
Core 2 Duo P9500 vs Athlon X4 750K

Core 2 Duo P9500

Athlon X4 750K
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.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Core 2 Duo P9500
Performance Per Dollar Athlon X4 750K
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Core 2 Duo P9500 | Athlon 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
| Insight | Core 2 Duo P9500 | Athlon X4 750K |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($17) |
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 X4 750K

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 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.
| Feature | Core 2 Duo P9500 | Athlon 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).
| Feature | Core 2 Duo P9500 | Athlon 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.
| Feature | Core 2 Duo P9500 | Athlon X4 750K |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | No |
| IGPU Model | None | — |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | VT-x | — |
| Target Use | Budget | — |
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