Core 2 Duo T9550 vs Atom x5-E3940

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 Atom x5-E3940 is on rank 337, so the Atom x5-E3940 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 T9550

#101

Core i5-1350P

MSRP: $320|Avg: $250

98%

#102

Core i3-1220P

MSRP: $250|Avg: $150

96%

#330

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

488%

#331

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

481%

#332

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

441%

#333

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

439%

#334

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

435%

#336

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

420%

#337

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

403%

#338

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

402%

#339

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

392%

#342

Core 2 Duo T9550

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Atom x5-E3940

#101

Core i5-1350P

MSRP: $320|Avg: $250

97%

#325

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

485%

#326

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

478%

#327

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

438%

#328

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

436%

#329

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

432%

#331

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

418%

#332

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

400%

#333

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

400%

#334

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

389%

#337

Atom x5-E3940

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Core 2 Duo T9550 leads in gaming performance. However, the Atom x5-E3940 is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.7% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Core 2 Duo T9550	Atom x5-E3940
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Apollo Lake (2014−2016) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Core 2 Duo T9550	Atom x5-E3940
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing

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 T9550 Benchmark Check

Atom x5-E3940 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 2 Duo T9550 and Atom x5-E3940

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.

Atom x5-E3940

The Atom x5-E3940 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 30 August 2014 (11 years ago). It is based on the Apollo Lake (2014−2016) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.6 GHz, with boost up to 1.8 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2 MB (total). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1296. Thermal design power (TDP): 10 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-1866. Passmark benchmark score: 1,816 points. Launch price was $69.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core 2 Duo T9550 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Atom x5-E3940 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Atom x5-E3940 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.66 GHz on the Core 2 Duo T9550 versus 1.8 GHz on the Atom x5-E3940 — a 38.6% clock advantage for the Core 2 Duo T9550 (base: 2.66 GHz vs 1.6 GHz). The Core 2 Duo T9550 uses the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Atom x5-E3940 uses Apollo Lake (2014−2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core 2 Duo T9550 scores 1,804 against the Atom x5-E3940's 1,816 — a 0.7% lead for the Atom x5-E3940. L3 cache: 6 MB L2 Cache on the Core 2 Duo T9550 vs 0 kB on the Atom x5-E3940.

Feature	Core 2 Duo T9550	Atom x5-E3940
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	2.66 GHz+48%	1.8 GHz
Base Clock	2.66 GHz+66%	1.6 GHz
L3 Cache	6 MB L2 Cache	0 kB
L2 Cache	6 MB+200%	2 MB (total)
Process	45 nm	14 nm-69%
Architecture	Penryn (2008−2011)	Apollo Lake (2014−2016)
PassMark	1,804	1,816

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 2 Duo T9550 uses the PGA478 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Atom x5-E3940 uses FCBGA1296 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core 2 Duo T9550	Atom x5-E3940
Socket	PGA478	FCBGA1296
PCIe Generation	PCIe 1.1	PCIe 3.0+173%
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR3L-1866
Max RAM Capacity	—	8 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	✅
PCIe Lanes	—	6