Athlon II M320 vs Core 2 Extreme QX9300

Athlon II M320 vs Core 2 Extreme QX9300 Performance Spectrum

Athlon II M320

2 / 2

1,795

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Core 2 Extreme QX9300

4 / 4

1,805

+0.6%

Pentium 2117U

Pentium N3540

Celeron 1020E

Pentium Dual Core T2370

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.

Athlon II M320 vs Core 2 Extreme QX9300 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Athlon II M320 vs Core 2 Extreme QX9300: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Athlon II M320

2009

Why buy it

✅Draws 1W instead of 12W, a 11W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,795 vs 1,805).
❌Launch MSRP is still $75 MSRP, while Core 2 Extreme QX9300 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Core 2 Extreme QX9300

2008

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌1100% higher power demand at 12W vs 1W.

Quick Answers

So, is Core 2 Extreme QX9300 better than Athlon II M320?

Yes. Core 2 Extreme QX9300 is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 0.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 0.6% better PassMark, which is enough to make it the stronger overall pick.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core 2 Extreme QX9300 is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 0.6% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core 2 Extreme QX9300 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.6% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Core 2 Extreme QX9300 is still the much better call for a fresh build. Core 2 Extreme QX9300 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $75 MSRP, and it still gives you a 0.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Athlon II M320 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2009 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (23.9 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on S1g3.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Athlon II M320 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2009 vs 2008). That makes it the safer long-term bet.

Athlon II M320 vs Core 2 Extreme QX9300 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

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.

Core 2 Extreme QX9300

The Core 2 Extreme QX9300 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2008-01-01. It is based on the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.53 GHz, with boost up to 2.53 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 12 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: PGA478. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 1,805 points. Launch price was $249.

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Processing Power

The Athlon II M320 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Core 2 Extreme QX9300 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Core 2 Extreme QX9300 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.1 GHz on the Athlon II M320 versus 2.53 GHz on the Core 2 Extreme QX9300 — a 18.6% clock advantage for the Core 2 Extreme QX9300. The Athlon II M320 uses the Caspian (2009) architecture (45 nm), while the Core 2 Extreme QX9300 uses Penryn (2008−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II M320 scores 1,795 against the Core 2 Extreme QX9300's 1,805 — a 0.6% lead for the Core 2 Extreme QX9300.

Feature	Athlon II M320	Core 2 Extreme QX9300
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	2.1 GHz	2.53 GHz+20%
Base Clock	—	2.53 GHz
L3 Cache	—	0 kB
L2 Cache	1 MB	12 MB+1100%
Process	45 nm	45 nm
Architecture	Caspian (2009)	Penryn (2008−2011)
PassMark	1,795	1,805
Geekbench 6 Single	188	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	1,955	—

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon II M320 uses the S1g3 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core 2 Extreme QX9300 uses PGA478 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Athlon II M320	Core 2 Extreme QX9300
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	No	—
PCIe Lanes	0	—

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: AMD-V (Athlon II M320) / not specified (Core 2 Extreme QX9300). Primary use case: Athlon II M320 targets Legacy Laptop. Direct competitor: Athlon II M320 rivals Core 2 Duo T6400.