Core 2 Extreme X9000 vs Athlon II Neo K325
Core 2 Extreme X9000
Athlon II Neo K325
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 X9000 is positioned at rank 915 and the Athlon II Neo K325 is on rank 912, so the Athlon II Neo K325 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 X9000
Performance Per Dollar Athlon II Neo K325
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Core 2 Extreme X9000 | Athlon II Neo K325 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($25) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Geneva (2010) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Core 2 Extreme X9000 | Athlon II Neo K325 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($25) |
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 X9000 and Athlon II Neo K325
Core 2 Extreme X9000
The Core 2 Extreme X9000 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 10 January 2008 (17 years ago). It is based on the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 2.8 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 6 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: PGA478. Thermal design power (TDP): 44 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 1,108 points. Launch price was $851.
Athlon II Neo K325
The Athlon II Neo K325 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Geneva (2010) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 1.3 GHz. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: S1. Thermal design power (TDP): 1 MB. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,111 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
Both the Core 2 Extreme X9000 and Athlon II Neo K325 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.8 GHz on the Core 2 Extreme X9000 versus 1.3 GHz on the Athlon II Neo K325 — a 73.2% clock advantage for the Core 2 Extreme X9000. The Core 2 Extreme X9000 uses the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Athlon II Neo K325 uses Geneva (2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Core 2 Extreme X9000 scores 1,108 against the Athlon II Neo K325's 1,111 — a 0.3% lead for the Athlon II Neo K325.
| Feature | Core 2 Extreme X9000 | Athlon II Neo K325 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 2.8 GHz+115% | 1.3 GHz |
| Base Clock | 2.8 GHz | — |
| L3 Cache | 6 MB L2 Cache | — |
| L2 Cache | 6 MB+500% | 1 MB |
| Process | 45 nm | 45 nm |
| Architecture | Penryn (2008−2011) | Geneva (2010) |
| PassMark | 1,108 | 1,111 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 736 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | — | 1,235 |
Memory & Platform
The Core 2 Extreme X9000 uses the PGA478 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Athlon II Neo K325 uses S1 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Core 2 Extreme X9000 | Athlon II Neo K325 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | PGA478 | S1 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 1.1 | PCIe 2.0+82% |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR3-800 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 8 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 0 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Core 2 Extreme X9000) / AMD-V (Athlon II Neo K325). Primary use case: Athlon II Neo K325 targets Low Power.
| Feature | Core 2 Extreme X9000 | Athlon II Neo K325 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | No |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | AMD-V |
| Target Use | — | Low Power |
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The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
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