Core 2 Duo U7600
VS
Phenom II X3 N850

Core 2 Duo U7600 vs Phenom II X3 N850

Intel

Core 2 Duo U7600

2 Cores2 Thrd2 WWMax: 1.2 GHz2006
VS
AMD

Phenom II X3 N850

3 Cores3 Thrd1.5 WWMax: 2.2 GHz2010

Performance Spectrum - CPU

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 U7600 is positioned at rank 1206 and the Phenom II X3 N850 is on rank 539, so the Phenom II X3 N850 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 U7600

#1194
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
5810%
#1195
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
5725%
#1196
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
5255%
#1197
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
5232%
#1198
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
5184%
#1200
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
5006%
#1201
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
4800%
#1202
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
4792%
#1203
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
4663%
#1206
Core 2 Duo U7600
MSRP: $250|Avg: $5
100%
#1207
Pentium M 735
MSRP: $294|Avg: N/A
98%
#1208
Core i7-620LM
MSRP: $300|Avg: N/A
97%
#1209
Core i7-740QM
MSRP: $378|Avg: N/A
96%
#1211
Core 2 Solo SU3300
MSRP: $262|Avg: $50
94%
#1212
Celeron 540
MSRP: $86|Avg: $5
94%
#1213
Celeron U3600
MSRP: $134|Avg: $134
92%
#1216
Core 2 Quad Q9000
MSRP: $348|Avg: $15
91%
#1217
Core i5-2537M
MSRP: $250|Avg: N/A
91%
#1218
Core i7-720QM
MSRP: $364|Avg: N/A
90%
#1219
Pentium U5400
MSRP: $289|Avg: $214
88%
#1220
Pentium T2330
MSRP: $150|Avg: $7
88%
#1221
Z-01
MSRP: $50|Avg: $10
85%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Phenom II X3 N850

#169
Core i7-1280P
MSRP: $482|Avg: $482
100%
#527
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
702%
#528
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
692%
#529
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
635%
#530
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
633%
#531
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
627%
#533
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
605%
#534
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
580%
#535
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
579%
#536
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
564%
#539
Phenom II X3 N850
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#549
Celeron Dual-Core T1500
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $49
97%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Phenom II X3 N850 leads in gaming performance. However, the Core 2 Duo U7600 is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.8% greater multi-core processing power.
InsightCore 2 Duo U7600Phenom II X3 N850
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Better multi-core power
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price
⚠️ Higher cost ($5)
More affordable ($0)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Merom-2048 (2006−2008) / 65 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Champlain (2010−2011) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

InsightCore 2 Duo U7600Phenom II X3 N850
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
⚠️ Higher cost ($5)
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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 2 Duo U7600 and Phenom II X3 N850

Intel

Core 2 Duo U7600

The Core 2 Duo U7600 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2008-01-01. It is based on the Merom-2048 (2006−2008) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.2 GHz, with boost up to 1.2 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: BGA479. Thermal design power (TDP): 10 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 1,263 points. Launch price was $249.

AMD

Phenom II X3 N850

The Phenom II X3 N850 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture. It features 3 cores and 3 threads. Max frequency: 2.2 GHz. L2 cache: 1.5 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: S1g4. Thermal design power (TDP): 1.5 MB. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,253 points. Launch price was $149.

Processing Power

The Core 2 Duo U7600 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Phenom II X3 N850 offers 3 cores / 3 threads — the Phenom II X3 N850 has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 1.2 GHz on the Core 2 Duo U7600 versus 2.2 GHz on the Phenom II X3 N850 — a 58.8% clock advantage for the Phenom II X3 N850. The Core 2 Duo U7600 uses the Merom-2048 (2006−2008) architecture (65 nm), while the Phenom II X3 N850 uses Champlain (2010−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Core 2 Duo U7600 scores 1,263 against the Phenom II X3 N850's 1,253 — a 0.8% lead for the Core 2 Duo U7600.

FeatureCore 2 Duo U7600Phenom II X3 N850
Cores / Threads
2 / 2
3 / 3+50%
Boost Clock
1.2 GHz
2.2 GHz+83%
Base Clock
1.2 GHz
L3 Cache
0 kB
L2 Cache
2 MB+33%
1.5 MB
Process
65 nm
45 nm-31%
Architecture
Merom-2048 (2006−2008)
Champlain (2010−2011)
PassMark
1,263
1,253
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 2 Duo U7600 uses the BGA479 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Phenom II X3 N850 uses S1g4 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureCore 2 Duo U7600Phenom II X3 N850
Socket
BGA479
S1g4
PCIe Generation
PCIe 1.1
PCIe 2.0+82%