DivX 6.1

Because the DivX 6.1 codec runs faster on multi-core systems, the Core Duo T2500 blows everything else away. Even compared to the fastest running Pentium M (780) it still shows a performance advantage of a good 25 percent.
Adobe Photoshop CS 2

The dual core system is clearly faster than a single core system from the second Centrino generation (Pentium M 760) running at the same clock speed. Compared to the faster Pentium M 780, however, it shows no speed advantage. This is presumably because only three of the seven filters in the Intel-developed test scripts were optimized for multi-threading. In other words, when compared to the Pentium M 780, the Core Duo barely pulls ahead when running only those three filters optimized for multi-threading. When the tables are turned, and both machines run only the four filters that aren't optimized, the higher core clock rate for the Pentium M 780 lets it cross the finish line first.
AVG Anti-Virus 7.1

This application is obviously not optimized for multi-core processing. Even the Pentium M 760, which runs as the same speed as the Core Duo T2500, beats the dual core processor on this test.
ABBYY FineReader Pro 8.0

This next result is puzzling. ABBYY FineReader definitely belongs to the class of applications optimized for dual core CPUs, as results from our recent Pentium D Review clearly illustrate. That said, we monitored core loads while running this application on the Core Duo T2500 with Task Manager, and were astonished to see that FineReader used one core exclusively and left the other idle.
- Is Faster Notebook Performance Worth Shorter Battery Life?
- Yonah: Pentium M Successor With Two Cores
- ..., Faster Front Side Bus (FSB),
- ...and Other Important Enhancements
- Dynamic Power Coordination
- Dynamic Power Coordination, Continued
- Digital Media Boost
- I've Got A Core Duo Processor LV L2400. What Have You Got?
- Models And Pricing For Core Duo And Core Solo CPUs
- Overview Of All Centrino Generations
- New Chipsets And Two Different Southbridges
- Test System Configuration Details And Comparison Systems
- Benchmarks And Settings
- Extended Benchmark Suite
- ABBYY FineReader 8
- Application Test Results
- Windows Media Encoder 9
- Results From The Multitasking Scenarios
- Office Applications: SYSmark 2004 SE
- SYSmark 2004 SE, Continued
- Battery Life: MobileMark 2005
- MobileMark 2005, Continued
- Energy Drain: Graphics Chip Or Chipset?
- Summary And Conclusions
- Summary And Conclusions, Continued