Labs

To see the results table, click here.

To see the benchmarks, click here.

Despite the Pentium name, this range of processors has more in common with the Core 2 Duo 4000 series than it does with Intel's older processors. Equipped with the same Allendale core as the Core 2 Duo 4000, a Pentium Dual Core processor offers

ADVERTISEMENT

all the advantages of Core 2 Duo processors, including a shared cache and highly efficient architecture.

All Pentium Dual Core processors have a 200MHz external bus speed, which is quad-pumped to an effective 800MHz. Multipliers range from x8 to x11, with clock speeds from the slowest E2140 at 1.6GHz up to the E2200 processor at a speedy 2.2GHz.

Pentium Dual Core processors have a 1,024KB shared L2 cache. This is half that of the Core 2 Duo 4000-series processors, but twice that of the Celeron Dual Core E1200. In our tests they performed as expected, with slightly lower benchmark scores than the equivalent 4000-series processors.

If you're looking for a budget processor, a Pentium Dual Core is a great choice. The E2140 isn't worth bothering with, as the quicker E2160 is available for a similar price. It's the best of the lot with a great price-to-performance ratio. If you want something a little faster then both the E2180 and E2200 are both good choices, and a little quicker than the equivalently priced AMD Athlon X2 processors.