Core 2 Duo P8400 vs Phenom II X2 N620

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core 2 Duo P8400

2 / 2

2,497

0.0%

2,503

+0.2%

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. The Core 2 Duo P8400 is positioned at rank 33 and the Phenom II X2 N620 is on rank 177, so the Core 2 Duo P8400 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 Core 2 Duo P8400

#10

Ryzen 7 260

MSRP: $199|Avg: $70

86%

#21

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

176%

#22

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

174%

#23

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

159%

#24

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

159%

#25

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

157%

#27

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

152%

#28

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

146%

#29

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

145%

#30

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

141%

#33

Core 2 Duo P8400

MSRP: $209|Avg: $10

100%

#38

Core 2 Duo T8100

MSRP: $209|Avg: $10

93%

#39

Atom 330

MSRP: $43|Avg: $30

92%

#43

Core 2 Duo SU7300

MSRP: $289|Avg: N/A

90%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Phenom II X2 N620

#49

Core i9-12900HX

MSRP: $606|Avg: N/A

99%

#165

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

352%

#166

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

347%

#167

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

318%

#168

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

317%

#169

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

314%

#171

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

303%

#172

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

291%

#173

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

290%

#174

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

282%

#177

Phenom II X2 N620

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 Phenom II X2 N620 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core 2 Duo P8400 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.2% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core 2 Duo P8400	Phenom II X2 N620
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($10)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Champlain (2010−2011) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Core 2 Duo P8400	Phenom II X2 N620
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($10)	✅ 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.

Core 2 Duo P8400 Benchmark Check

Phenom II X2 N620 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 2 Duo P8400 and Phenom II X2 N620

Core 2 Duo P8400

The Core 2 Duo P8400 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 15 July 2008 (17 years ago). It is based on the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.26 GHz, with boost up to 2.26 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 3 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: PGA478. Thermal design power (TDP): 25 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 2,497 points. Launch price was $209.

Phenom II X2 N620

The Phenom II X2 N620 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 2.8 GHz. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: S1. Thermal design power (TDP): 2 MB. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,503 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core 2 Duo P8400 and Phenom II X2 N620 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.26 GHz on the Core 2 Duo P8400 versus 2.8 GHz on the Phenom II X2 N620 — a 21.3% clock advantage for the Phenom II X2 N620. The Core 2 Duo P8400 uses the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Phenom II X2 N620 uses Champlain (2010−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Core 2 Duo P8400 scores 2,497 against the Phenom II X2 N620's 2,503 — a 0.2% lead for the Phenom II X2 N620.

Feature	Core 2 Duo P8400	Phenom II X2 N620
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.26 GHz	2.8 GHz+24%
Base Clock	2.26 GHz	—
L3 Cache	3 MB L2 Cache	—
L2 Cache	3 MB+50%	2 MB
Process	45 nm	45 nm
Architecture	Penryn (2008−2011)	Champlain (2010−2011)
PassMark	2,497	2,503

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 2 Duo P8400 uses the PGA478 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Phenom II X2 N620 uses S1 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core 2 Duo P8400	Phenom II X2 N620
Socket	PGA478	S1
PCIe Generation	PCIe 1.1	PCIe 2.0+82%
Max RAM Speed	1066	—
Max RAM Capacity	8	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	❌	—
PCIe Lanes	0	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: true (Core 2 Duo P8400) / not specified (Phenom II X2 N620). Direct competitor: Core 2 Duo P8400 rivals Turion II Ultra M600.