Core i5-750 vs Core 2 Duo T7700

The Core i5-750 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Core 2 Duo T7700 offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the Core i5-750 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.2 GHz on the Core i5-750 versus 2.4 GHz on the Core 2 Duo T7700 — a 28.6% clock advantage for the Core i5-750 (base: 2.66 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Core i5-750 uses the Lynnfield (2009−2010) architecture (45 nm), while the Core 2 Duo T7700 uses Merom (2006−2008) (65 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-750 scores 2,546 against the Core 2 Duo T7700's 2,554 — a 0.3% lead for the Core 2 Duo T7700. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 424 vs 254, a 50.1% lead for the Core i5-750 that directly translates to higher frame rates. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Core i5-750 vs 0 kB on the Core 2 Duo T7700.

The Core i5-750 uses the LGA1156 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core 2 Duo T7700 uses PGA478 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR3-1333 on the Core i5-750 versus DDR2-667 on the Core 2 Duo T7700 — the Core i5-750 supports 40% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i5-750 supports up to 16 GB of RAM compared to 4 GB — 120% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 16 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: P55,H55,H57,Q57 (Core i5-750) and GL960,GME965,GM965,PM965 (Core 2 Duo T7700).

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-750) vs VT-x (Core 2 Duo T7700). Primary use case: Core i5-750 targets Legacy Desktop, Core 2 Duo T7700 targets Budget. Direct competitor: Core i5-750 rivals Phenom II X4 965; Core 2 Duo T7700 rivals Athlon 64 X2 5000+.