Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 vs Intel Core i3-530

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Core 2 Duo E6600 compared with Core i3-530

	IntelCore 2 Duo E6600	IntelCore i3-530
Overview
Released
Released	July 2006	January 2010
Cores and clocks
Cores
Cores	2	2
Threads
Threads	2	4 (better)
Base clock
Base clock	2.4 GHz	2.93 GHz
L3 cache
L3 cache	–	4 MB
Cores
Cores	Conroe; two cores and two threads, without Hyper-Threading.	Two cores and four threads with Hyper-Threading. Multiplier unlock status is omitted because the bounded exact source pass did not establish it.
Clocks
Clocks	Published operating frequency 2.40 GHz; 1066 MHz front-side bus. Intel unveiled the family on 27 July 2006 and said complete Core 2 Duo desktop systems would arrive in early August. TechSpot’s 2 August review says boxed CPUs began shipping late the previous week, supporting July CPU availability without an exact sale day. No unpublished boost figure is supplied.	2.93 GHz base; no Turbo Boost, explicitly listed as not applicable in Intel’s 7 January 2010 launch table. The same release states that the new family is immediately available and names this model.
Cache
Cache	4 MB shared L2 cache, as Intel’s datasheet states; no L3 figure supplied.	4 MB shared L3 cache.
Graphics and AI
Built-in graphics
Built-in graphics	No	Yes
Graphics
Graphics	No integrated graphics, explicitly confirmed by the exact-model CPU-Monkey specification entry. Chipset graphics are separate from the processor.	Intel HD Graphics at 733 MHz in Intel’s exact-model original launch table, also corroborated by bit-tech and the exact retail listing. The later Intel Core i3 comparison chart prints 773 MHz, conflicting with those sources.
Platform
Socket
Socket	LGA775	LGA1156
Base power
Base power	65 W	73 W
Cooler in the box
Cooler in the box	Yes	Yes
Memory support
Memory support	Intel’s datasheet routes memory and I/O transactions through the front-side bus and chipset; memory types and capacity depend on the motherboard.	Two channels of DDR3-1066/1333 in Intel’s exact-model comparison chart.
PCIe
PCIe	–	16 PCIe 2.0 lanes, as described in bit-tech’s exact review.
Chipsets
Chipsets	–	H55, H57 or Q57 provides display outputs for integrated graphics; compatible P55 boards can use a discrete graphics card, subject to BIOS support (bit-tech).
Process
Process	65 nm; Conroe; LGA775.	32 nm CPU and separate 45 nm graphics die, as described by bit-tech’s exact review.
Cooler
Cooler	Intel’s boxed-processor specification confirms an unattached fan heatsink. Published processor TDP is 65 W.	Retail boxed heatsink and fan confirmed by the exact Newegg listing and Phoronix’s exact-model retail sample inspection.