Core 2 Duo P8600 vs Pentium B940

Core 2 Duo P8600

2 Cores2 Thrd3 WWMax: 2.4 GHz2008

Pentium B940

2 Cores2 Thrd35 WWMax: 2 GHz2011

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core 2 Duo P8600

2 / 2

2,618

+0.3%

2,610

0.0%

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 P8600 is positioned at rank 160 and the Pentium B940 is on rank 895, so the Core 2 Duo P8600 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 P8600

#148

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

336%

#149

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

331%

#150

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

304%

#151

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

303%

#152

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

300%

#154

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

290%

#155

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

278%

#156

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

277%

#157

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

270%

#160

Core 2 Duo P8600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#173

Celeron N3060

MSRP: $107|Avg: N/A

97%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Pentium B940

#883

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

1506%

#884

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

1484%

#885

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

1362%

#886

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

1356%

#887

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

1344%

#889

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

1298%

#890

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

1244%

#891

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

1242%

#892

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

1209%

#895

Pentium B940

MSRP: $134|Avg: $11

100%

#896

Core i5-8305G

MSRP: $350|Avg: $350

100%

#897

Celeron 6305

MSRP: $107|Avg: $80

100%

#900

Core i7-8705G

MSRP: $400|Avg: $400

98%

#902

Pentium Dual Core T2410

MSRP: $100|Avg: $100

97%

#903

FX-8800P

MSRP: $150|Avg: $45

97%

#905

Core i7-8809G

MSRP: $450|Avg: $450

96%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core 2 Duo P8600 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Pentium B940 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.3% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core 2 Duo P8600	Pentium B940
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($11)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Core 2 Duo P8600	Pentium B940
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($11)

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 P8600 Benchmark Check

Pentium B940 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 2 Duo P8600 and Pentium B940

Core 2 Duo P8600

The Core 2 Duo P8600 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 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 2.4 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: 2,618 points. Launch price was $209.

Pentium B940

The Pentium B940 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 19 June 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 2 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: PGA988. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,610 points. Launch price was $134.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core 2 Duo P8600 and Pentium B940 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.4 GHz on the Core 2 Duo P8600 versus 2 GHz on the Pentium B940 — a 18.2% clock advantage for the Core 2 Duo P8600 (base: 2.4 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Core 2 Duo P8600 uses the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Pentium B940 uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Core 2 Duo P8600 scores 2,618 against the Pentium B940's 2,610 — a 0.3% lead for the Core 2 Duo P8600. L3 cache: 3 MB L2 Cache on the Core 2 Duo P8600 vs 2 MB (total) on the Pentium B940.

Feature	Core 2 Duo P8600	Pentium B940
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.4 GHz+20%	2 GHz
Base Clock	2.4 GHz+20%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	3 MB L2 Cache+50%	2 MB (total)
L2 Cache	3 MB+1100%	256K (per core)
Process	45 nm	32 nm-29%
Architecture	Penryn (2008−2011)	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
PassMark	2,618	2,610

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 2 Duo P8600 uses the PGA478 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Pentium B940 uses PGA988 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.