Core 2 Extreme X9000 vs Pentium B980

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 Pentium B980 is on rank 1110, so the Core 2 Extreme X9000 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 X9000

#903

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

1589%

#904

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

1565%

#905

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

1437%

#906

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

1430%

#907

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

1417%

#909

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

1369%

#910

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

1312%

#911

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

1310%

#912

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

1275%

#915

Core 2 Extreme X9000

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#919

Core i5-8365UE

MSRP: $297|Avg: $297

99%

#921

A6 Pro-7050B

MSRP: $100|Avg: $15

99%

#923

Athlon II N370

MSRP: $60|Avg: $10

98%

#928

A8-6410

MSRP: $100|Avg: $40

96%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Pentium B980

#1098

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

3330%

#1099

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

3281%

#1100

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

3012%

#1101

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

2999%

#1102

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

2971%

#1104

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

2869%

#1105

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

2751%

#1106

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

2747%

#1107

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

2673%

#1110

Pentium B980

MSRP: $125|Avg: $35

100%

#1111

Celeron 867

MSRP: $86|Avg: $15

100%

#1112

Pentium B970

MSRP: $125|Avg: $39

99%

#1113

Core i5-2410M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

99%

#1114

Pentium T2370

MSRP: $86|Avg: $10

98%

#1115

Pentium N3710

MSRP: $161|Avg: $50

98%

#1116

Core m3-7Y30

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

98%

#1117

Pentium 977

MSRP: $134|Avg: $10

97%

#1118

Core i7-2715QE

MSRP: $378|Avg: $50

97%

#1119

VIA Nano U2250

MSRP: $50|Avg: $10

96%

#1121

Core i5-560M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

96%

#1122

Pentium U5600

MSRP: $100|Avg: $50

95%

#1124

Core m5-6Y57

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

95%

#1125

Core i7-610E

MSRP: $250|Avg: $40

94%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core 2 Extreme X9000 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Pentium B980 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.6% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Core 2 Extreme X9000	Pentium B980
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($35)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Core 2 Extreme X9000	Pentium B980
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($35)

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 X9000 Benchmark Check

Pentium B980 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 2 Extreme X9000 and Pentium B980

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.

Pentium B980

The Pentium B980 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 2.4 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: PGA988. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,101 points. Launch price was $125.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core 2 Extreme X9000 and Pentium B980 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.8 GHz on the Core 2 Extreme X9000 versus 2.4 GHz on the Pentium B980 — a 15.4% clock advantage for the Core 2 Extreme X9000 (base: 2.8 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Core 2 Extreme X9000 uses the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Pentium B980 uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Core 2 Extreme X9000 scores 1,108 against the Pentium B980's 1,101 — a 0.6% lead for the Core 2 Extreme X9000. L3 cache: 6 MB L2 Cache on the Core 2 Extreme X9000 vs 2 MB (total) on the Pentium B980.

Feature	Core 2 Extreme X9000	Pentium B980
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.8 GHz+17%	2.4 GHz
Base Clock	2.8 GHz+17%	2.4 GHz
L3 Cache	6 MB L2 Cache+200%	2 MB (total)
L2 Cache	6 MB+2300%	256K (per core)
Process	45 nm	32 nm-29%
Architecture	Penryn (2008−2011)	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
PassMark	1,108	1,101

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 2 Extreme X9000 uses the PGA478 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Pentium B980 uses PGA988 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.