Core i3-550 vs Core 2 Duo SU9600
Primary details
Comparing Core 2 Duo SU9600 and Core i3-550 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | not rated | 2445 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | no data | 0.06 |
| Market segment | Laptop | Desktop processor |
| Series | Intel Core 2 Duo | no data |
| Power efficiency | no data | 1.32 |
| Architecture codename | Penryn (2008−2011) | Clarkdale (2010−2011) |
| Release date | 1 April 2009 (15 years ago) | 30 May 2010 (14 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $289 | $101 |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance per price, higher is better.
Detailed specifications
Core 2 Duo SU9600 and Core i3-550 basic parameters such as number of cores, number of threads, base frequency and turbo boost clock, lithography, cache size and multiplier lock state. These parameters indirectly say of CPU speed, though for more precise assessment you have to consider their test results.
| Physical cores | 2 (Dual-core) | 2 (Dual-core) |
| Threads | 2 | 4 |
| Base clock speed | 1.6 GHz | 3.2 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 1.6 GHz | 3.2 GHz |
| Bus rate | 800 MHz | 2.5 GT/s |
| L1 cache | 128 KB | 64 KB (per core) |
| L2 cache | 3 MB | 256 KB (per core) |
| L3 cache | 3 MB L2 Cache | 4 MB (shared) |
| Chip lithography | 45 nm | 32 nm |
| Die size | 107 mm2 | 81 mm2 |
| Maximum core temperature | 105 °C | 73 °C |
| Number of transistors | 410 Million | 382 million |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | - |
| VID voltage range | 1.05V-1.15V | no data |
Compatibility
Information on Core 2 Duo SU9600 and Core i3-550 compatibility with other computer components: motherboard (look for socket type), power supply unit (look for power consumption) etc. Useful when planning a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. Note that power consumption of some processors can well exceed their nominal TDP, even without overclocking. Some can even double their declared thermals given that the motherboard allows to tune the CPU power parameters.
| Number of CPUs in a configuration | no data | 1 |
| Socket | BGA956 | FCLGA1156 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 10 Watt | 73 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core 2 Duo SU9600 and Core i3-550. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| Instruction set extensions | no data | Intel® SSE4.2 |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | + |
| Turbo Boost Technology | - | - |
| Hyper-Threading Technology | - | + |
| Idle States | no data | + |
| Demand Based Switching | - | - |
| PAE | no data | 36 Bit |
| FDI | no data | + |
| FSB parity | - | no data |
Security technologies
Core 2 Duo SU9600 and Core i3-550 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | + | - |
| EDB | + | + |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core 2 Duo SU9600 and Core i3-550 are enumerated here.
| VT-x | + | + |
| EPT | no data | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core 2 Duo SU9600 and Core i3-550. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | no data | DDR3 |
| Maximum memory size | no data | 16.38 GB |
| Max memory channels | no data | 2 |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | no data | 21 GB/s |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | no data | Intel® HD Graphics for Previous Generation Intel® Processors |
| Clear Video HD | no data | + |
Graphics interfaces
Available interfaces and connections of Core 2 Duo SU9600 and Core i3-550 integrated GPUs.
| Number of displays supported | no data | 2 |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core 2 Duo SU9600 and Core i3-550.
| PCIe version | no data | 2.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | no data | 16 |
Pros & cons summary
| Recency | 1 April 2009 | 30 May 2010 |
| Threads | 2 | 4 |
| Chip lithography | 45 nm | 32 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 10 Watt | 73 Watt |
Core 2 Duo SU9600 has 630% lower power consumption.
i3-550, on the other hand, has an age advantage of 1 year, 100% more threads, and a 40.6% more advanced lithography process.
We couldn't decide between Core 2 Duo SU9600 and Core i3-550. We've got no test results to judge.
Be aware that Core 2 Duo SU9600 is a notebook processor while Core i3-550 is a desktop one.
Should you still have questions on choice between Core 2 Duo SU9600 and Core i3-550, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
Similar processor comparisons
We picked several similar comparisons of processors in the same market segment and performance relatively close to those reviewed on this page.
