Athlon II M320
VS
Core 2 Duo T9550

Athlon II M320 vs Core 2 Duo T9550

AMD

Athlon II M320

2 Cores2 Thrd1 WWMax: 2.1 GHz2009
VS
Intel

Core 2 Duo T9550

2 Cores2 Thrd6 WWMax: 2.66 GHz2009

Performance Spectrum - CPU

About PassMark

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Athlon II M320 is positioned at rank 809 and the Core 2 Duo T9550 is on rank 342, so the Core 2 Duo T9550 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Athlon II M320

#797
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
1226%
#798
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
1208%
#799
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
1109%
#800
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
1104%
#801
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
1094%
#803
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
1056%
#804
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
1013%
#805
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
1011%
#806
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
984%
#809
Athlon II M320
MSRP: $75|Avg: $15
100%
#810
Celeron B800
MSRP: $80|Avg: $5
100%
#811
Celeron B710
MSRP: $86|Avg: $10
100%
#813
Athlon II Neo K345
MSRP: $50|Avg: $10
100%
#818
Core i7-8709G
MSRP: $338|Avg: $150
98%
#819
Celeron M 560
MSRP: $86|Avg: $10
98%
#824
Celeron Dual-Core T3000
MSRP: $80|Avg: $15
94%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core 2 Duo T9550

#101
Core i5-1350P
MSRP: $320|Avg: $250
98%
#102
Core i3-1220P
MSRP: $250|Avg: $150
96%
#330
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
488%
#331
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
481%
#332
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
441%
#333
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
439%
#334
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
435%
#336
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
420%
#337
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
403%
#338
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
402%
#339
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
392%
#342
Core 2 Duo T9550
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core 2 Duo T9550 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Athlon II M320 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.5% faster) and gaming workloads.
InsightAthlon II M320Core 2 Duo T9550
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
⚠️ Higher cost ($15)
More affordable ($0)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Caspian (2009) / 45 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

InsightAthlon II M320Core 2 Duo T9550
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
⚠️ Higher cost ($15)
More affordable ($0)

Performance Check

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Athlon II M320 and Core 2 Duo T9550

AMD

Athlon II M320

The Athlon II M320 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Caspian (2009) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 2.1 GHz. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: S1g3. Thermal design power (TDP): 1 MB. Memory support: DDR2. Passmark benchmark score: 1,795 points. Launch price was $149.

Intel

Core 2 Duo T9550

The Core 2 Duo T9550 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 January 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.66 GHz, with boost up to 2.66 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 6 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: PGA478. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 1,804 points. Launch price was $316.

Processing Power

Both the Athlon II M320 and Core 2 Duo T9550 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.1 GHz on the Athlon II M320 versus 2.66 GHz on the Core 2 Duo T9550 — a 23.5% clock advantage for the Core 2 Duo T9550. The Athlon II M320 uses the Caspian (2009) architecture (45 nm), while the Core 2 Duo T9550 uses Penryn (2008−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II M320 scores 1,795 against the Core 2 Duo T9550's 1,804 — a 0.5% lead for the Core 2 Duo T9550.

FeatureAthlon II M320Core 2 Duo T9550
Cores / Threads
2 / 2
2 / 2
Boost Clock
2.1 GHz
2.66 GHz+27%
Base Clock
2.66 GHz
L3 Cache
6 MB L2 Cache
L2 Cache
1 MB
6 MB+500%
Process
45 nm
45 nm
Architecture
Caspian (2009)
Penryn (2008−2011)
PassMark
1,795
1,804
Geekbench 6 Single
188
Geekbench 6 Multi
1,955
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Athlon II M320 uses the S1g3 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core 2 Duo T9550 uses PGA478 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureAthlon II M320Core 2 Duo T9550
Socket
S1g3
PGA478
PCIe Generation
PCIe 2.0+82%
PCIe 1.1
Max RAM Speed
DDR2-800
Max RAM Capacity
8 GB
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
0
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: AMD-V (Athlon II M320) / not specified (Core 2 Duo T9550). Primary use case: Athlon II M320 targets Legacy Laptop. Direct competitor: Athlon II M320 rivals Core 2 Duo T6400.

FeatureAthlon II M320Core 2 Duo T9550
Integrated GPU
No
IGPU Model
None
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
AMD-V
Target Use
Legacy Laptop