Core 2 Duo P8700 vs Phenom II X2 X640 BE

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core 2 Duo P8700

2 / 2

2,805

0.0%

2,839

+1.2%

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 P8700 is positioned at rank 140 and the Phenom II X2 X640 BE is on rank 136, so the Phenom II X2 X640 BE 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 P8700

#36

Core i5-11500B

MSRP: $185|Avg: $185

99%

#128

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

314%

#129

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

309%

#130

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

284%

#131

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

283%

#132

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

280%

#134

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

270%

#135

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

259%

#136

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

259%

#137

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

252%

#140

Core 2 Duo P8700

MSRP: $241|Avg: $85

100%

#147

Atom N2800

MSRP: $47|Avg: $3

98%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Phenom II X2 X640 BE

#36

Core i5-11500B

MSRP: $185|Avg: $185

98%

#124

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

310%

#125

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

306%

#126

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

280%

#127

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

279%

#128

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

277%

#130

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

267%

#131

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

256%

#132

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

256%

#133

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

249%

#136

Phenom II X2 X640 BE

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#137

N200

MSRP: $193|Avg: N/A

100%

#138

Core 2 Duo SP9600

MSRP: $316|Avg: N/A

100%

#140

Core 2 Duo P8700

MSRP: $241|Avg: $85

99%

#147

Atom N2800

MSRP: $47|Avg: $3

97%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Phenom II X2 X640 BE delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core 2 Duo P8700 in both compute-intensive tasks (1.2% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core 2 Duo P8700	Phenom II X2 X640 BE
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($85)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Champlain (2010−2011) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Core 2 Duo P8700	Phenom II X2 X640 BE
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($85)	✅ 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 P8700 Benchmark Check

Phenom II X2 X640 BE Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 2 Duo P8700 and Phenom II X2 X640 BE

Core 2 Duo P8700

The Core 2 Duo P8700 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 2.53 GHz, with boost up to 2.53 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: 2,805 points. Launch price was $209.

Phenom II X2 X640 BE

The Phenom II X2 X640 BE 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: 3.2 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: 2,839 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core 2 Duo P8700 and Phenom II X2 X640 BE share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.53 GHz on the Core 2 Duo P8700 versus 3.2 GHz on the Phenom II X2 X640 BE — a 23.4% clock advantage for the Phenom II X2 X640 BE. The Core 2 Duo P8700 uses the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Phenom II X2 X640 BE uses Champlain (2010−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Core 2 Duo P8700 scores 2,805 against the Phenom II X2 X640 BE's 2,839 — a 1.2% lead for the Phenom II X2 X640 BE.

Feature	Core 2 Duo P8700	Phenom II X2 X640 BE
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.53 GHz	3.2 GHz+26%
Base Clock	2.53 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	2,805	2,839+1%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 2 Duo P8700 uses the PGA478 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Phenom II X2 X640 BE uses S1 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core 2 Duo P8700	Phenom II X2 X640 BE
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 P8700) / not specified (Phenom II X2 X640 BE). Direct competitor: Core 2 Duo P8700 rivals Turion II Ultra M600.