Intel Core 2 Duo T6600 vs Intel Core i5-3317U

Intel Core 2 Duo T6600

The Intel Core 2 Duo T6600 is an entry to mid-range dual core processor for laptops. It is based on the Penryn architecture, but features only 2 MB level 2 cache and a mediocre clock rate of 2.2 GHz. Compared to the similar T6670, the T6600 does not feature Virtualization features in hardware and is speced at a lower maximum temperature.

The performance should be suited for non demanding applications like office, internet, entry level video editing or image correction. CPU intense games may be limited by the power of the T6600.

Intel Core i5-3317U

The Intel Core i5-3317U is an ULV-processor for laptops based on the Ivy Bridge architecture released in Q2 2012. 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 1.7 GHz but can dynamically increase clock rates with Turbo Boost up to 2.4 GHz (for 2 active cores) and 2.6 GHz (for 1 active core). As its Sandy-Bridge-based predecessors, it offers a 3 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 i5-3317U is slightly above a similarly clocked Sandy Bridge processor due to the architectural improvements. Therefore, overall performance is similar to the former Core i7-2637M or a Core i3-2310M.

The integrated Intel HD Graphics 4000 offers 16 Execution Units (EUs) clocked at 350 MHz up to 1050 MHz with Turbo Boost, delivering a performance comparable with an AMD Radeon HD 6620G.

The ULV-CPUs are rated at a TDP of 17 W including graphics card and memory controller.  Therefore, the CPU is suited for small laptops and ultrabooks.