Core 2 Duo T9900 vs Celeron M U3400

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 T9900 is positioned at rank 635 and the Celeron M U3400 is on rank 998, so the Core 2 Duo T9900 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 T9900

#187

Core Ultra 9 288V

MSRP: $600|Avg: $600

98%

#188

Core i7-10870H

MSRP: $417|Avg: N/A

98%

#623

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

853%

#624

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

840%

#625

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

772%

#626

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

768%

#627

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

761%

#629

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

735%

#630

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

705%

#631

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

703%

#632

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

685%

#635

Core 2 Duo T9900

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#638

Celeron Dual-Core T1400

MSRP: $80|Avg: $10

99%

#650

Core i5-1345UE

MSRP: $312|Avg: $312

96%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Celeron M U3400

#986

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

2094%

#987

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

2064%

#988

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

1894%

#989

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

1886%

#990

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

1869%

#992

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

1804%

#993

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

1730%

#994

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

1727%

#995

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

1681%

#998

Celeron M U3400

MSRP: $86|Avg: $5

100%

#999

3015Ce

MSRP: $150|Avg: $40

100%

#1000

Core i7-4700MQ

MSRP: $383|Avg: $50

100%

#1001

Athlon II M340

MSRP: $80|Avg: $15

100%

#1005

Pentium P6000

MSRP: $150|Avg: $90

98%

#1007

Core i7-3630QM

MSRP: $378|Avg: N/A

97%

#1008

Core i7-3610QM

MSRP: $378|Avg: N/A

97%

#1009

Core i3-1115GRE

MSRP: $338|Avg: $480

97%

#1010

Pentium A1020

MSRP: $86|Avg: $86

97%

#1011

Core i7-4702MQ

MSRP: $383|Avg: $50

97%

#1012

Pentium N4200

MSRP: $161|Avg: $30.89

96%

#1013

Pentium J2900

MSRP: $94|Avg: $20

95%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Celeron M U3400 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core 2 Duo T9900 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.1% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core 2 Duo T9900	Celeron M U3400
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($5)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Arrandale (2010−2011) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Core 2 Duo T9900	Celeron M U3400
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($5)

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 T9900 Benchmark Check

Celeron M U3400 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 2 Duo T9900 and Celeron M U3400

Core 2 Duo T9900

The Core 2 Duo T9900 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 June 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3.06 GHz, with boost up to 0.07 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 6 MB (total). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: PGA478. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR2, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,204 points. Launch price was $530.

Celeron M U3400

The Celeron M U3400 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Arrandale (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 1.06 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1288. Thermal design power (TDP): 512 kB + 2 MB. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,205 points. Launch price was $69.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core 2 Duo T9900 and Celeron M U3400 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 0.07 GHz on the Core 2 Duo T9900 versus 1.06 GHz on the Celeron M U3400 — a 175.2% clock advantage for the Celeron M U3400. The Core 2 Duo T9900 uses the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Celeron M U3400 uses Arrandale (2010−2011) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Core 2 Duo T9900 scores 1,204 against the Celeron M U3400's 1,205 — a 0.1% lead for the Celeron M U3400. L3 cache: 6 MB L2 Cache on the Core 2 Duo T9900 vs 2 MB on the Celeron M U3400.

Feature	Core 2 Duo T9900	Celeron M U3400
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	0.07 GHz	1.06 GHz+1414%
Base Clock	3.06 GHz	—
L3 Cache	6 MB L2 Cache+200%	2 MB
L2 Cache	6 MB (total)+1100%	512 kB
Process	45 nm	32 nm-29%
Architecture	Penryn (2008−2011)	Arrandale (2010−2011)
PassMark	1,204	1,205

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 2 Duo T9900 uses the PGA478 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Celeron M U3400 uses BGA1288 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.