Core 2 Duo T5500 vs Core i3-3120M

VS

Aggregate performance score

Core i3-3120M
2012
2 cores / 4 threads, 35 Watt
1.07
+206%
Core 2 Duo T5500
2007
2 cores / 2 threads, 34 Watt
0.35

Core i3-3120M outperforms Core 2 Duo T5500 by a whopping 206% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

Primary details

Comparing Core i3-3120M and Core 2 Duo T5500 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking24263058
Place by popularitynot in top-100not in top-100
Market segmentLaptopLaptop
SeriesIntel Core i3Intel Core 2 Duo
Power efficiency2.890.97
Architecture codenameIvy Bridge (2012−2013)Merom (2006−2008)
Release date30 September 2012 (12 years ago)1 February 2007 (17 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)$160no data

Detailed specifications

Core i3-3120M and Core 2 Duo T5500 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 cores2 (Dual-core)2 (Dual-core)
Threads42
Base clock speed2.5 GHz1.66 GHz
Boost clock speed2.5 GHz1.66 GHz
Bus rate5 GT/s667 MHz
L1 cache64K (per core)64 KB
L2 cache256K (per core)2 MB
L3 cache3 MB (shared)0 KB
Chip lithography22 nm65 nm
Die size118 mm2143 mm2
Maximum core temperature90C (PGA); 105C (BGA)100 °C
Number of transistorsno data291 Million
64 bit support++
Windows 11 compatibility--
VID voltage rangeno data1.0375V-1.3V

Compatibility

Information on Core i3-3120M and Core 2 Duo T5500 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 configuration11
SocketFCBGA1023,FCPGA988PPGA478, PBGA479
Power consumption (TDP)35 Watt34 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i3-3120M and Core 2 Duo T5500. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensionsIntel® AVXno data
AVX+-
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)++
My WiFi+no data
Turbo Boost Technology--
Hyper-Threading Technology+-
Idle States+-
Thermal Monitoring+-
Flex Memory Access+no data
Demand Based Switching--
FDI+no data
Fast Memory Access+no data
FSB parityno data-

Security technologies

Core i3-3120M and Core 2 Duo T5500 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT--
EDB++
Identity Protection+-
Anti-Theft+no data

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i3-3120M and Core 2 Duo T5500 are enumerated here.

AMD-V+-
VT-d-no data
VT-x+-
EPT+no data

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i3-3120M and Core 2 Duo T5500. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory typesDDR3no data
Maximum memory size32 GBno data
Max memory channels2no data
Maximum memory bandwidth25.6 GB/sno data

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics cardIntel HD Graphics 4000no data
Quick Sync Video+-
Clear Video HD+no data
Graphics max frequency1.1 GHzno data
InTru 3D+no data

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i3-3120M and Core 2 Duo T5500 integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported3no data
eDP+no data
DisplayPort+-
HDMI+-
SDVO+no data
CRT+no data

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i3-3120M and Core 2 Duo T5500.

PCIe version2.0no data
PCI Express lanes16no data

Synthetic benchmark performance

Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.


Combined synthetic benchmark score

This is our combined benchmark performance rating. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.

i3-3120M 1.07
+206%
Core 2 Duo T5500 0.35

Passmark

Passmark CPU Mark is a widespread benchmark, consisting of 8 different types of workload, including integer and floating point math, extended instructions, compression, encryption and physics calculation. There is also one separate single-threaded scenario measuring single-core performance.

i3-3120M 1698
+203%
Core 2 Duo T5500 561

GeekBench 5 Single-Core

GeekBench 5 Single-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses only a single CPU core.

i3-3120M 399
+179%
Core 2 Duo T5500 143

GeekBench 5 Multi-Core

GeekBench 5 Multi-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses all available CPU cores.

i3-3120M 820
+229%
Core 2 Duo T5500 249

Cinebench 10 32-bit single-core

Cinebench R10 is an ancient ray tracing benchmark for processors by Maxon, authors of Cinema 4D. Its single core version uses just one CPU thread to render a futuristic looking motorcycle.

i3-3120M 3428
+107%
Core 2 Duo T5500 1660

Cinebench 10 32-bit multi-core

Cinebench Release 10 Multi Core is a variant of Cinebench R10 using all the processor threads. Possible number of threads is limited by 16 in this version.

i3-3120M 6867
+124%
Core 2 Duo T5500 3069

3DMark06 CPU

3DMark06 is a discontinued DirectX 9 benchmark suite from Futuremark. Its CPU part contains two scenarios, one dedicated to artificial intelligence pathfinding, another to game physics using PhysX package.

i3-3120M 3057
+120%
Core 2 Duo T5500 1392

Gaming performance

Pros & cons summary


Performance score 1.07 0.35
Recency 30 September 2012 1 February 2007
Threads 4 2
Chip lithography 22 nm 65 nm
Power consumption (TDP) 35 Watt 34 Watt

i3-3120M has a 205.7% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 5 years, 100% more threads, and a 195.5% more advanced lithography process.

Core 2 Duo T5500, on the other hand, has 2.9% lower power consumption.

The Core i3-3120M is our recommended choice as it beats the Core 2 Duo T5500 in performance tests.


Should you still have questions on choice between Core i3-3120M and Core 2 Duo T5500, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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Intel Core i3-3120M
Core i3-3120M
Intel Core 2 Duo T5500
Core 2 Duo T5500

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Community ratings

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Questions & comments

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