Core 2 Duo SL9600 vs Turion II P520

Core 2 Duo SL9600 vs Turion II P520 Performance Spectrum

Core 2 Duo SL9600

2 / 2

2,054

+0.3%

Core 2 Duo E7600

Core i3-2370M

Pentium Dual Core T2370

2,047

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

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.

Core 2 Duo SL9600 vs Turion II P520 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Core 2 Duo SL9600 vs Turion II P520: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Core 2 Duo SL9600

2009

Why buy it

✅+0.3% higher PassMark.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Turion II P520 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $316 MSRP, while Turion II P520 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌200% higher power demand at 6W vs 2W.

Turion II P520

2010

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 2W instead of 6W, a 4W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (2,047 vs 2,054).

Quick Answers

So, is Turion II P520 better than Core 2 Duo SL9600?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Turion II P520 is ahead with a 3.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core 2 Duo SL9600 pulls ahead with 0.3% better PassMark.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core 2 Duo SL9600 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.3% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 2 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Turion II P520 is the easy recommendation for a fresh desktop build. Turion II P520 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $316 MSRP, and it still gives you a 3.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core 2 Duo SL9600 only looks good on raw value math because it is a cheap legacy laptop chip, not because it is a real desktop gaming recommendation. It simply does not keep up in modern games, especially when the gap is already 3.3% in the shared gaming data.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Turion II P520 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2010 vs 2009). That makes it the safer long-term bet.

Core 2 Duo SL9600 vs Turion II P520 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Core 2 Duo SL9600

The Core 2 Duo SL9600 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 March 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.13 GHz, with boost up to 2.13 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 6 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: BGA956. Thermal design power (TDP): 17 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 2,054 points. Launch price was $316.

Turion II P520

The Turion II P520 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 2.3 GHz. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: S1g4. Thermal design power (TDP): 2 MB. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,047 points. Launch price was $69.

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Processing Power

Both the Core 2 Duo SL9600 and Turion II P520 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.13 GHz on the Core 2 Duo SL9600 versus 2.3 GHz on the Turion II P520 — a 7.7% clock advantage for the Turion II P520. The Core 2 Duo SL9600 uses the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Turion II P520 uses Champlain (2010−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Core 2 Duo SL9600 scores 2,054 against the Turion II P520's 2,047 — a 0.3% lead for the Core 2 Duo SL9600.

Feature	Core 2 Duo SL9600	Turion II P520
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.13 GHz	2.3 GHz+8%
Base Clock	2.13 GHz	—
L3 Cache	6 MB L2 Cache	—
L2 Cache	6 MB+200%	2 MB
Process	45 nm	45 nm
Architecture	Penryn (2008−2011)	Champlain (2010−2011)
PassMark	2,054	2,047

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Memory & Platform

The Core 2 Duo SL9600 uses the BGA956 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Turion II P520 uses S1g4 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.