The Pentium (formerly known as the Pentium Dual-Core) and the dual-core processors under the Intel Core 2 brand (named the "Core 2 Duo") are two series of personal computer processors from Intel Corporation. Although similar in that they are dual-core (two-processor unit) chips, the Core 2 brand is ranked at a higher level than the Pentium.
Clock Speed
The clock speed--that is the rate at which the processor completes its main functions--of the Intel Pentium chips ranges from 1.6 gigahertz (GHz) to 3.06 GHz. The clock speed range of the Core 2 Duo chips is higher: at 1.8 GHz to 3.33 GHz.
Bus Speed
The bus speed--this is the rate of data transfer between the processor and the computer's motherboard--is rated at 800 megahertz (MHz) or 1,066 MHz for the Intel Pentium. The Core 2 Duo has some chips in its line-up that are faster, at 1,333 MHz.
Technologies
Each Intel Pentium and Core 2 Duo chip has a 64-bit instruction set and has Execute Disable Bit, a security-based feature to reduce malicious-code attacks and viruses. However, Core 2 Duo processors additionally have the Intel Trusted Execution Technology, which furthers the chip's security measures such as protection of data and protection against software-based attacks.
Tags: Intel Pentium, Pentium Core, Core brand, Intel Pentium Core