Core 2 Duo T9300 vs Athlon 64 FX-74

Core 2 Duo T9300

2 Cores2 Thrd6 WWMax: 2.5 GHz2008

Athlon 64 FX-74

2 Cores2 Thrd125 WWMax: 3 GHz2006

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core 2 Duo T9300

2 / 2

1,670

+0.7%

1,658

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5945WX

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.

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 T9300 is positioned at rank 176 and the Athlon 64 FX-74 is on rank 1087, so the Core 2 Duo T9300 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 T9300

#49

Core i9-12900HX

MSRP: $606|Avg: N/A

99%

#164

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

351%

#165

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

346%

#166

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

318%

#167

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

316%

#168

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

314%

#170

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

303%

#171

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

290%

#172

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

290%

#173

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

282%

#176

Core 2 Duo T9300

MSRP: $316|Avg: $20

100%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Athlon 64 FX-74

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

93890%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

88717%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

64416%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

19406%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

15371%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

13447%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

7702%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

7601%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

6921%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

6920%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

6843%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

6658%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

6565%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

6539%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

6480%

#1087

Athlon 64 FX-74

MSRP: $499|Avg: $50

100%

#1088

Athlon 64 X2 5600+

MSRP: $505|Avg: $15

99%

#1089

Core 2 Extreme QX9770

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $1399

99%

#1090

Athlon 64 2000+

MSRP: $100|Avg: $20

99%

#1091

Athlon 64 X2 5400+

MSRP: $485|Avg: $78

98%

#1092

Celeron 2.30

MSRP: $100|Avg: $10

98%

#1093

Phenom X4 9450e

MSRP: $450|Avg: $430

97%

#1094

Athlon 64 X2 3800+

MSRP: $354|Avg: $20

93%

#1095

Athlon 64 3000+

MSRP: $149|Avg: $10

91%

#1096

Athlon XP 3100+

MSRP: $150|Avg: $20

85%

#1097

Athlon 64 3300+

MSRP: $200|Avg: $200

79%

#1098

Athlon 64 2800+

MSRP: $178|Avg: $15

71%

#1099

Athlon 64 3700+

MSRP: $272|Avg: $20

69%

#1100

Athlon 64 FX-72

MSRP: $799|Avg: $40

68%

#1101

Athlon 64 X2 4200+

MSRP: $581|Avg: $110

65%

#1102

Athlon 64 3500+

MSRP: $272|Avg: $10

63%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Athlon 64 FX-74 leads in gaming performance. However, the Core 2 Duo T9300 is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.7% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Core 2 Duo T9300	Athlon 64 FX-74
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	✅ More affordable ($20)	⚠️ Higher cost ($50)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Windsor (2006−2007) / 90 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Efficiency: Even within a comparison of older hardware, the Core 2 Duo T9300 stands out as the superior choice. It is effectively 60% cheaper ($20 vs $50) while identifying as the stronger performer.

Insight	Core 2 Duo T9300	Athlon 64 FX-74
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+152%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($20)	⚠️ Higher cost ($50)

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 T9300 Benchmark Check

Athlon 64 FX-74 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 2 Duo T9300 and Athlon 64 FX-74

Core 2 Duo T9300

The Core 2 Duo T9300 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 10 January 2008 (17 years ago). It is based on the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 2.5 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 6 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: PGA478. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 1,670 points. Launch price was $316.

Athlon 64 FX-74

The Athlon 64 FX-74 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in Novembro 2006 (19 years ago). It is based on the Windsor (2006−2007) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 3 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 90 nm process technology. Socket: F. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR1. Passmark benchmark score: 1,658 points. Launch price was $500.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core 2 Duo T9300 and Athlon 64 FX-74 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.5 GHz on the Core 2 Duo T9300 versus 3 GHz on the Athlon 64 FX-74 — a 18.2% clock advantage for the Athlon 64 FX-74. The Core 2 Duo T9300 uses the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Athlon 64 FX-74 uses Windsor (2006−2007) (90 nm). In PassMark, the Core 2 Duo T9300 scores 1,670 against the Athlon 64 FX-74's 1,658 — a 0.7% lead for the Core 2 Duo T9300. Multi-core Geekbench: 432 vs 750 (53.8% advantage for the Athlon 64 FX-74). L3 cache: 6 MB L2 Cache on the Core 2 Duo T9300 vs 0 kB on the Athlon 64 FX-74.

Feature	Core 2 Duo T9300	Athlon 64 FX-74
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.5 GHz	3 GHz+20%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	—
L3 Cache	6 MB L2 Cache	0 kB
L2 Cache	6 MB+500%	1 MB
Process	45 nm-50%	90 nm
Architecture	Penryn (2008−2011)	Windsor (2006−2007)
PassMark	1,670	1,658
Geekbench 6 Single	—	400
Geekbench 6 Multi	432	750+74%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 2 Duo T9300 uses the PGA478 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Athlon 64 FX-74 uses F (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR3-1066 on the Core 2 Duo T9300 versus DDR2 on the Athlon 64 FX-74 — the Core 2 Duo T9300 supports 40% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Chipset compatibility: GM965,PM965,GM45,PM45 (Core 2 Duo T9300) and nForce 680a (Athlon 64 FX-74).

Feature	Core 2 Duo T9300	Athlon 64 FX-74
Socket	PGA478	F
PCIe Generation	PCIe 1.1	PCIe 1.1
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1066+50%	DDR2
Max RAM Capacity	—	16 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	❌	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Athlon 64 FX-74 has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Virtualization support: VT-x (Core 2 Duo T9300) vs AMD-V (Athlon 64 FX-74). Primary use case: Core 2 Duo T9300 targets Budget, Athlon 64 FX-74 targets Budget. Direct competitor: Core 2 Duo T9300 rivals Athlon Silver 3050U; Athlon 64 FX-74 rivals Pentium Extreme Edition 965.

Feature	Core 2 Duo T9300	Athlon 64 FX-74
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	No	Yes
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x	AMD-V
Target Use	Budget	Budget

💰

Value Analysis

The Core 2 Duo T9300 launched at $316 MSRP, while the Athlon 64 FX-74 debuted at $499. At current prices ($20 vs $50), the Core 2 Duo T9300 is $30 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core 2 Duo T9300 delivers 83.5 pts/$ vs 33.2 pts/$ for the Athlon 64 FX-74 — making the Core 2 Duo T9300 the 86.3% better value option.