Core i7-610E vs Core 2 Duo SL9600

Core i7-610E

2 Cores4 Thrd35 WWMax: 3.2 GHz2010

Core 2 Duo SL9600

2 Cores2 Thrd6 WWMax: 2.13 GHz2009

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i7-610E

2 / 4

2,071

+0.8%

2,054

0.0%

Core 2 Duo E7600

Core i3-2370M

Pentium Dual Core T2370

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 i7-610E is positioned at rank 1125 and the Core 2 Duo SL9600 is on rank 1177, so the Core i7-610E 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 i7-610E

#1113

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

3543%

#1114

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

3492%

#1115

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

3205%

#1116

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

3191%

#1117

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

3162%

#1119

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

3053%

#1120

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

2928%

#1121

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

2923%

#1122

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

2844%

#1125

Core i7-610E

MSRP: $250|Avg: $40

100%

#1126

Core i5-5350U

MSRP: $315|Avg: N/A

99%

#1127

Pentium Dual Core T4300

MSRP: $150|Avg: $99

99%

#1128

Core i7-3520M

MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A

99%

#1129

Core i3-4100E

MSRP: $225|Avg: $30

99%

#1130

Core i3-2310E

MSRP: $225|Avg: $20

99%

#1131

Core i5-2510E

MSRP: $230|Avg: $30

99%

#1132

Core m5-6Y54

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

99%

#1133

Core i3-2330E

MSRP: $225|Avg: $10

98%

#1135

Core i5-4288U

MSRP: $342|Avg: N/A

94%

#1136

Core m3-6Y30

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

94%

#1137

Core i3-2340UE

MSRP: $200|Avg: $200

93%

#1138

Core i7-2820QM

MSRP: $568|Avg: N/A

93%

#1139

Core i5-520M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

93%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core 2 Duo SL9600

#1165

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

4514%

#1166

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

4448%

#1167

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

4083%

#1168

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

4065%

#1169

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

4027%

#1171

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

3889%

#1172

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

3729%

#1173

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

3723%

#1174

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

3623%

#1177

Core 2 Duo SL9600

MSRP: $316|Avg: N/A

100%

#1178

Athlon PRO 3045B

MSRP: $426|Avg: $180

100%

#1179

Core 2 Duo T5600

MSRP: $241|Avg: N/A

100%

#1180

Pentium N3510

MSRP: $161|Avg: $161

99%

#1181

Core i7-7Y75

MSRP: $393|Avg: $285

99%

#1183

Core i7-4500U

MSRP: $398|Avg: N/A

96%

#1185

Athlon Neo X2 L325

MSRP: $100|Avg: $5

95%

#1186

Core i3-2370M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

94%

#1187

Core i3-3217UE

MSRP: $225|Avg: $35

93%

#1188

Celeron T3000

MSRP: $150|Avg: $54

93%

#1189

Core m7-6Y75

MSRP: $393|Avg: $393

92%

#1190

Core M-5Y10

MSRP: $281|Avg: $20

90%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core i7-610E delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core 2 Duo SL9600 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.8% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core i7-610E	Core 2 Duo SL9600
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	✅ More affordable ($40)	⚠️ Higher cost ($316)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Arrandale (2010−2011) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Efficiency: Even within a comparison of older hardware, the Core i7-610E stands out as the superior choice. It is effectively 87% cheaper ($40 vs $316) while identifying as the stronger performer.

Insight	Core i7-610E	Core 2 Duo SL9600
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+697%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($40)	⚠️ Higher cost ($316)

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 i7-610E Benchmark Check

Core 2 Duo SL9600 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-610E and Core 2 Duo SL9600

Core i7-610E

The Core i7-610E is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 7 January 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Arrandale (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.53 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1288. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-800, DDR3-1066. Passmark benchmark score: 2,071 points. Launch price was $332.

Core 2 Duo SL9600

The Core 2 Duo SL9600 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 March 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.13 GHz, with boost up to 2.13 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 6 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: BGA956. Thermal design power (TDP): 17 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 2,054 points. Launch price was $316.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-610E packs 2 cores / 4 threads, matching the Core 2 Duo SL9600's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 3.2 GHz on the Core i7-610E versus 2.13 GHz on the Core 2 Duo SL9600 — a 40.2% clock advantage for the Core i7-610E (base: 2.53 GHz vs 2.13 GHz). The Core i7-610E uses the Arrandale (2010−2011) architecture (32 nm), while the Core 2 Duo SL9600 uses Penryn (2008−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-610E scores 2,071 against the Core 2 Duo SL9600's 2,054 — a 0.8% lead for the Core i7-610E. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Core i7-610E vs 6 MB L2 Cache on the Core 2 Duo SL9600.

Feature	Core i7-610E	Core 2 Duo SL9600
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	2 / 2
Boost Clock	3.2 GHz+50%	2.13 GHz
Base Clock	2.53 GHz+19%	2.13 GHz
L3 Cache	4 MB (total)	6 MB L2 Cache+50%
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	6 MB+2300%
Process	32 nm-29%	45 nm
Architecture	Arrandale (2010−2011)	Penryn (2008−2011)
PassMark	2,071	2,054

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-610E uses the BGA1288 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core 2 Duo SL9600 uses BGA956 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.