Core 2 Duo SP9600 vs Xeon X5470

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 SP9600 is positioned at rank 138 and the Xeon X5470 is on rank 739, so the Core 2 Duo SP9600 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 SP9600

#36

Core i5-11500B

MSRP: $185|Avg: $185

98%

#126

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

310%

#127

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

306%

#128

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

281%

#129

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

279%

#130

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

277%

#132

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

267%

#133

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

256%

#134

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

256%

#135

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

249%

#138

Core 2 Duo SP9600

MSRP: $316|Avg: N/A

100%

#140

Core 2 Duo P8700

MSRP: $241|Avg: $85

99%

#147

Atom N2800

MSRP: $47|Avg: $3

97%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon X5470

#1

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

14482%

#6

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

2734%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

2429%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

1877%

#428

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7995WX

MSRP: $9999|Avg: $9879.97

100%

#429

EPYC 7552

MSRP: $4025|Avg: $1650

99%

#431

Xeon Platinum 8360Y

MSRP: $5383|Avg: N/A

99%

#432

Xeon W-3245

MSRP: $2199|Avg: $1200

99%

#433

Xeon Gold 6346

MSRP: $2708|Avg: $2195

97%

#434

Xeon W-3225

MSRP: $1319|Avg: $850

96%

#739

Xeon X5470

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#747

Xeon E5-2403 v2

MSRP: $192|Avg: $61

97%

#748

Xeon E3-1285 v4

MSRP: $556|Avg: $200

97%

#750

Xeon E3-1260L

MSRP: $294|Avg: $270

97%

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 ($0) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon X5470 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Core 2 Duo SP9600	Xeon X5470
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($316)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Harpertown (2007−2008) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core 2 Duo SP9600 ($316), 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 ($316 less, Infinity% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Core 2 Duo SP9600	Xeon X5470
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($316)	✅ More affordable ($0)

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 SP9600 Benchmark Check

Xeon X5470 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 2 Duo SP9600 and Xeon X5470

Core 2 Duo SP9600

The Core 2 Duo SP9600 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 2.53 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: BGA479. Thermal design power (TDP): 25 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 2,836 points. Launch price was $316.

Xeon X5470

The Xeon X5470 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 8 September 2008 (17 years ago). It is based on the Harpertown (2007−2008) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.33 GHz, with boost up to 0.33 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 6 MB (total). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA771. Thermal design power (TDP): 120 Watt. Memory support: DDR2, DDR3 Depends on motherboard. Passmark benchmark score: 2,869 points. Launch price was $1,386.

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Processing Power

The Core 2 Duo SP9600 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Xeon X5470 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Xeon X5470 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.53 GHz on the Core 2 Duo SP9600 versus 0.33 GHz on the Xeon X5470 — a 153.8% clock advantage for the Core 2 Duo SP9600 (base: 2.53 GHz vs 3.33 GHz). The Core 2 Duo SP9600 uses the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Xeon X5470 uses Harpertown (2007−2008) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Core 2 Duo SP9600 scores 2,836 against the Xeon X5470's 2,869 — a 1.2% lead for the Xeon X5470. L3 cache: 6 MB L2 Cache on the Core 2 Duo SP9600 vs 12 MB L2 Cache on the Xeon X5470.

Feature	Core 2 Duo SP9600	Xeon X5470
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	2.53 GHz+667%	0.33 GHz
Base Clock	2.53 GHz	3.33 GHz+32%
L3 Cache	6 MB L2 Cache	12 MB L2 Cache+100%
L2 Cache	6 MB	6 MB (total)
Process	45 nm	45 nm
Architecture	Penryn (2008−2011)	Harpertown (2007−2008)
PassMark	2,836	2,869+1%

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Memory & Platform

The Core 2 Duo SP9600 uses the BGA479 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Xeon X5470 uses LGA771 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.