Pentium 997 vs Core 2 Duo T9900
Pentium 997
Core 2 Duo T9900
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 997 is positioned at rank 1104 and the Core 2 Duo T9900 is on rank 635, so the Core 2 Duo T9900 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Pentium 997
Performance Per Dollar Core 2 Duo T9900
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Pentium 997 | Core 2 Duo T9900 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($10) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Pentium 997 | Core 2 Duo T9900 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($10) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
Performance Check
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 997 and Core 2 Duo T9900
Pentium 997
The Pentium 997 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.6 GHz, with boost up to 1.6 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1023. Thermal design power (TDP): 17 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,215 points. Launch price was $134.
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.
Processing Power
Both the Pentium 997 and Core 2 Duo T9900 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.6 GHz on the Pentium 997 versus 0.07 GHz on the Core 2 Duo T9900 — a 183.2% clock advantage for the Pentium 997 (base: 1.6 GHz vs 3.06 GHz). The Pentium 997 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Core 2 Duo T9900 uses Penryn (2008−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium 997 scores 1,215 against the Core 2 Duo T9900's 1,204 — a 0.9% lead for the Pentium 997. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Pentium 997 vs 6 MB L2 Cache on the Core 2 Duo T9900.
| Feature | Pentium 997 | Core 2 Duo T9900 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 1.6 GHz+2186% | 0.07 GHz |
| Base Clock | 1.6 GHz | 3.06 GHz+91% |
| L3 Cache | 2 MB (total) | 6 MB L2 Cache+200% |
| L2 Cache | 256K (per core) | 6 MB (total)+2300% |
| Process | 32 nm-29% | 45 nm |
| Architecture | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) | Penryn (2008−2011) |
| PassMark | 1,215 | 1,204 |
Memory & Platform
The Pentium 997 uses the BGA1023 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core 2 Duo T9900 uses PGA478 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Pentium 997 | Core 2 Duo T9900 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | BGA1023 | PGA478 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0+82% | PCIe 1.1 |
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