Results: Audio And Video
Single-threaded iTunes and LAME give us a closer look at per-clock performance, and it appears the Core 2 architecture requires between 17-21% (500-700 MHz) higher frequency to match Ivy Bridge. The Celeron G1610 would be roughly equivalent to a 3.16 GHz E8500. Overclocked to 4.0 GHz, Core 2 Duo should outrun any current frequency-locked Ivy Bridge-based Pentium or Celeron, at least in these audio encoders.
However, Intel’s Ivy Bridge architecture shines brighter in HandBrake and Total Code Studio video encoding. The Celeron G1610 makes quick work of a stock Core 2 Duo E8400, while the Pentium G2020 is able to trades blows with the overclocked E8400, despite an 1,100 MHz handicap.
Core i3-3225's dual-core configuration is no match for Core 2 Quad Q9550's four physical cores in HandBrake, but its logical cores and/or memory bandwidth are put to better use in Rovi TotalCode Studio.