Core 2 Extreme QX9770 vs Core i7-3612QM

Core 2 Extreme QX9770

4 Cores4 Thrd136 WWMax: 3.2 GHz2008

Core i7-3612QM

4 Cores8 Thrd35 WWMax: 3.1 GHz2012

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core 2 Extreme QX9770

4 / 4

4,611

0.0%

4,661

+1.1%

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 QX9770 is positioned at rank 1088 and the Core i7-3612QM is on rank 1030, so the Core i7-3612QM 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 QX9770

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

94459%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

89255%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

64806%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

19523%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

15465%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

13528%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

7748%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

7647%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

6963%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

6962%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

6885%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

6699%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

6605%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

6578%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

6519%

#1088

Core 2 Extreme QX9770

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $1399

100%

#1089

Athlon 64 X2 5600+

MSRP: $505|Avg: $15

100%

#1090

Athlon 64 2000+

MSRP: $100|Avg: $20

100%

#1091

Athlon 64 X2 5400+

MSRP: $485|Avg: $78

99%

#1092

Celeron 2.30

MSRP: $100|Avg: $10

98%

#1093

Phenom X4 9450e

MSRP: $450|Avg: $430

98%

#1094

Athlon 64 X2 3800+

MSRP: $354|Avg: $20

94%

#1095

Athlon 64 3000+

MSRP: $149|Avg: $10

92%

#1096

Athlon XP 3100+

MSRP: $150|Avg: $20

86%

#1097

Athlon 64 3300+

MSRP: $200|Avg: $200

79%

#1098

Athlon 64 2800+

MSRP: $178|Avg: $15

72%

#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

64%

#1103

Pentium D 830

MSRP: $316|Avg: $20

59%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-3612QM

#1018

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

2380%

#1019

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

2345%

#1020

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

2152%

#1021

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

2143%

#1022

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

2123%

#1024

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

2050%

#1025

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

1966%

#1026

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

1963%

#1027

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

1910%

#1030

Core i7-3612QM

MSRP: $378|Avg: N/A

100%

#1031

Pentium 967

MSRP: $134|Avg: $10

99%

#1033

Core i5-4400E

MSRP: $266|Avg: $50

99%

#1034

Pentium Dual Core T4400

MSRP: $107|Avg: $5

97%

#1037

Core i7-8665UE

MSRP: $409|Avg: $409

96%

#1038

Celeron T3300

MSRP: $86|Avg: $15

95%

#1039

Celeron Dual-Core T3300

MSRP: $86|Avg: $30

95%

#1042

Core i7-3612QE

MSRP: $426|Avg: $50

94%

#1043

A10-7300

MSRP: $150|Avg: $50

94%

#1044

Pentium Dual Core T4200

MSRP: $100|Avg: $10

93%

#1045

A6 Micro-6500T

MSRP: $100|Avg: $15

93%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core i7-3612QM delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Core 2 Extreme QX9770 in both compute-intensive tasks (1.1% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core 2 Extreme QX9770	Core i7-3612QM
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($1,399)	✅ More affordable ($378)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Yorkfield (2007−2009) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Efficiency: Even within a comparison of older hardware, the Core i7-3612QM stands out as the superior choice. It is effectively 73% cheaper ($378 vs $1,399) while identifying as the stronger performer.

Insight	Core 2 Extreme QX9770	Core i7-3612QM
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+274%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($1,399)	✅ More affordable ($378)

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 QX9770 Benchmark Check

Core i7-3612QM Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 2 Extreme QX9770 and Core i7-3612QM

Core 2 Extreme QX9770

The Core 2 Extreme QX9770 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2008-01-01. It is based on the Yorkfield (2007−2009) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 12 MB (total). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA775. Thermal design power (TDP): 136 Watt. Memory support: DDR1, DDR2, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 4,611 points. Launch price was $249.

Core i7-3612QM

The Core i7-3612QM is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 29 April 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.1 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1224. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 4,661 points. Launch price was $69.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core 2 Extreme QX9770 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, matching the Core i7-3612QM's 4 cores. Boost clocks reach 3.2 GHz on the Core 2 Extreme QX9770 versus 3.1 GHz on the Core i7-3612QM — a 3.2% clock advantage for the Core 2 Extreme QX9770 (base: 3.2 GHz vs 2.1 GHz). The Core 2 Extreme QX9770 uses the Yorkfield (2007−2009) architecture (45 nm), while the Core i7-3612QM uses Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core 2 Extreme QX9770 scores 4,611 against the Core i7-3612QM's 4,661 — a 1.1% lead for the Core i7-3612QM. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 451 vs 600, a 28.4% lead for the Core i7-3612QM that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 1,583 vs 2,600 (48.6% advantage for the Core i7-3612QM). L3 cache: 0 kB on the Core 2 Extreme QX9770 vs 6 MB (total) on the Core i7-3612QM.

Feature	Core 2 Extreme QX9770	Core i7-3612QM
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	4 / 8
Boost Clock	3.2 GHz+3%	3.1 GHz
Base Clock	3.2 GHz+52%	2.1 GHz
L3 Cache	0 kB	6 MB (total)
L2 Cache	12 MB (total)+4700%	256K (per core)
Process	45 nm	22 nm-51%
Architecture	Yorkfield (2007−2009)	Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)
PassMark	4,611	4,661+1%
Cinebench R23 Multi	2,200	—
Geekbench 6 Single	451	600+33%
Geekbench 6 Multi	1,583	2,600+64%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 2 Extreme QX9770 uses the LGA775 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Core i7-3612QM uses FCBGA1224 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR3-1600 memory speed. The Core i7-3612QM supports up to 32 GB of RAM compared to 16 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 16 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: X48,X38,P45 (Core 2 Extreme QX9770) and HM75,HM76,HM77,QM77 (Core i7-3612QM).

Feature	Core 2 Extreme QX9770	Core i7-3612QM
Socket	LGA775	FCBGA1224
PCIe Generation	PCIe 1.1	PCIe 3.0+173%
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1600	DDR3-1600
Max RAM Capacity	16 GB	32 GB+100%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	❌	❌
PCIe Lanes	16	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Core 2 Extreme QX9770 has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Virtualization support: VT-x (Core 2 Extreme QX9770) vs VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i7-3612QM). The Core i7-3612QM includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics 4000), while the Core 2 Extreme QX9770 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core 2 Extreme QX9770 targets Enthusiast, Core i7-3612QM targets Mainstream Laptop. Direct competitor: Core i7-3612QM rivals AMD A10-5750M.