Intel Core 2 Duo T9900 vs Intel Core i7-3540M vs Intel Core 2 Duo P9500
Intel Core 2 Duo T9900
► remove from comparisonThe Intel Core 2 Duo T9900 is the theoretical successor of the Core 2 Extreme X9100 (which also clocks at 3.06 GHz) that uses less power due to the modern stepping and the Enhanced Halt State (C1E). The only advantage of the X9100 is the free multiplikator (which allows easy overclocking of the CPU).
The T9900 is a fast dual core CPU for laptops which features 6 MB of shared level 2 cache and a TDP of 35 Watt. Due to the high clock speed, modern games (in 2009) should not be limited by the CPU speed. For single threaded applications it is one of the fastest CPUs for laptops (only beaten by the new Core i7 with enabled Turbo mode).
The T9900 uses a Penryn (Montevina Update) core that features 2 integer units, 1 floating point unit, 1 load unit, and 1 store unit in a 14-stages long pipeline. Due to the Wide Dynamic Execution Technology, the core is able to simultaneously execute up to four instructions.
The integrated Enhanced Speedstep is able to downclock the core dynamically as low as 800 MHz to save power (in idle mode).
The Core 2 Duo T9900 can be used in a Socket P socket with 479 pins: Socket P / Micro Flip-Chip Pin Grid Array (Micro-FCPGA) requires 479-pin surface mount Zero Insertion Force (ZIF) socket (mPGA479M socket) or Micro Flip-Chip Ball Grid Array (Micro-FCBGA) for surface mount (479-ball).
Intel Core i7-3540M
► remove from comparisonThe Intel Core i7-3540M is the fastest dual-core processor for laptops based on the Ivy Bridge architecture at the time of introduction in Q1 2013. Due to Hyperthreading, the two cores can handle up to four threads in parallel leading to better utilization of the CPU. Each core offers a base speed of 3.0 GHz but can dynamically increase clock rates with Turbo Boost up to 3.5 GHz (for 2 active cores) and 3.7 GHz (for 1 active core). As its Sandy-Bridge-based predecessor Core i7-2640M, it offers a 4 MB L3-Cache.
Ivy Bridge is an enhanced die shrink of the Sandy Bridge architecture with improvements on both GPU and CPU performance. The CPUs are produced in 22nm (versus 32nm Sandy Bridge CPUs) and are the first to introduce 3D transistors for increased energy efficiency when compared to similarly clocked Sandy Bridge processors. Other new features are integrated PCI Express 3.0 and DDR3(L)-1600 support.
The performance of the Core i7-3540M is slightly above a similarly clocked Sandy Bridge processor due to the architectural improvements. As a result, overall performance is about 5 - 10 % above the old i7-2640M.
The integrated Intel HD Graphics 4000 offers 16 Execution Units (EUs) clocked at 650 MHz up to 1300 MHz with Turbo Boost, making it one of the fastest variants.
Just like most other Ivy Bridge dual-cores, the i7-3540M is rated at a TDP of 35 W. Therefore, even smaller laptops can use the Core i7.
Intel Core 2 Duo P9500
► remove from comparisonThe Intel Core 2 Duo P9500 was a upper middle class dual core CPU for laptops, at the time of introduction. It is similar to the Core 2 Duo T9400 except for the lower TDP of 25 versus 35 Watt).
Due to the relatively high clock speed and 6MB Level 2 cache, the P9500 offers enough performance for most demanding games (in 2009) and applications.
The P9500 uses a Penryn (Montevina Update) core that features 2 integer units, 1 floating point unit, 1 load unit, and 1 store unit in a 14-stages long pipeline. Due to the Wide Dynamic Execution Technology, the core is able to simultaneously execute up to four instructions.
The integrated Enhanced Speedstep is able to downclock the core dynamically to save power (in idle mode).
Model | Intel Core 2 Duo T9900 | Intel Core i7-3540M | Intel Core 2 Duo P9500 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Series | Intel Core 2 Duo | Intel Core i7 | Intel Core 2 Duo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Codename | Penryn | Ivy Bridge | Penryn | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Series: Core 2 Duo Penryn |
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Clock | 3060 MHz | 3000 - 3700 MHz | 2530 MHz | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
FSB | 1066 | 1066 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
L1 Cache | 128 KB | 128 KB | 128 KB | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
L2 Cache | 6 MB | 512 KB | 6 MB | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 2 / 4 | 2 / 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
TDP | 35 Watt | 35 Watt | 25 Watt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Transistors | 410 Million | 410 Million | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Technology | 45 nm, 1.05-1.2125 V | 22 nm | 45 nm | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Die Size | 107 mm2 | 107 mm2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
max. Temp. | 105 °C | 105 °C | 105 °C | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Socket | Socket P (BGA479, PGA478) | BGA1023, PGA988 | BGA479, PGA478 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Features | SSE4.1, Virtualization Technology, Execute Disable Bit, Enhanced Speedstep, Ehnaced Halt State (C1E), 64 Bit, Trusted Execution Technology | HD Graphics 4000 (650 - 1300 MHz), DDR3-1600 Memory Controller, HyperThreading, AVX, Quick Sync, Virtualization | Virtualization Technology (VT-x), Trusted Execution, Intel 64, Enhanced Speedstep, Execute Disable Bit | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Architecture | x86 | x86 | x86 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
$530 U.S. | $348 U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Announced | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Manufacturer | ark.intel.com | ark.intel.com | ark.intel.com | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
L3 Cache | 4 MB | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
iGPU | Intel HD Graphics 4000 (650 - 1300 MHz) |