRP: $225|Avg: $13

81%

#31

Atom D525

MSRP: $63|Avg: N/A

80%

#32

Atom x7835RE

MSRP: $127|Avg: N/A

80%

#33

Core 2 Duo P8400

MSRP: $209|Avg: $10

78%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core 2 Duo T6400

#13

Ryzen 3 210

MSRP: $99|Avg: $99

95%

#37

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

208%

#38

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

205%

#39

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

188%

#40

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

187%

#41

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

186%

#43

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

179%

#44

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

172%

#45

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

172%

#46

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

167%

#49

Core 2 Duo T6400

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#51

Celeron N2807

MSRP: $107|Avg: $60

99%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core 2 Duo T5900 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core 2 Duo T6400 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.4% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core 2 Duo T5900	Core 2 Duo T6400
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($5)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Merom (2006−2008) / 65 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Core 2 Duo T5900	Core 2 Duo T6400
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($5)	✅ More affordable ($0)

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 T5900 Benchmark Check

Core 2 Duo T6400 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 2 Duo T5900 and Core 2 Duo T6400

Core 2 Duo T5900

The Core 2 Duo T5900 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. Max frequency: 2.2 GHz. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: P. Thermal design power (TDP): 2 MB. Passmark benchmark score: 2,123 points. Launch price was $249.

Core 2 Duo T6400

The Core 2 Duo T6400 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2008-01-01. It is based on the Penryn (2008−2011) 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 45 nm process technology. Socket: PGA478. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 2,115 points. Launch price was $249.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core 2 Duo T5900 and Core 2 Duo T6400 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.2 GHz on the Core 2 Duo T5900 versus 2 GHz on the Core 2 Duo T6400 — a 9.5% clock advantage for the Core 2 Duo T5900. The Core 2 Duo T5900 uses the Merom (2006−2008) architecture (65 nm), while the Core 2 Duo T6400 uses Penryn (2008−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Core 2 Duo T5900 scores 2,123 against the Core 2 Duo T6400's 2,115 — a 0.4% lead for the Core 2 Duo T5900.

Feature	Core 2 Duo T5900	Core 2 Duo T6400
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.2 GHz+10%	2 GHz
Base Clock	—	2 GHz
L3 Cache	—	2 MB L2 Cache
L2 Cache	2 MB	2 MB
Process	65 nm	45 nm-31%
Architecture	Merom (2006−2008)	Penryn (2008−2011)
PassMark	2,123	2,115
Geekbench 6 Single	—	650
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	1,300

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 2 Duo T5900 uses the P socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Core 2 Duo T6400 uses PGA478 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.