Core 2 Duo T9550 vs Core i3-4000M

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 Core i3-4000M is on rank 501, so the Core 2 Duo T9550 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 Core i3-4000M

#158

Core i9-13900H

MSRP: $617|Avg: N/A

99%

#161

Core Ultra 7 268V

MSRP: $450|Avg: $400

97%

#489

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

653%

#490

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

643%

#491

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

591%

#492

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

588%

#493

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

583%

#495

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

563%

#496

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

540%

#497

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

539%

#498

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

524%

#501

Core i3-4000M

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 Leadership: The Core 2 Duo T9550 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core i3-4000M in both compute-intensive tasks (0.4% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core 2 Duo T9550	Core i3-4000M
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Core 2 Duo T9550	Core i3-4000M
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

Core i3-4000M Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 2 Duo T9550 and Core i3-4000M

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.

Core i3-4000M

The Core i3-4000M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 September 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 2.4 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: PGA946. Thermal design power (TDP): 37 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,797 points. Launch price was $225.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core 2 Duo T9550 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, matching the Core i3-4000M's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 2.66 GHz on the Core 2 Duo T9550 versus 2.4 GHz on the Core i3-4000M — a 10.3% clock advantage for the Core 2 Duo T9550 (base: 2.66 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Core 2 Duo T9550 uses the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Core i3-4000M uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core 2 Duo T9550 scores 1,804 against the Core i3-4000M's 1,797 — a 0.4% lead for the Core 2 Duo T9550. L3 cache: 6 MB L2 Cache on the Core 2 Duo T9550 vs 3 MB (total) on the Core i3-4000M.

Feature	Core 2 Duo T9550	Core i3-4000M
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 4
Boost Clock	2.66 GHz+11%	2.4 GHz
Base Clock	2.66 GHz+11%	2.4 GHz
L3 Cache	6 MB L2 Cache+100%	3 MB (total)
L2 Cache	6 MB+2300%	256K (per core)
Process	45 nm	22 nm-51%
Architecture	Penryn (2008−2011)	Haswell (2013−2015)
PassMark	1,804	1,797

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 2 Duo T9550 uses the PGA478 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Core i3-4000M uses PGA946 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.