Core 2 Duo T9900 vs Pentium N3540

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 Pentium N3540 is on rank 1149, 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 Pentium N3540

#1137

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

3912%

#1138

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

3855%

#1139

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

3539%

#1140

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

3523%

#1141

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

3490%

#1143

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

3371%

#1144

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

3232%

#1145

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

3227%

#1146

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

3140%

#1149

Pentium N3540

MSRP: $161|Avg: $161

100%

#1150

Core i7-3555LE

MSRP: $300|Avg: $280

99%

#1151

Core i3-2377M

MSRP: $250|Avg: N/A

99%

#1152

Core 2 Duo E8435

MSRP: $150|Avg: $74

98%

#1153

Celeron M 723

MSRP: $161|Avg: $161

98%

#1154

Core i7-3517UE

MSRP: $330|Avg: $35

96%

#1155

Core M-5Y51

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

96%

#1156

Pentium N3530

MSRP: $161|Avg: $20

96%

#1157

Core i3-330E

MSRP: $177|Avg: $89

95%

#1159

Core i7-2640M

MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A

94%

#1160

Core M-5Y71

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

94%

#1162

Core i7-2620M

MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A

93%

#1164

Celeron N3010

MSRP: $107|Avg: N/A

92%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Pentium N3540 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core 2 Duo T9900 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.2% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core 2 Duo T9900	Pentium N3540
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($161)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Core 2 Duo T9900	Pentium N3540
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($161)

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

Pentium N3540 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 2 Duo T9900 and Pentium N3540

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.

Pentium N3540

The Pentium N3540 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 22 May 2014 (11 years ago). It is based on the Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.16 GHz, with boost up to 2.66 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1170. Thermal design power (TDP): 7.5 Watt. Memory support: DDR3L-1333. Passmark benchmark score: 1,207 points. Launch price was $251.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core 2 Duo T9900 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Pentium N3540 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Pentium N3540 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 0.07 GHz on the Core 2 Duo T9900 versus 2.66 GHz on the Pentium N3540 — a 189.7% clock advantage for the Pentium N3540 (base: 3.06 GHz vs 2.16 GHz). The Core 2 Duo T9900 uses the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Pentium N3540 uses Bay Trail-M (2013−2014) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core 2 Duo T9900 scores 1,204 against the Pentium N3540's 1,207 — a 0.2% lead for the Pentium N3540. L3 cache: 6 MB L2 Cache on the Core 2 Duo T9900 vs 2 MB L2 Cache on the Pentium N3540.

Feature	Core 2 Duo T9900	Pentium N3540
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	0.07 GHz	2.66 GHz+3700%
Base Clock	3.06 GHz+42%	2.16 GHz
L3 Cache	6 MB L2 Cache+200%	2 MB L2 Cache
L2 Cache	6 MB (total)+200%	2 MB
Process	45 nm	22 nm-51%
Architecture	Penryn (2008−2011)	Bay Trail-M (2013−2014)
PassMark	1,204	1,207

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 2 Duo T9900 uses the PGA478 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Pentium N3540 uses FCBGA1170 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.