Core 2 Duo P9600 vs Xeon L3406

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 Xeon L3406 is on rank 969, so the Core 2 Duo P9600 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 Xeon L3406

#1

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

35586%

#6

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

6719%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

5970%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

4612%

#535

Xeon W-3245M

MSRP: $5002|Avg: $5002

98%

#536

Xeon W-3265M

MSRP: $6300|Avg: $3500

97%

#969

Xeon L3406

MSRP: $189|Avg: $30

100%

#970

Xeon E5-2687W v2

MSRP: $2112|Avg: $62

100%

#972

Xeon L5430

MSRP: $390|Avg: $380

99%

#973

Xeon E5-2470

MSRP: $1440|Avg: $125

99%

#974

Xeon E5-2670

MSRP: $1552|Avg: $60

98%

#976

Xeon X3470

MSRP: $589|Avg: $16

97%

#979

Xeon E5-2689

MSRP: $1800|Avg: $18

94%

#980

Xeon E5-2450L

MSRP: $1106|Avg: $78

94%

#981

Xeon X3480

MSRP: $612|Avg: $48

93%

#982

Xeon E5-2687W

MSRP: $1885|Avg: $70

91%

#983

Xeon E5-4610

MSRP: $1219|Avg: $50

91%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Use Case Distinction: This is a comparison between a Professional Workstation processor ($30) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon L3406 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Core 2 Duo P9600	Xeon L3406
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($30)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Legacy / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core 2 Duo P9600 ($0), however, is optimized for mixed workloads and gaming. For most users, it offers superior single-thread performance and responsiveness at a fraction of the cost ($30 less, 100% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Core 2 Duo P9600	Xeon L3406
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($30)

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

Xeon L3406 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 2 Duo P9600 and Xeon L3406

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.

Xeon L3406

The Xeon L3406 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.26 GHz, with boost up to 2.53 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB Intel® Smart Cache. Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1156. Thermal design power (TDP): 30 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-1066. Passmark benchmark score: 1,104 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core 2 Duo P9600 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, matching the Xeon L3406's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 2.66 GHz on the Core 2 Duo P9600 versus 2.53 GHz on the Xeon L3406 — a 5% clock advantage for the Core 2 Duo P9600 (base: 2.66 GHz vs 2.26 GHz). The Core 2 Duo P9600 is built on the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture. In PassMark, the Core 2 Duo P9600 scores 1,093 against the Xeon L3406's 1,104 — a 1% lead for the Xeon L3406. L3 cache: 6 MB L2 Cache on the Core 2 Duo P9600 vs 4 MB Intel® Smart Cache on the Xeon L3406.

Feature	Core 2 Duo P9600	Xeon L3406
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 4
Boost Clock	2.66 GHz+5%	2.53 GHz
Base Clock	2.66 GHz+18%	2.26 GHz
L3 Cache	6 MB L2 Cache+50%	4 MB Intel® Smart Cache
L2 Cache	6 MB	—
Process	45 nm	32 nm-29%
Architecture	Penryn (2008−2011)	—
PassMark	1,093	1,104+1%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 2 Duo P9600 uses the PGA478 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Xeon L3406 uses LGA1156 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.