Intel Core i5-3230M vs Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550. Specifications, performance, tests

Background information about the processors being compared, series, generation and market segment.

• Segment
  Mobile Desktop
• Family
  Intel Core i5 Intel Core2 Duo
• Generation
  3 2
• CPU group
  Intel Core i 3000M Intel Core 2 Quad Q8000/Q9000
• Predecessor
  -- No
• Successor
  -- No

Basic parameters such as number of cores, number of threads, base and turbo frequency, and cache size. These parameters indirectly tell about the speed of the processor, the higher they are the better.

• Frequency
  2.60 GHz 2.83 GHz
• CPU Cores
  2 4
• Turbo (1 Core)
  3.20 GHz No
• CPU Threads
  4 4
• Turbo (2 Cores)
  No turbo No turbo
• Hyperthreading
  Yes No
• Overclocking
  No No
• Core architecture
  normal normal

Types, channel quantity of RAM supported by Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 and Intel Core i5-3230M. Depending on the motherboards, higher or lower memory frequencies may be supported.

• Memory type
  DDR3-1600 DDR2-800 / DDR3-1066
• Max. Memory
  32 GB 16 GB
• ECC
  No No
• Memory channels
  2 2

• AES-NI
  Yes No

Compare the TDP requirements of TDP Intel Core i5-3230M and Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 to select a cooling system. Note, the TDP value refers to thermal watts, not electrical watts.

• TDP (PL1)
  35 W 95 W
• TDP up
  -- No
• TDP (PL2)
  -- No
• TDP down
  -- No
• Tjunction max.
  -- 90 °C

Architecture, interfaces, additional instructions supported by Intel Core i5-3230M and Intel Core i5-3230M, virtual machine technologies and process technology.

• Instruction set (ISA)
  x86-64 (64 bit) x86-64 (64 bit)
• Virtualization
  VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d VT-x, VT-d
• ISA extensions
  SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX MMX, SSE2, SSE3, SSE4.1
• L2-Cache
  -- 12.00 MB
• L3-Cache
  3.00 MB No
• Architecture
  Ivy Bridge H Yorkfield
• Technology
  22 nm 45 nm
• Socket
  BGA 1023 LGA 775
• Release date
  Q1/2013 Q1/2008