Core i3-330E vs Core 2 Duo U7600

Core i3-330E

2 Cores4 Thrd35 WWMax: 0.03 GHz2010

Core 2 Duo U7600

2 Cores2 Thrd2 WWMax: 1.2 GHz2006

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i3-330E

2 / 4

1,260

0.0%

1,263

+0.2%

Celeron 857

Pentium T3400

Pentium Dual-Core E2200

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 i3-330E is positioned at rank 1157 and the Core 2 Duo U7600 is on rank 1206, so the Core i3-330E 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 i3-330E

#1145

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

4121%

#1146

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

4060%

#1147

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

3728%

#1148

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

3711%

#1149

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

3677%

#1151

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

3551%

#1152

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

3404%

#1153

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

3399%

#1154

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

3308%

#1157

Core i3-330E

MSRP: $177|Avg: $89

100%

#1159

Core i7-2640M

MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A

99%

#1160

Core M-5Y71

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

99%

#1162

Core i7-2620M

MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A

98%

#1164

Celeron N3010

MSRP: $107|Avg: N/A

96%

#1165

Core i7-3537U

MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A

95%

#1166

Core M-5Y10c

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

95%

#1167

Core M-5Y31

MSRP: $281|Avg: $30

95%

#1168

Core M-5Y10a

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

95%

#1170

Celeron 1047UE

MSRP: $100|Avg: $100

95%

#1171

Core M-5Y70

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

95%

#1172

Celeron U3400

MSRP: $86|Avg: $5

94%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core 2 Duo U7600

#1194

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

5810%

#1195

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

5725%

#1196

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

5255%

#1197

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

5232%

#1198

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

5184%

#1200

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

5006%

#1201

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

4800%

#1202

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

4792%

#1203

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

4663%

#1206

Core 2 Duo U7600

MSRP: $250|Avg: $5

100%

#1207

Pentium M 735

MSRP: $294|Avg: N/A

98%

#1208

Core i7-620LM

MSRP: $300|Avg: N/A

97%

#1209

Core i7-740QM

MSRP: $378|Avg: N/A

96%

#1211

Core 2 Solo SU3300

MSRP: $262|Avg: $50

94%

#1212

Celeron 540

MSRP: $86|Avg: $5

94%

#1213

Celeron U3600

MSRP: $134|Avg: $134

92%

#1216

Core 2 Quad Q9000

MSRP: $348|Avg: $15

91%

#1217

Core i5-2537M

MSRP: $250|Avg: N/A

91%

#1218

Core i7-720QM

MSRP: $364|Avg: N/A

90%

#1219

Pentium U5400

MSRP: $289|Avg: $214

88%

#1220

Pentium T2330

MSRP: $150|Avg: $7

88%

#1221

Z-01

MSRP: $50|Avg: $10

85%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core 2 Duo U7600 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core i3-330E in both compute-intensive tasks (0.2% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core i3-330E	Core 2 Duo U7600
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($89)	✅ More affordable ($5)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Westmere (2010−2011) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Merom-2048 (2006−2008) / 65 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Efficiency: Even within a comparison of older hardware, the Core 2 Duo U7600 stands out as the superior choice. It is effectively 94% cheaper ($5 vs $89) while identifying as the stronger performer.

Insight	Core i3-330E	Core 2 Duo U7600
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+1684%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($89)	✅ More affordable ($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 i3-330E Benchmark Check

Core 2 Duo U7600 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i3-330E and Core 2 Duo U7600

Core i3-330E

The Core i3-330E is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 7 January 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Westmere (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.13 GHz, with boost up to 0.03 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1288. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-800, DDR3-1066. Passmark benchmark score: 1,260 points. Launch price was $177.

Core 2 Duo U7600

The Core 2 Duo U7600 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2008-01-01. It is based on the Merom-2048 (2006−2008) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.2 GHz, with boost up to 1.2 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: BGA479. Thermal design power (TDP): 10 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 1,263 points. Launch price was $249.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i3-330E packs 2 cores / 4 threads, matching the Core 2 Duo U7600's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 0.03 GHz on the Core i3-330E versus 1.2 GHz on the Core 2 Duo U7600 — a 190.2% clock advantage for the Core 2 Duo U7600 (base: 2.13 GHz vs 1.2 GHz). The Core i3-330E uses the Westmere (2010−2011) architecture (32 nm), while the Core 2 Duo U7600 uses Merom-2048 (2006−2008) (65 nm). In PassMark, the Core i3-330E scores 1,260 against the Core 2 Duo U7600's 1,263 — a 0.2% lead for the Core 2 Duo U7600. L3 cache: 3 MB on the Core i3-330E vs 0 kB on the Core 2 Duo U7600.

Feature	Core i3-330E	Core 2 Duo U7600
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	2 / 2
Boost Clock	0.03 GHz	1.2 GHz+3900%
Base Clock	2.13 GHz+78%	1.2 GHz
L3 Cache	3 MB	0 kB
L2 Cache	512 kB	2 MB+300%
Process	32 nm-51%	65 nm
Architecture	Westmere (2010−2011)	Merom-2048 (2006−2008)
PassMark	1,260	1,263

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i3-330E uses the BGA1288 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core 2 Duo U7600 uses BGA479 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i3-330E	Core 2 Duo U7600
Socket	BGA1288	BGA479
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0+82%	PCIe 1.1

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i3-330E launched at $177 MSRP, while the Core 2 Duo U7600 debuted at $250. At current prices ($89 vs $5), the Core 2 Duo U7600 is $84 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i3-330E delivers 14.2 pts/$ vs 252.6 pts/$ for the Core 2 Duo U7600 — making the Core 2 Duo U7600 the 178.8% better value option.