Core 2 Extreme QX9300 vs Athlon II M320
Core 2 Extreme QX9300
Athlon II M320
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 Extreme QX9300 is positioned at rank 924 and the Athlon II M320 is on rank 809, so the Athlon II M320 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Core 2 Extreme QX9300
Performance Per Dollar Athlon II M320
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Core 2 Extreme QX9300 | Athlon II M320 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 (Caspian (2009) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Core 2 Extreme QX9300 | Athlon II M320 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) |
Performance Check
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 Extreme QX9300 and Athlon II M320
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 II M320
The Athlon II M320 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Caspian (2009) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 2.1 GHz. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: S1g3. Thermal design power (TDP): 1 MB. Memory support: DDR2. Passmark benchmark score: 1,795 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
The Core 2 Extreme QX9300 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Athlon II M320 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 2.1 GHz on the Athlon II M320 — a 18.6% clock advantage for the Core 2 Extreme QX9300. The Core 2 Extreme QX9300 uses the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Athlon II M320 uses Caspian (2009) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Core 2 Extreme QX9300 scores 1,805 against the Athlon II M320's 1,795 — a 0.6% lead for the Core 2 Extreme QX9300.
| Feature | Core 2 Extreme QX9300 | Athlon II M320 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4+100% | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 2.53 GHz+20% | 2.1 GHz |
| Base Clock | 2.53 GHz | — |
| L3 Cache | 0 kB | — |
| L2 Cache | 12 MB+1100% | 1 MB |
| Process | 45 nm | 45 nm |
| Architecture | Penryn (2008−2011) | Caspian (2009) |
| PassMark | 1,805 | 1,795 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 188 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | — | 1,955 |
Memory & Platform
The Core 2 Extreme QX9300 uses the PGA478 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Athlon II M320 uses S1g3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Core 2 Extreme QX9300 | Athlon II M320 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | PGA478 | S1g3 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 1.1 | PCIe 2.0+82% |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR2-800 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 8 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 0 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Core 2 Extreme QX9300) / AMD-V (Athlon II M320). Primary use case: Athlon II M320 targets Legacy Laptop. Direct competitor: Athlon II M320 rivals Core 2 Duo T6400.
| Feature | Core 2 Extreme QX9300 | Athlon II M320 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | No |
| IGPU Model | — | None |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | AMD-V |
| Target Use | — | Legacy Laptop |
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