Core 2 Duo P9500
VS
Athlon X4 750K

Core 2 Duo P9500 vs Athlon X4 750K

Intel

Core 2 Duo P9500

2 Cores2 Thrd6 WWMax: 2.53 GHz2008
VS
AMD

Athlon X4 750K

4 Cores4 Thrd100 WWMax: 4 GHz2012

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 X4 750K is on rank 576, so the Core 2 Duo P9500 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 P9500

#102
Core i3-1220P
MSRP: $250|Avg: $150
100%
#107
Core Ultra 5 228V
MSRP: $295|Avg: $295
99%
#111
Ryzen 5 PRO 5675U
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $180
98%
#342
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
506%
#343
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
498%
#344
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
457%
#345
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
455%
#346
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
451%
#348
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
436%
#349
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
418%
#350
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
417%
#351
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
406%
#354
Core 2 Duo P9500
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Athlon X4 750K

#1
Ryzen 9 7950X
MSRP: $194|Avg: $20
9852%
#2
Core i9-10900T
MSRP: $120|Avg: $5
9309%
#3
Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE
MSRP: $423|Avg: $5
6759%
#4
Ryzen Threadripper 3960X
MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85
2036%
#5
Ryzen 9 9950X
MSRP: $649|Avg: $129
1613%
#6
Ryzen 5 8400F
MSRP: $303|Avg: $55
1411%
#7
Ryzen 7 PRO 2700
MSRP: $299|Avg: $60
808%
#8
Ryzen 5 2600X
MSRP: $229|Avg: $55
798%
#9
Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G
MSRP: $150|Avg: $60
726%
#10
Core Ultra 5 245KF
MSRP: $294|Avg: $189
726%
#11
Ryzen 5 5500
MSRP: $159|Avg: $85
718%
#12
Ryzen 5 3600
MSRP: $199|Avg: $80
699%
#13
Core i3-9100E
MSRP: $202|Avg: $30
689%
#14
Core Ultra 5 245K
MSRP: $319|Avg: $200
686%
#15
Core i3-8300T
MSRP: $138|Avg: $25
680%
#278
Ryzen Threadripper 1900X
MSRP: $549|Avg: $116
97%
#576
Athlon X4 750K
MSRP: $91|Avg: $17
100%
#577
Core i7-7700K
MSRP: $305|Avg: $140
100%
#578
Core i5-7600K
MSRP: $217|Avg: $84
99%
#579
FX-6300
MSRP: $132|Avg: $35
99%
#581
Core i3-6100T
MSRP: $117|Avg: $20
98%
#582
Athlon X4 970
MSRP: $85|Avg: $85
98%
#583
FX-8370
MSRP: $199|Avg: $100
98%
#584
Pentium G4520
MSRP: $86|Avg: $45
98%
#585
Core i3-4170
MSRP: $117|Avg: $40
98%
#586
Celeron G460
MSRP: $37|Avg: $10
98%
#587
A4 PRO-7350B
MSRP: $50|Avg: $11
98%
#589
Pentium G3220T
MSRP: $54|Avg: $15
97%
#590
Celeron G1620
MSRP: $52|Avg: $40
96%
#591
Core i5-7600T
MSRP: $192|Avg: $60
96%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Athlon X4 750K leads in gaming performance. However, the Core 2 Duo P9500 is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.8% greater multi-core processing power.
InsightCore 2 Duo P9500Athlon X4 750K
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Better multi-core power
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($17)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Trinity (2012−2013) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

InsightCore 2 Duo P9500Athlon X4 750K
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($17)

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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 2 Duo P9500 and Athlon X4 750K

Intel

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.

AMD

Athlon X4 750K

The Athlon X4 750K is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Trinity (2012−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L2 cache: 4 MB (total). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: FM2. Thermal design power (TDP): 100 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-1866. Passmark benchmark score: 2,879 points. Launch price was $149.

Processing Power

The Core 2 Duo P9500 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Athlon X4 750K offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Athlon X4 750K has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.53 GHz on the Core 2 Duo P9500 versus 4 GHz on the Athlon X4 750K — a 45% clock advantage for the Athlon X4 750K (base: 2.53 GHz vs 3.4 GHz). The Core 2 Duo P9500 uses the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Athlon X4 750K uses Trinity (2012−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Core 2 Duo P9500 scores 2,901 against the Athlon X4 750K's 2,879 — a 0.8% lead for the Core 2 Duo P9500.

FeatureCore 2 Duo P9500Athlon X4 750K
Cores / Threads
2 / 2
4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock
2.53 GHz
4 GHz+58%
Base Clock
2.53 GHz
3.4 GHz+34%
L3 Cache
6 MB L2 Cache
L2 Cache
6 MB+50%
4 MB (total)
Process
45 nm
32 nm-29%
Architecture
Penryn (2008−2011)
Trinity (2012−2013)
PassMark
2,901
2,879
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 X4 750K uses FM2 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR3-1066 memory speed. The Athlon X4 750K supports up to 64 GB of RAM compared to 8 GB 155.6% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Chipset compatibility: PM45,GM45 (Core 2 Duo P9500) and AMD FM2 (Athlon X4 750K).

FeatureCore 2 Duo P9500Athlon X4 750K
Socket
PGA478
FM2
PCIe Generation
PCIe 1.1
PCIe 2.0+82%
Max RAM Speed
DDR3-1066
DDR3-1866
Max RAM Capacity
8 GB
64 GB+700%
RAM Channels
2
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
16
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x (Core 2 Duo P9500) / not specified (Athlon X4 750K). Primary use case: Core 2 Duo P9500 targets Budget. Direct competitor: Core 2 Duo P9500 rivals Athlon II X2 245e.

FeatureCore 2 Duo P9500Athlon X4 750K
Integrated GPU
No
No
IGPU Model
None
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
VT-x
Target Use
Budget