Core 2 Duo T5900 vs Pentium G3430

Core 2 Duo T5900

2 Cores2 Thrd2 WWMax: 2.2 GHz2008

Pentium G3430

2 Cores2 Thrd54 WWMax: 3.3 GHz2013

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core 2 Duo T5900

2 / 2

2,123

0.0%

2,127

+0.2%

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 T5900 is positioned at rank 19 and the Pentium G3430 is on rank 829, 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

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

138%

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

136%

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 Pentium G3430

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

16996%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

16060%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

11661%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

3513%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

2783%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

2434%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

1394%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

1376%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

1253%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

1253%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

1239%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

1205%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

1188%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

1184%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

1173%

#295

Core i9-7940X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $275

99%

#829

Pentium G3430

MSRP: $116|Avg: $30

100%

#830

Core i5-4570R

MSRP: $250|Avg: $20

100%

#831

Pentium E5400

MSRP: $55|Avg: $49

100%

#832

A6-3650

MSRP: $115|Avg: $20

99%

#833

Core i7-4770R

MSRP: $360|Avg: $89

99%

#835

Core i7-2600

MSRP: $294|Avg: $50

99%

#836

Pentium G870

MSRP: $86|Avg: $15

99%

#837

Athlon II X2 210e

MSRP: $60|Avg: $28

99%

#838

Pentium G645

MSRP: $80|Avg: $15

99%

#840

Pentium G630

MSRP: $75|Avg: $46

98%

#841

Core i5-2550K

MSRP: $235|Avg: $46

98%

#842

Athlon II X4 600e

MSRP: $100|Avg: $20

98%

#843

Core i5-6442EQ

MSRP: $250|Avg: $250

98%

#844

Core i7-4785T

MSRP: $306|Avg: $32

98%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Pentium G3430 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core 2 Duo T5900 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.2% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core 2 Duo T5900	Pentium G3430
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 (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Value Proposition: While both processors are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Core 2 Duo T5900 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 499% higher cost efficiency score compared to the Pentium G3430.

Insight	Core 2 Duo T5900	Pentium G3430
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+499%)	❌ 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 T5900 Benchmark Check

Pentium G3430 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 2 Duo T5900 and Pentium G3430

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.

Pentium G3430

The Pentium G3430 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.3 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1150. Thermal design power (TDP): 53 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,127 points. Launch price was $116.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core 2 Duo T5900 and Pentium G3430 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.2 GHz on the Core 2 Duo T5900 versus 3.3 GHz on the Pentium G3430 — a 40% clock advantage for the Pentium G3430. The Core 2 Duo T5900 uses the Merom (2006−2008) architecture (65 nm), while the Pentium G3430 uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core 2 Duo T5900 scores 2,123 against the Pentium G3430's 2,127 — a 0.2% lead for the Pentium G3430.

Feature	Core 2 Duo T5900	Pentium G3430
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.2 GHz	3.3 GHz+50%
Base Clock	—	3.3 GHz
L3 Cache	—	3 MB (total)
L2 Cache	2 MB+700%	256 kB (per core)
Process	65 nm	22 nm-66%
Architecture	Merom (2006−2008)	Haswell (2013−2015)
PassMark	2,123	2,127

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 2 Duo T5900 uses the P socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Pentium G3430 uses LGA1150 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core 2 Duo T5900	Pentium G3430
Socket	P	LGA1150
PCIe Generation	PCIe 1.1	PCIe 3.0+173%

💰

Value Analysis

At current prices ($5 vs $30), the Core 2 Duo T5900 is $25 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core 2 Duo T5900 delivers 424.6 pts/$ vs 70.9 pts/$ for the Pentium G3430 — making the Core 2 Duo T5900 the 142.8% better value option.