Athlon II X4 600e
VS
Core 2 Duo T9550

Athlon II X4 600e vs Core 2 Duo T9550

AMD

Athlon II X4 600e

4 Cores4 Thrd45 WWMax: 2.2 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 X4 600e is positioned at rank 842 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 X4 600e

#1
Ryzen 9 7950X
MSRP: $194|Avg: $20
17366%
#2
Core i9-10900T
MSRP: $120|Avg: $5
16409%
#3
Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE
MSRP: $423|Avg: $5
11914%
#4
Ryzen Threadripper 3960X
MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85
3589%
#5
Ryzen 9 9950X
MSRP: $649|Avg: $129
2843%
#6
Ryzen 5 8400F
MSRP: $303|Avg: $55
2487%
#7
Ryzen 7 PRO 2700
MSRP: $299|Avg: $60
1425%
#8
Ryzen 5 2600X
MSRP: $229|Avg: $55
1406%
#9
Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G
MSRP: $150|Avg: $60
1280%
#10
Core Ultra 5 245KF
MSRP: $294|Avg: $189
1280%
#11
Ryzen 5 5500
MSRP: $159|Avg: $85
1266%
#12
Ryzen 5 3600
MSRP: $199|Avg: $80
1232%
#13
Core i3-9100E
MSRP: $202|Avg: $30
1214%
#14
Core Ultra 5 245K
MSRP: $319|Avg: $200
1209%
#15
Core i3-8300T
MSRP: $138|Avg: $25
1198%
#842
Athlon II X4 600e
MSRP: $100|Avg: $20
100%
#843
Core i7-4785T
MSRP: $306|Avg: $32
100%
#844
Core i5-6442EQ
MSRP: $250|Avg: $250
100%
#845
Core i5-4690S
MSRP: $306|Avg: $189
100%
#846
Core i3-3250
MSRP: $138|Avg: $40
99%
#847
Core i3-3240
MSRP: $132|Avg: $15
99%
#848
Pentium G640T
MSRP: $64|Avg: $69
99%
#849
Core i7-5930K
MSRP: $583|Avg: $410
99%
#851
Core i3-3240T
MSRP: $117|Avg: $8
99%
#852
Athlon II X2 240
MSRP: $60|Avg: $10
98%
#854
Core i5-2500S
MSRP: $192|Avg: $61
98%
#855
Athlon X2 BE-2400
MSRP: $60|Avg: $5
97%
#857
Core i3-2102
MSRP: $117|Avg: $15
97%
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 X4 600e in both compute-intensive tasks (0.5% faster) and gaming workloads.
InsightAthlon II X4 600eCore 2 Duo T9550
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
⚠️ Higher cost ($20)
More affordable ($0)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Propus (2009−2011) / 45 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

InsightAthlon II X4 600eCore 2 Duo T9550
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
⚠️ Higher cost ($20)
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 X4 600e and Core 2 Duo T9550

AMD

Athlon II X4 600e

The Athlon II X4 600e is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 20 October 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Propus (2009−2011) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 2.2 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,795 points. Launch price was $130.

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

The Athlon II X4 600e packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Core 2 Duo T9550 offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the Athlon II X4 600e has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.2 GHz on the Athlon II X4 600e versus 2.66 GHz on the Core 2 Duo T9550 — a 18.9% clock advantage for the Core 2 Duo T9550 (base: 2.2 GHz vs 2.66 GHz). The Athlon II X4 600e uses the Propus (2009−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Core 2 Duo T9550 uses Penryn (2008−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II X4 600e scores 1,795 against the Core 2 Duo T9550's 1,804 — a 0.5% lead for the Core 2 Duo T9550. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Athlon II X4 600e vs 6 MB L2 Cache on the Core 2 Duo T9550.

FeatureAthlon II X4 600eCore 2 Duo T9550
Cores / Threads
4 / 4+100%
2 / 2
Boost Clock
2.2 GHz
2.66 GHz+21%
Base Clock
2.2 GHz
2.66 GHz+21%
L3 Cache
0 kB
6 MB L2 Cache
L2 Cache
512 kB (per core)
6 MB+1100%
Process
45 nm
45 nm
Architecture
Propus (2009−2011)
Penryn (2008−2011)
PassMark
1,795
1,804
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Athlon II X4 600e uses the AM3 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core 2 Duo T9550 uses PGA478 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureAthlon II X4 600eCore 2 Duo T9550
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
16
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: AMD-V (Athlon II X4 600e) / not specified (Core 2 Duo T9550).

FeatureAthlon II X4 600eCore 2 Duo T9550
Integrated GPU
No
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
AMD-V