Core 2 Extreme QX9300 vs A4-3305M

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core 2 Extreme QX9300

4 / 4

1,805

0.0%

Pentium 2117U

Pentium N3540

Celeron 1020E

Pentium Dual Core T2370

1,812

+0.4%

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 Extreme QX9300 is positioned at rank 924 and the A4-3305M is on rank 691, so the A4-3305M 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 Extreme QX9300

#912

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

1625%

#913

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

1602%

#914

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

1470%

#915

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

1464%

#916

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

1450%

#918

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

1401%

#919

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

1343%

#920

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

1341%

#921

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

1305%

#924

Core 2 Extreme QX9300

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#928

A8-6410

MSRP: $100|Avg: $40

98%

#933

Athlon X2 L310

MSRP: $100|Avg: $20

97%

#939

FX-7600P

MSRP: $150|Avg: $45

94%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar A4-3305M

#679

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

972%

#680

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

957%

#681

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

879%

#682

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

875%

#683

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

867%

#685

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

837%

#686

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

803%

#687

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

801%

#688

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

780%

#691

A4-3305M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#696

Processor N95

MSRP: $160|Avg: $80

99%

#699

Athlon Silver 3050e

MSRP: $100|Avg: $60

99%

#704

C-60

MSRP: $50|Avg: $20

98%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Core 2 Extreme QX9300 leads in gaming performance. However, the A4-3305M is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.4% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Core 2 Extreme QX9300	A4-3305M
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 (Llano (2011−2012) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Core 2 Extreme QX9300	A4-3305M
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 Extreme QX9300 Benchmark Check

A4-3305M Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 2 Extreme QX9300 and A4-3305M

Core 2 Extreme QX9300

The Core 2 Extreme QX9300 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2008-01-01. It is based on the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.53 GHz, with boost up to 2.53 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 12 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: PGA478. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 1,805 points. Launch price was $249.

A4-3305M

The A4-3305M is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2014-01-01. It is based on the Llano (2011−2012) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.9 GHz, with boost up to 2.5 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: FS1. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,812 points. Launch price was $50.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core 2 Extreme QX9300 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the A4-3305M offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the Core 2 Extreme QX9300 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.53 GHz on the Core 2 Extreme QX9300 versus 2.5 GHz on the A4-3305M — a 1.2% clock advantage for the Core 2 Extreme QX9300 (base: 2.53 GHz vs 1.9 GHz). The Core 2 Extreme QX9300 uses the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the A4-3305M uses Llano (2011−2012) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Core 2 Extreme QX9300 scores 1,805 against the A4-3305M's 1,812 — a 0.4% lead for the A4-3305M. Both processors carry 0 kB of L3 cache.

Feature	Core 2 Extreme QX9300	A4-3305M
Cores / Threads	4 / 4+100%	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.53 GHz+1%	2.5 GHz
Base Clock	2.53 GHz+33%	1.9 GHz
L3 Cache	0 kB	0 kB
L2 Cache	12 MB+2300%	512K (per core)
Process	45 nm	32 nm-29%
Architecture	Penryn (2008−2011)	Llano (2011−2012)
PassMark	1,805	1,812
Geekbench 6 Single	—	276

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 2 Extreme QX9300 uses the PGA478 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the A4-3305M uses FS1 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core 2 Extreme QX9300	A4-3305M
Socket	PGA478	FS1
PCIe Generation	PCIe 1.1	PCIe 2.0+82%
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR3-1333
Max RAM Capacity	—	16 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core 2 Extreme QX9300) / AMD-V (A4-3305M). The A4-3305M includes integrated graphics (Radeon HD 6480G), while the Core 2 Extreme QX9300 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: A4-3305M targets Budget Laptop. Direct competitor: A4-3305M rivals Pentium B950.