Core 2 Quad Q9550s vs Core i5-3230M
Primary details
Comparing Core i5-3230M and Core 2 Quad Q9550s processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 2103 | not rated |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Market segment | Laptop | Desktop processor |
| Series | Intel Core i5 | no data |
| Power efficiency | 4.35 | no data |
| Architecture codename | Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) | Yorkfield (2007−2009) |
| Release date | 1 January 2013 (11 years ago) | 27 January 2009 (15 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $225 | no data |
Detailed specifications
Core i5-3230M and Core 2 Quad Q9550s 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) | 4 (Quad-Core) |
| Threads | 4 | 4 |
| Base clock speed | 2.6 GHz | 2.83 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 3.2 GHz | 0.83 GHz |
| Bus rate | 5 GT/s | 1333 MHz |
| L1 cache | 64K (per core) | 64 KB (per core) |
| L2 cache | 256K (per core) | 12 MB (shared) |
| L3 cache | 3 MB (shared) | 0 KB |
| Chip lithography | 22 nm | 45 nm |
| Die size | 118 mm2 | 2x 107 mm2 |
| Maximum core temperature | 105 °C | no data |
| Maximum case temperature (TCase) | no data | 76 °C |
| Number of transistors | no data | 820 million |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | - |
| VID voltage range | no data | 0.85V-1.3625V |
Compatibility
Information on Core i5-3230M and Core 2 Quad Q9550s 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 | 1 | 1 |
| Socket | FCPGA988 | LGA775 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 35 Watt | 65 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i5-3230M and Core 2 Quad Q9550s. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| Instruction set extensions | Intel® AVX | no data |
| AES-NI | + | - |
| AVX | + | - |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | + |
| My WiFi | + | no data |
| Turbo Boost Technology | 2.0 | - |
| Hyper-Threading Technology | + | - |
| Idle States | + | + |
| Thermal Monitoring | + | + |
| Flex Memory Access | + | no data |
| Demand Based Switching | - | - |
| FDI | + | no data |
| Fast Memory Access | + | no data |
| FSB parity | no data | + |
Security technologies
Core i5-3230M and Core 2 Quad Q9550s technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | - | + |
| EDB | + | + |
| Secure Key | + | no data |
| Identity Protection | + | - |
| Anti-Theft | + | no data |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i5-3230M and Core 2 Quad Q9550s are enumerated here.
| AMD-V | + | - |
| VT-d | + | + |
| VT-x | + | + |
| EPT | + | no data |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i5-3230M and Core 2 Quad Q9550s. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | DDR3 | DDR1, DDR2, DDR3 |
| Maximum memory size | 32 GB | no data |
| Max memory channels | 2 | no data |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | 25.6 GB/s | no data |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | Intel HD Graphics 4000 | On certain motherboards (Chipset feature) |
| Quick Sync Video | + | - |
| Clear Video HD | + | no data |
| Graphics max frequency | 1.1 GHz | no data |
| InTru 3D | + | no data |
Graphics interfaces
Available interfaces and connections of Core i5-3230M and Core 2 Quad Q9550s integrated GPUs.
| Number of displays supported | 3 | no data |
| eDP | + | no data |
| DisplayPort | + | - |
| HDMI | + | - |
| SDVO | + | no data |
| CRT | + | no data |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i5-3230M and Core 2 Quad Q9550s.
| PCIe version | 3.0 | 2.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | 16 | no data |
Pros & cons summary
| Recency | 1 January 2013 | 27 January 2009 |
| Physical cores | 2 | 4 |
| Chip lithography | 22 nm | 45 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 35 Watt | 65 Watt |
i5-3230M has an age advantage of 3 years, a 104.5% more advanced lithography process, and 85.7% lower power consumption.
Core 2 Quad Q9550s, on the other hand, has 100% more physical cores.
We couldn't decide between Core i5-3230M and Core 2 Quad Q9550s. We've got no test results to judge.
Be aware that Core i5-3230M is a notebook processor while Core 2 Quad Q9550s is a desktop one.
Should you still have questions on choice between Core i5-3230M and Core 2 Quad Q9550s, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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