Athlon II N370 vs Core 2 Duo P9600

Athlon II N370 vs Core 2 Duo P9600 Performance Spectrum

Athlon II N370

2 / 2

1,085

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Core 2 Duo P9600

2 / 2

1,093

+0.7%

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 N370 vs Core 2 Duo P9600 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 N370 vs Core 2 Duo P9600: 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 N370

2010

Why buy it

✅Draws 1W instead of 6W, a 5W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,085 vs 1,093).
❌Launch MSRP is still $60 MSRP, while Core 2 Duo P9600 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Core 2 Duo P9600

2009

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌500% higher power demand at 6W vs 1W.

Quick Answers

So, is Core 2 Duo P9600 better than Athlon II N370?

Yes. Core 2 Duo P9600 is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 1.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 0.7% 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 Duo P9600 is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 1.6% 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 Duo P9600 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.7% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 2 threads.

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

Core 2 Duo P9600 is still the much better call for a fresh build. Core 2 Duo P9600 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $60 MSRP, and it still gives you a 1.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Athlon II N370 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2010 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (18.1 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on S1.

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

Athlon II N370 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2010 vs 2009). That makes it the safer long-term bet.

Athlon II N370 vs Core 2 Duo P9600 Technical Specifications

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

Athlon II N370

The Athlon II N370 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 2.5 GHz. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: S1. Thermal design power (TDP): 1 MB. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,085 points. Launch price was $149.

Core 2 Duo P9600

The Core 2 Duo P9600 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): 25 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 1,093 points. Launch price was $348.

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Processing Power

Both the Athlon II N370 and Core 2 Duo P9600 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.5 GHz on the Athlon II N370 versus 2.66 GHz on the Core 2 Duo P9600 — a 6.2% clock advantage for the Core 2 Duo P9600. The Athlon II N370 uses the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Core 2 Duo P9600 uses Penryn (2008−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II N370 scores 1,085 against the Core 2 Duo P9600's 1,093 — a 0.7% lead for the Core 2 Duo P9600.

Feature	Athlon II N370	Core 2 Duo P9600
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.5 GHz	2.66 GHz+6%
Base Clock	—	2.66 GHz
L3 Cache	—	6 MB L2 Cache
L2 Cache	1 MB	6 MB+500%
Process	45 nm	45 nm
Architecture	Champlain (2010−2011)	Penryn (2008−2011)
PassMark	1,085	1,093
Geekbench 6 Single	220	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	420	—

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Memory & Platform

The Athlon II N370 uses the S1 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core 2 Duo P9600 uses PGA478 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Athlon II N370	Core 2 Duo P9600
Socket	S1	PGA478
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0+82%	PCIe 1.1
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1066	—
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 N370) / not specified (Core 2 Duo P9600). Primary use case: Athlon II N370 targets Legacy Laptop. Direct competitor: Athlon II N370 rivals Pentium P6100.