Core 2 Duo P9600 vs Celeron 2980U

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 P9600 is positioned at rank 609 and the Celeron 2980U is on rank 392, so the Celeron 2980U 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 P9600

#185

Ryzen 7 5825C

MSRP: $400|Avg: $400

100%

#597

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

805%

#598

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

794%

#599

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

729%

#600

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

725%

#601

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

719%

#603

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

694%

#604

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

665%

#605

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

664%

#606

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

646%

#609

Core 2 Duo P9600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#622

Athlon II P320

MSRP: $50|Avg: $15

98%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Celeron 2980U

#119

Ryzen 7 PRO 250

MSRP: $400|Avg: $380

100%

#120

Core i7-11850HE

MSRP: $400|Avg: $75

98%

#380

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

537%

#381

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

529%

#382

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

486%

#383

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

484%

#384

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

479%

#386

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

463%

#387

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

444%

#388

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

443%

#389

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

431%

#392

Celeron 2980U

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core 2 Duo P9600 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Celeron 2980U in both compute-intensive tasks (0.1% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core 2 Duo P9600	Celeron 2980U
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Core 2 Duo P9600	Celeron 2980U
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing

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 P9600 Benchmark Check

Celeron 2980U Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 2 Duo P9600 and Celeron 2980U

Core 2 Duo P9600

The Core 2 Duo P9600 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 2.66 GHz, with boost up to 2.66 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: 1,093 points. Launch price was $348.

Celeron 2980U

The Celeron 2980U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.6 GHz, with boost up to 1.6 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1168. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,092 points. Launch price was $69.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core 2 Duo P9600 and Celeron 2980U share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.66 GHz on the Core 2 Duo P9600 versus 1.6 GHz on the Celeron 2980U — a 49.8% clock advantage for the Core 2 Duo P9600 (base: 2.66 GHz vs 1.6 GHz). The Core 2 Duo P9600 uses the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Celeron 2980U uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core 2 Duo P9600 scores 1,093 against the Celeron 2980U's 1,092 — a 0.1% lead for the Core 2 Duo P9600. L3 cache: 6 MB L2 Cache on the Core 2 Duo P9600 vs 2 MB (total) on the Celeron 2980U.

Feature	Core 2 Duo P9600	Celeron 2980U
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.66 GHz+66%	1.6 GHz
Base Clock	2.66 GHz+66%	1.6 GHz
L3 Cache	6 MB L2 Cache+200%	2 MB (total)
L2 Cache	6 MB+2300%	256K (per core)
Process	45 nm	22 nm-51%
Architecture	Penryn (2008−2011)	Haswell (2013−2015)
PassMark	1,093	1,092
Geekbench 6 Single	—	354
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	694

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 2 Duo P9600 uses the PGA478 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Celeron 2980U uses FCBGA1168 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core 2 Duo P9600	Celeron 2980U
Socket	PGA478	FCBGA1168
PCIe Generation	PCIe 1.1	PCIe 3.0+173%
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR3L-1600
Max RAM Capacity	—	16 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	12

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core 2 Duo P9600) / VT-x (Celeron 2980U). The Celeron 2980U includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics (Haswell)), while the Core 2 Duo P9600 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Celeron 2980U targets Low Power. Direct competitor: Celeron 2980U rivals AMD A4-5000.