Celeron 2980U vs Core 2 Duo P9600
Celeron 2980U
Core 2 Duo P9600
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 Celeron 2980U is positioned at rank 392 and the Core 2 Duo P9600 is on rank 609, so the Celeron 2980U offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Celeron 2980U
Performance Per Dollar Core 2 Duo P9600
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Celeron 2980U | Core 2 Duo P9600 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Celeron 2980U | Core 2 Duo P9600 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
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 Celeron 2980U and Core 2 Duo P9600
Celeron 2980U
The Celeron 2980U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.6 GHz, with boost up to 1.6 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1168. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,092 points. Launch price was $69.
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.
Processing Power
Both the Celeron 2980U and Core 2 Duo P9600 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.6 GHz on the Celeron 2980U versus 2.66 GHz on the Core 2 Duo P9600 — a 49.8% clock advantage for the Core 2 Duo P9600 (base: 1.6 GHz vs 2.66 GHz). The Celeron 2980U uses the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Core 2 Duo P9600 uses Penryn (2008−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Celeron 2980U scores 1,092 against the Core 2 Duo P9600's 1,093 — a 0.1% lead for the Core 2 Duo P9600. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Celeron 2980U vs 6 MB L2 Cache on the Core 2 Duo P9600.
| Feature | Celeron 2980U | Core 2 Duo P9600 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 1.6 GHz | 2.66 GHz+66% |
| Base Clock | 1.6 GHz | 2.66 GHz+66% |
| L3 Cache | 2 MB (total) | 6 MB L2 Cache+200% |
| L2 Cache | 256K (per core) | 6 MB+2300% |
| Process | 22 nm-51% | 45 nm |
| Architecture | Haswell (2013−2015) | Penryn (2008−2011) |
| PassMark | 1,092 | 1,093 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 354 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 694 | — |
Memory & Platform
The Celeron 2980U uses the FCBGA1168 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core 2 Duo P9600 uses PGA478 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Celeron 2980U | Core 2 Duo P9600 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | FCBGA1168 | PGA478 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0+173% | PCIe 1.1 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3L-1600 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 16 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | ❌ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 12 | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: VT-x (Celeron 2980U) / not specified (Core 2 Duo P9600). The Celeron 2980U includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics (Haswell)), while the Core 2 Duo P9600 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Celeron 2980U targets Low Power. Direct competitor: Celeron 2980U rivals AMD A4-5000.
| Feature | Celeron 2980U | Core 2 Duo P9600 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | — |
| IGPU Model | Intel HD Graphics (Haswell) | — |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | VT-x | — |
| Target Use | Low Power | — |
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