Core 2 Duo SU9300 vs Xeon E3120

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 SU9300 is positioned at rank 143 and the Xeon E3120 is on rank 948, so the Core 2 Duo SU9300 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 SU9300

#36

Core i5-11500B

MSRP: $185|Avg: $185

99%

#131

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

316%

#132

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

312%

#133

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

286%

#134

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

285%

#135

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

282%

#137

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

272%

#138

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

261%

#139

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

261%

#140

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

254%

#143

Core 2 Duo SU9300

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#147

Atom N2800

MSRP: $47|Avg: $3

99%

#158

Core i5-3210M

MSRP: $225|Avg: $30

95%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E3120

#1

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

29520%

#6

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

5574%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

4952%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

3826%

#528

Xeon E5-2687W v3

MSRP: $2141|Avg: $749

96%

#529

Xeon Max 9480

MSRP: $12980|Avg: $12980

91%

#530

Xeon E5-2689 v4

MSRP: $2723|Avg: $100

89%

#531

EPYC 7543

MSRP: $10257|Avg: $468

87%

#948

Xeon E3120

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#949

Xeon E5-2630 v2

MSRP: $1069|Avg: $1224

100%

#953

Xeon E5-1620

MSRP: $885|Avg: $70

94%

#955

Xeon E5462

MSRP: $342|Avg: $45

92%

#958

Xeon E5-4650 v2

MSRP: $1723|Avg: $48

90%

#959

Xeon E5-1620 v4

MSRP: $1166|Avg: $160

89%

#963

Xeon E5-2660

MSRP: $1329|Avg: $65

86%

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 E3120 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Core 2 Duo SU9300	Xeon E3120
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Legacy / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core 2 Duo SU9300 ($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 ($0 less, NaN% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Core 2 Duo SU9300	Xeon E3120
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 SU9300 Benchmark Check

Xeon E3120 Benchmark Check

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Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 2 Duo SU9300 and Xeon E3120

Core 2 Duo SU9300

The Core 2 Duo SU9300 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2008-01-01. It is based on the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.2 GHz, with boost up to 1.2 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 3 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: BGA956. Thermal design power (TDP): 10 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 1,392 points. Launch price was $249.

Xeon E3120

The Xeon E3120 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. Base frequency: 3.16 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB L2 Cache. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA775. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 1,408 points. Launch price was $800.

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Processing Power

The Core 2 Duo SU9300 is built on the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture. In PassMark, the Core 2 Duo SU9300 scores 1,392 against the Xeon E3120's 1,408 — a 1.1% lead for the Xeon E3120. L3 cache: 3 MB L2 Cache on the Core 2 Duo SU9300 vs 6 MB L2 Cache on the Xeon E3120.

Feature	Core 2 Duo SU9300	Xeon E3120
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	—
Boost Clock	1.2 GHz	—
Base Clock	1.2 GHz	3.16 GHz+163%
L3 Cache	3 MB L2 Cache	6 MB L2 Cache+100%
L2 Cache	3 MB	—
Process	45 nm	45 nm
Architecture	Penryn (2008−2011)	—
PassMark	1,392	1,408+1%

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Memory & Platform

The Core 2 Duo SU9300 uses the BGA956 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Xeon E3120 uses LGA775 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.