Core 2 Duo P9500 vs Athlon II X4 620e
Core 2 Duo P9500
Athlon II X4 620e
Performance Spectrum - CPU
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 P9500 is positioned at rank 354 and the Athlon II X4 620e is on rank 605, so the Core 2 Duo P9500 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Core 2 Duo P9500
Performance Per Dollar Athlon II X4 620e
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Core 2 Duo P9500 | Athlon II X4 620e |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($40) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Propus (2009−2011) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Core 2 Duo P9500 | Athlon II X4 620e |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($40) |
Performance Check
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.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Core 2 Duo P9500 and Athlon II X4 620e
Core 2 Duo P9500
The Core 2 Duo P9500 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 2.53 GHz, with boost up to 2.53 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 6 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: PGA478. Thermal design power (TDP): 25 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 2,901 points. Launch price was $348.
Athlon II X4 620e
The Athlon II X4 620e is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Propus (2009−2011) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 2.6 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,906 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
The Core 2 Duo P9500 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Athlon II X4 620e offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Athlon II X4 620e has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.53 GHz on the Core 2 Duo P9500 versus 2.6 GHz on the Athlon II X4 620e — a 2.7% clock advantage for the Athlon II X4 620e (base: 2.53 GHz vs 2.6 GHz). The Core 2 Duo P9500 uses the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Athlon II X4 620e uses Propus (2009−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Core 2 Duo P9500 scores 2,901 against the Athlon II X4 620e's 2,906 — a 0.2% lead for the Athlon II X4 620e. L3 cache: 6 MB L2 Cache on the Core 2 Duo P9500 vs 0 kB on the Athlon II X4 620e.
| Feature | Core 2 Duo P9500 | Athlon II X4 620e |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 4 / 4+100% |
| Boost Clock | 2.53 GHz | 2.6 GHz+3% |
| Base Clock | 2.53 GHz | 2.6 GHz+3% |
| L3 Cache | 6 MB L2 Cache | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 6 MB+1100% | 512 kB (per core) |
| Process | 45 nm | 45 nm |
| Architecture | Penryn (2008−2011) | Propus (2009−2011) |
| PassMark | 2,901 | 2,906 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 340 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 650 | — |
Memory & Platform
The Core 2 Duo P9500 uses the PGA478 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Athlon II X4 620e uses AM3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR3-1066 memory speed. The Athlon II X4 620e supports up to 32 GB of RAM compared to 8 GB — 120% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Chipset compatibility: PM45,GM45 (Core 2 Duo P9500) and AMD AM3 (Athlon II X4 620e).
| Feature | Core 2 Duo P9500 | Athlon II X4 620e |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | PGA478 | AM3 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 1.1 | PCIe 2.0+82% |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3-1066 | DDR3-1333 |
| Max RAM Capacity | 8 GB | 32 GB+300% |
| RAM Channels | 2 | 2 |
| ECC Support | ❌ | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 0 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: VT-x (Core 2 Duo P9500) / not specified (Athlon II X4 620e). Primary use case: Core 2 Duo P9500 targets Budget. Direct competitor: Core 2 Duo P9500 rivals Athlon II X2 245e.
| Feature | Core 2 Duo P9500 | Athlon II X4 620e |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | No |
| IGPU Model | None | — |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | VT-x | — |
| Target Use | Budget | — |
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