Athlon II Neo K325
VS
Core 2 Extreme X9000

Athlon II Neo K325 vs Core 2 Extreme X9000

AMD

Athlon II Neo K325

2 Cores2 Thrd1 WWMax: 1.3 GHz2010
VS
Intel

Core 2 Extreme X9000

2 Cores2 Thrd6 WWMax: 2.8 GHz2008

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 Neo K325 is positioned at rank 912 and the Core 2 Extreme X9000 is on rank 915, so the Athlon II Neo K325 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 Neo K325

#900
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
1584%
#901
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
1561%
#902
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
1433%
#903
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
1427%
#904
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
1413%
#906
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
1365%
#907
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
1309%
#908
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
1307%
#909
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
1272%
#912
Athlon II Neo K325
MSRP: $60|Avg: $25
100%
#919
Core i5-8365UE
MSRP: $297|Avg: $297
99%
#921
A6 Pro-7050B
MSRP: $100|Avg: $15
98%
#923
Athlon II N370
MSRP: $60|Avg: $10
98%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core 2 Extreme X9000

#903
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
1589%
#904
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
1565%
#905
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
1437%
#906
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
1430%
#907
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
1417%
#909
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
1369%
#910
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
1312%
#911
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
1310%
#912
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
1275%
#915
Core 2 Extreme X9000
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#919
Core i5-8365UE
MSRP: $297|Avg: $297
99%
#921
A6 Pro-7050B
MSRP: $100|Avg: $15
99%
#923
Athlon II N370
MSRP: $60|Avg: $10
98%
#928
A8-6410
MSRP: $100|Avg: $40
96%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Core 2 Extreme X9000 leads in gaming performance. However, the Athlon II Neo K325 is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.3% greater multi-core processing power.
InsightAthlon II Neo K325Core 2 Extreme X9000
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Better multi-core power
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price
⚠️ Higher cost ($25)
More affordable ($0)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Geneva (2010) / 45 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

InsightAthlon II Neo K325Core 2 Extreme X9000
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
⚠️ Higher cost ($25)
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 Neo K325 and Core 2 Extreme X9000

AMD

Athlon II Neo K325

The Athlon II Neo K325 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Geneva (2010) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 1.3 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: 1,111 points. Launch price was $149.

Intel

Core 2 Extreme X9000

The Core 2 Extreme X9000 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 10 January 2008 (17 years ago). It is based on the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 2.8 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 6 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: PGA478. Thermal design power (TDP): 44 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 1,108 points. Launch price was $851.

Processing Power

Both the Athlon II Neo K325 and Core 2 Extreme X9000 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.3 GHz on the Athlon II Neo K325 versus 2.8 GHz on the Core 2 Extreme X9000 — a 73.2% clock advantage for the Core 2 Extreme X9000. The Athlon II Neo K325 uses the Geneva (2010) architecture (45 nm), while the Core 2 Extreme X9000 uses Penryn (2008−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II Neo K325 scores 1,111 against the Core 2 Extreme X9000's 1,108 — a 0.3% lead for the Athlon II Neo K325.

FeatureAthlon II Neo K325Core 2 Extreme X9000
Cores / Threads
2 / 2
2 / 2
Boost Clock
1.3 GHz
2.8 GHz+115%
Base Clock
2.8 GHz
L3 Cache
6 MB L2 Cache
L2 Cache
1 MB
6 MB+500%
Process
45 nm
45 nm
Architecture
Geneva (2010)
Penryn (2008−2011)
PassMark
1,111
1,108
Geekbench 6 Single
736
Geekbench 6 Multi
1,235
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Athlon II Neo K325 uses the S1 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core 2 Extreme X9000 uses PGA478 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureAthlon II Neo K325Core 2 Extreme X9000
Socket
S1
PGA478
PCIe Generation
PCIe 2.0+82%
PCIe 1.1
Max RAM Speed
DDR3-800
Max RAM Capacity
8 GB
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
0
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: AMD-V (Athlon II Neo K325) / not specified (Core 2 Extreme X9000). Primary use case: Athlon II Neo K325 targets Low Power.

FeatureAthlon II Neo K325Core 2 Extreme X9000
Integrated GPU
No
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
AMD-V
Target Use
Low Power