Pentium 2030M
VS
Core 2 Duo SU9300

Pentium 2030M vs Core 2 Duo SU9300

Intel

Pentium 2030M

2 Cores2 Thrd512 WWMax: 2.5 GHz2013
VS
Intel

Core 2 Duo SU9300

2 Cores2 Thrd3 WWMax: 1.2 GHz2008

Performance Spectrum - CPU

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 Pentium 2030M is positioned at rank 27 and the Core 2 Duo SU9300 is on rank 143, so the Pentium 2030M 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 Pentium 2030M

#15
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
168%
#16
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
166%
#17
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
152%
#18
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
151%
#19
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
150%
#21
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
145%
#22
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
139%
#23
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
139%
#24
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
135%
#27
Pentium 2030M
MSRP: $134|Avg: N/A
100%
#28
Core 2 Duo T5750
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $8
100%
#29
Core 2 Duo T7200
MSRP: $286|Avg: $6
98%
#30
Core i5-3230M
MSRP: $225|Avg: $13
98%
#31
Atom D525
MSRP: $63|Avg: N/A
98%
#32
Atom x7835RE
MSRP: $127|Avg: N/A
97%
#33
Core 2 Duo P8400
MSRP: $209|Avg: $10
95%
#38
Core 2 Duo T8100
MSRP: $209|Avg: $10
89%
#39
Atom 330
MSRP: $43|Avg: $30
88%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core 2 Duo SU9300

#36
Core i5-11500B
MSRP: $185|Avg: $185
99%
#131
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
316%
#132
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
312%
#133
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
286%
#134
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
285%
#135
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
282%
#137
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
272%
#138
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
261%
#139
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
261%
#140
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
254%
#143
Core 2 Duo SU9300
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#147
Atom N2800
MSRP: $47|Avg: $3
99%
#158
Core i5-3210M
MSRP: $225|Avg: $30
95%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Pentium 2030M delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core 2 Duo SU9300 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.3% faster) and gaming workloads.
InsightPentium 2030MCore 2 Duo SU9300
Gaming
Superior gaming performance
Lower gaming performance
Workstation
Better multi-core power
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price
⚠️ Higher cost ($134)
More affordable ($0)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

InsightPentium 2030MCore 2 Duo SU9300
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
⚠️ Higher cost ($134)
More affordable ($0)

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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium 2030M and Core 2 Duo SU9300

Intel

Pentium 2030M

The Pentium 2030M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 January 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 2.5 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: PGA988. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,396 points. Launch price was $134.

Intel

Core 2 Duo SU9300

The Core 2 Duo SU9300 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2008-01-01. It is based on the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.2 GHz, with boost up to 1.2 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 3 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: BGA956. Thermal design power (TDP): 10 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 1,392 points. Launch price was $249.

Processing Power

Both the Pentium 2030M and Core 2 Duo SU9300 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.5 GHz on the Pentium 2030M versus 1.2 GHz on the Core 2 Duo SU9300 — a 70.3% clock advantage for the Pentium 2030M (base: 2.5 GHz vs 1.2 GHz). The Pentium 2030M uses the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture (22 nm), while the Core 2 Duo SU9300 uses Penryn (2008−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium 2030M scores 1,396 against the Core 2 Duo SU9300's 1,392 — a 0.3% lead for the Pentium 2030M. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Pentium 2030M vs 3 MB L2 Cache on the Core 2 Duo SU9300.

FeaturePentium 2030MCore 2 Duo SU9300
Cores / Threads
2 / 2
2 / 2
Boost Clock
2.5 GHz+108%
1.2 GHz
Base Clock
2.5 GHz+108%
1.2 GHz
L3 Cache
2 MB (total)
3 MB L2 Cache+50%
L2 Cache
256K (per core)
3 MB+1100%
Process
22 nm-51%
45 nm
Architecture
Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)
Penryn (2008−2011)
PassMark
1,396
1,392
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium 2030M uses the PGA988 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core 2 Duo SU9300 uses BGA956 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeaturePentium 2030MCore 2 Duo SU9300
Socket
PGA988
BGA956
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0+173%
PCIe 1.1