Core 2 Extreme QX9300 vs Athlon 5350

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core 2 Extreme QX9300

4 / 4

1,805

+0.5%

Pentium 2117U

Pentium N3540

Celeron 1020E

Pentium Dual Core T2370

1,796

0.0%

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 Athlon 5350 is on rank 564, so the Athlon 5350 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 Athlon 5350

#1

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

9547%

#2

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

9021%

#3

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

6550%

#4

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

1973%

#5

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

1563%

#6

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

1367%

#7

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

783%

#8

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

773%

#9

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

704%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

704%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

696%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

677%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

668%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

665%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

659%

#381

Ryzen Embedded V1756B

MSRP: $250|Avg: $250

99%

#564

Athlon 5350

MSRP: $55|Avg: $15

100%

#566

FX-8320

MSRP: $169|Avg: $50

99%

#567

FX-8120

MSRP: $205|Avg: $40

99%

#568

Core i3-7100T

MSRP: $117|Avg: $39

98%

#569

Pentium E2220

MSRP: $32|Avg: $32

98%

#571

Pentium G620T

MSRP: $64|Avg: $90

98%

#572

Pentium G4500T

MSRP: $75|Avg: $20

98%

#573

Core i5-7500

MSRP: $199|Avg: $65

98%

#574

Core i7-7700

MSRP: $272|Avg: $102

97%

#575

Celeron G1610T

MSRP: $42|Avg: $42

97%

#576

Athlon X4 750K

MSRP: $91|Avg: $17

97%

#577

Core i7-7700K

MSRP: $305|Avg: $140

97%

#578

Core i5-7600K

MSRP: $217|Avg: $84

96%

#579

FX-6300

MSRP: $132|Avg: $35

96%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Generational Difference: This comparison involves processors from different technological eras. The Athlon 5350 (2014) utilizes 28 nm technology and DDR3-1600, providing a fundamental performance advantage.

Insight	Core 2 Extreme QX9300	Athlon 5350
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($15)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Kabini (2013−2014) / 28 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core 2 Extreme QX9300 (2008) relies on 45 nm technology and older memory, placing it in a different performance category relative to modern standards.

Insight	Core 2 Extreme QX9300	Athlon 5350
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($15)

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

Athlon 5350 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 2 Extreme QX9300 and Athlon 5350

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.

Athlon 5350

The Athlon 5350 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Kabini (2013−2014) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.05 GHz, with boost up to 2.05 GHz. L2 cache: 2048 kB. Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: AM1. Thermal design power (TDP): 25 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-1600. Passmark benchmark score: 1,796 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core 2 Extreme QX9300 and Athlon 5350 share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.53 GHz on the Core 2 Extreme QX9300 versus 2.05 GHz on the Athlon 5350 — a 21% clock advantage for the Core 2 Extreme QX9300 (base: 2.53 GHz vs 2.05 GHz). The Core 2 Extreme QX9300 uses the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Athlon 5350 uses Kabini (2013−2014) (28 nm). In PassMark, the Core 2 Extreme QX9300 scores 1,805 against the Athlon 5350's 1,796 — a 0.5% lead for the Core 2 Extreme QX9300.

Feature	Core 2 Extreme QX9300	Athlon 5350
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	4 / 4
Boost Clock	2.53 GHz+23%	2.05 GHz
Base Clock	2.53 GHz+23%	2.05 GHz
L3 Cache	0 kB	—
L2 Cache	12 MB+500%	2048 kB
Process	45 nm	28 nm-38%
Architecture	Penryn (2008−2011)	Kabini (2013−2014)
PassMark	1,805	1,796
Geekbench 6 Single	—	223
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	708

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 2 Extreme QX9300 uses the PGA478 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Athlon 5350 uses AM1 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core 2 Extreme QX9300	Athlon 5350
Socket	PGA478	AM1
PCIe Generation	PCIe 1.1	PCIe 2.0+82%
Max RAM Speed	—	1600
Max RAM Capacity	—	16
RAM Channels	—	1
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	8

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core 2 Extreme QX9300) / true (Athlon 5350). The Athlon 5350 includes integrated graphics (Radeon R3 Graphics), while the Core 2 Extreme QX9300 requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Athlon 5350 rivals Pentium J2900.