Athlon II X2 250e vs Core 2 Duo T9900
Athlon II X2 250e
Core 2 Duo T9900
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 X2 250e is positioned at rank 889 and the Core 2 Duo T9900 is on rank 635, so the Core 2 Duo T9900 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Athlon II X2 250e
Performance Per Dollar Core 2 Duo T9900
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon II X2 250e | Core 2 Duo T9900 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Regor (2009−2013) / 45 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon II X2 250e | Core 2 Duo T9900 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
Performance Check
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 X2 250e and Core 2 Duo T9900
Athlon II X2 250e
The Athlon II X2 250e is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 21 September 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Regor (2009−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,202 points. Launch price was $77.
Core 2 Duo T9900
The Core 2 Duo T9900 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 June 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3.06 GHz, with boost up to 0.07 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 6 MB (total). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: PGA478. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR2, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,204 points. Launch price was $530.
Processing Power
Both the Athlon II X2 250e and Core 2 Duo T9900 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3 GHz on the Athlon II X2 250e versus 0.07 GHz on the Core 2 Duo T9900 — a 190.9% clock advantage for the Athlon II X2 250e (base: 3 GHz vs 3.06 GHz). The Athlon II X2 250e uses the Regor (2009−2013) architecture (45 nm), while the Core 2 Duo T9900 uses Penryn (2008−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II X2 250e scores 1,202 against the Core 2 Duo T9900's 1,204 — a 0.2% lead for the Core 2 Duo T9900. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Athlon II X2 250e vs 6 MB L2 Cache on the Core 2 Duo T9900.
| Feature | Athlon II X2 250e | Core 2 Duo T9900 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 3 GHz+4186% | 0.07 GHz |
| Base Clock | 3 GHz | 3.06 GHz+2% |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | 6 MB L2 Cache |
| L2 Cache | 1 MB | 6 MB (total)+500% |
| Process | 45 nm | 45 nm |
| Architecture | Regor (2009−2013) | Penryn (2008−2011) |
| PassMark | 1,202 | 1,204 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 250 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 470 | — |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon II X2 250e uses the AM3 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core 2 Duo T9900 uses PGA478 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Athlon II X2 250e | Core 2 Duo T9900 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | AM3 | PGA478 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0+82% | PCIe 1.1 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3-1333 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 16 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | ✅ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 0 | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: AMD-V (Athlon II X2 250e) / not specified (Core 2 Duo T9900). Primary use case: Athlon II X2 250e targets Energy Efficient Legacy Desktop. Direct competitor: Athlon II X2 250e rivals Pentium E5700.
| Feature | Athlon II X2 250e | Core 2 Duo T9900 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | — |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | AMD-V | — |
| Target Use | Energy Efficient Legacy Desktop | — |
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