Core 2 Duo E8235 vs Athlon II X2 215

CPU

GPU

Core 2 Duo E8235

2 Cores2 Thrd44 WWMax: 2.8 GHz2009

Athlon II X2 215

2 Cores2 Thrd65 WWMax: 2.7 GHz2009

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core 2 Duo E8235

2 / 2

1,020

+0.9%

1,011

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

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.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Athlon II X2 215

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

13872%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

13108%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

9518%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

2867%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

2271%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

1987%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

1138%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

1123%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

1023%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

1023%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

1011%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

984%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

970%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

966%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

957%

#288

Ryzen Threadripper 1950

MSRP: $999|Avg: $300

98%

#392

Celeron G4920

MSRP: $52|Avg: $115

99%

#739

Athlon II X2 215

MSRP: $45|Avg: $10

100%

#740

Core i7-4790S

MSRP: $312|Avg: $60

99%

#741

Pentium G2020T

MSRP: $64|Avg: $69

99%

#742

FX-6100

MSRP: $165|Avg: $25

99%

#743

Core i7-4771

MSRP: $320|Avg: $78

99%

#746

Core i7-4770S

MSRP: $305|Avg: $35

98%

#747

Core i5-6400T

MSRP: $192|Avg: $40

98%

#749

Core i5-3570K

MSRP: $225|Avg: $35

98%

#750

Athlon II X3 455

MSRP: $88|Avg: $15

98%

#751

Core i5-3570S

MSRP: $213|Avg: $59

98%

#752

Core i7-3770

MSRP: $294|Avg: $60

97%

#753

Pentium G2120

MSRP: $86|Avg: $20

97%

#754

Core i5-3340S

MSRP: $182|Avg: $25

97%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core 2 Duo E8235 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Athlon II X2 215 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.9% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core 2 Duo E8235	Athlon II X2 215
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($20)	✅ More affordable ($10)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Regor (2009−2013) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Value Proposition: While both processors are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Athlon II X2 215 holds the technical lead in efficiency. Priced at $10 (vs $20), it costs 50% less. While offering basic entry-level performance, it results in a 98% higher cost efficiency score compared to the Core 2 Duo E8235.

Insight	Core 2 Duo E8235	Athlon II X2 215
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+98%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($20)	✅ More affordable ($10)

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.

Core 2 Duo E8235 Benchmark Check

Athlon II X2 215 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 2 Duo E8235 and Athlon II X2 215

Core 2 Duo E8235

The Core 2 Duo E8235 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2008-01-01. 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. L2 cache: 6 MB (total). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: P. Thermal design power (TDP): 44 Watt. Memory support: DDR2, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,020 points. Launch price was $249.

Athlon II X2 215

The Athlon II X2 215 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 20 October 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Regor (2009−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 2.7 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,011 points. Launch price was $45.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core 2 Duo E8235 and Athlon II X2 215 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.8 GHz on the Core 2 Duo E8235 versus 2.7 GHz on the Athlon II X2 215 — a 3.6% clock advantage for the Core 2 Duo E8235 (base: 2.8 GHz vs 2.7 GHz). The Core 2 Duo E8235 uses the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Athlon II X2 215 uses Regor (2009−2013) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Core 2 Duo E8235 scores 1,020 against the Athlon II X2 215's 1,011 — a 0.9% lead for the Core 2 Duo E8235.

Feature	Core 2 Duo E8235	Athlon II X2 215
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.8 GHz+4%	2.7 GHz
Base Clock	2.8 GHz+4%	2.7 GHz
L3 Cache	—	0 kB
L2 Cache	6 MB (total)+1100%	512 kB
Process	45 nm	45 nm
Architecture	Penryn (2008−2011)	Regor (2009−2013)
PassMark	1,020	1,011
Geekbench 6 Single	—	274
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	674

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 2 Duo E8235 uses the P socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Athlon II X2 215 uses AM3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core 2 Duo E8235	Athlon II X2 215
Socket	P	AM3
PCIe Generation	PCIe 1.1	PCIe 2.0+82%
Max RAM Speed	—	1333
Max RAM Capacity	—	16
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	0

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core 2 Duo E8235) / true (Athlon II X2 215). Primary use case: Athlon II X2 215 targets Budget. Direct competitor: Athlon II X2 215 rivals Pentium E5400.

Feature	Core 2 Duo E8235	Athlon II X2 215
Integrated GPU	—	No
IGPU Model	—	None
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	true
Target Use	—	Budget

💰

Value Analysis

The Core 2 Duo E8235 launched at $0 MSRP, while the Athlon II X2 215 debuted at $45. At current prices ($20 vs $10), the Athlon II X2 215 is $10 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core 2 Duo E8235 delivers 51.0 pts/$ vs 101.1 pts/$ for the Athlon II X2 215 — making the Athlon II X2 215 the 65.9% better value option.