Core 2 Duo T9550 vs Athlon 5350
Core 2 Duo T9550
Athlon 5350
Performance Spectrum - CPU
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 T9550 is positioned at rank 342 and the Athlon 5350 is on rank 564, so the Core 2 Duo T9550 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Core 2 Duo T9550
Performance Per Dollar Athlon 5350
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Core 2 Duo T9550 | Athlon 5350 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Kabini (2013−2014) / 28 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Core 2 Duo T9550 | Athlon 5350 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) |
Performance Check
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.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Core 2 Duo T9550 and Athlon 5350
Core 2 Duo T9550
The Core 2 Duo T9550 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 January 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.66 GHz, with boost up to 2.66 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 6 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: PGA478. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 1,804 points. Launch price was $316.
Athlon 5350
The Athlon 5350 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Kabini (2013−2014) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.05 GHz, with boost up to 2.05 GHz. L2 cache: 2048 kB. Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: AM1. Thermal design power (TDP): 25 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-1600. Passmark benchmark score: 1,796 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
The Core 2 Duo T9550 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Athlon 5350 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Athlon 5350 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.66 GHz on the Core 2 Duo T9550 versus 2.05 GHz on the Athlon 5350 — a 25.9% clock advantage for the Core 2 Duo T9550 (base: 2.66 GHz vs 2.05 GHz). The Core 2 Duo T9550 uses the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Athlon 5350 uses Kabini (2013−2014) (28 nm). In PassMark, the Core 2 Duo T9550 scores 1,804 against the Athlon 5350's 1,796 — a 0.4% lead for the Core 2 Duo T9550.
| Feature | Core 2 Duo T9550 | Athlon 5350 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 4 / 4+100% |
| Boost Clock | 2.66 GHz+30% | 2.05 GHz |
| Base Clock | 2.66 GHz+30% | 2.05 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 6 MB L2 Cache | — |
| L2 Cache | 6 MB+200% | 2048 kB |
| Process | 45 nm | 28 nm-38% |
| Architecture | Penryn (2008−2011) | Kabini (2013−2014) |
| PassMark | 1,804 | 1,796 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 223 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | — | 708 |
Memory & Platform
The Core 2 Duo T9550 uses the PGA478 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Athlon 5350 uses AM1 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Core 2 Duo T9550 | Athlon 5350 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | PGA478 | AM1 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 1.1 | PCIe 2.0+82% |
| Max RAM Speed | — | 1600 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 16 |
| RAM Channels | — | 1 |
| ECC Support | — | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 8 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Core 2 Duo T9550) / true (Athlon 5350). The Athlon 5350 includes integrated graphics (Radeon R3 Graphics), while the Core 2 Duo T9550 requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Athlon 5350 rivals Pentium J2900.
| Feature | Core 2 Duo T9550 | Athlon 5350 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | Yes |
| IGPU Model | — | Radeon R3 Graphics |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | true |
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