After much hype and anticipation, the new Intel Core 2 Duo processors are now available in stores with prices starting at $180 all through $530.

But it's not for nothing that such tremendous hype surrounded Intel's new CPUs release. As our test results will show later on, even the slowest Intel Core 2 Duo processor is significantly faster than more expensive Pentium D processors. Take the Pentium D 950 for example, this is a $250 processor whereas the newer Core 2 Duo E6300 will initially cost just $180. The question is however, which of the four Intel Core 2 Duo processors deliver the best performance vs. price ratio?

In this article we will be exploring the differences between the four Core 2 Duo processors. How much effect clock frequencies drop have on the more affordable models, and the performance impact that comes from halving the L2 Cache from 4MB to 2MB.