Core 2 Duo P8400 vs Phenom II X4 N950

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core 2 Duo P8400

2 / 2

2,497

+0.5%

2,485

0.0%

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 X4 N950 is on rank 180, 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 X4 N950

#49

Core i9-12900HX

MSRP: $606|Avg: N/A

100%

#167

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

354%

#168

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

349%

#169

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

320%

#170

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

319%

#171

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

316%

#173

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

305%

#174

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

293%

#175

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

292%

#176

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

284%

#180

Phenom II X4 N950

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#192

Pentium Gold 4417U

MSRP: $161|Avg: N/A

98%

#194

Atom N475

MSRP: $75|Avg: N/A

98%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core 2 Duo P8400 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Phenom II X4 N950 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.5% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core 2 Duo P8400	Phenom II X4 N950
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
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 X4 N950
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 X4 N950 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 2 Duo P8400 and Phenom II X4 N950

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 X4 N950

The Phenom II X4 N950 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Max frequency: 2.1 GHz. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: S1. Thermal design power (TDP): 2 MB. Passmark benchmark score: 2,485 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core 2 Duo P8400 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Phenom II X4 N950 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Phenom II X4 N950 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.26 GHz on the Core 2 Duo P8400 versus 2.1 GHz on the Phenom II X4 N950 — a 7.3% clock advantage for the Core 2 Duo P8400. The Core 2 Duo P8400 uses the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Phenom II X4 N950 uses Champlain (2010−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Core 2 Duo P8400 scores 2,497 against the Phenom II X4 N950's 2,485 — a 0.5% lead for the Core 2 Duo P8400.

Feature	Core 2 Duo P8400	Phenom II X4 N950
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	2.26 GHz+8%	2.1 GHz
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	2,485

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 2 Duo P8400 uses the PGA478 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Phenom II X4 N950 uses S1 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core 2 Duo P8400	Phenom II X4 N950
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 X4 N950). Direct competitor: Core 2 Duo P8400 rivals Turion II Ultra M600.