Core 2 Extreme X9000 vs Xeon 5120

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 Xeon 5120 is on rank 857, so the Xeon 5120 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 Xeon 5120

#1

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

19945%

#6

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

3766%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

3346%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

2585%

#484

EPYC 7773X

MSRP: $8800|Avg: $8800

100%

#485

Xeon Gold 6258R

MSRP: $3950|Avg: $1400

98%

#486

EPYC 9175F

MSRP: $4256|Avg: $3703

98%

#488

EPYC 9534

MSRP: $8803|Avg: $2999

97%

#489

EPYC 9654

MSRP: $11805|Avg: $5345

97%

#490

EPYC 7H12

MSRP: $6950|Avg: $1340

96%

#857

Xeon 5120

MSRP: $107|Avg: $15

100%

#859

Xeon W3530

MSRP: $294|Avg: $10

100%

#861

Xeon W3520

MSRP: $284|Avg: $15

99%

#862

Xeon E3-1271 v3

MSRP: $727|Avg: $831

99%

#863

Xeon E5603

MSRP: $188|Avg: N/A

99%

#871

Xeon 6315P

MSRP: $1166|Avg: $160

96%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Use Case Distinction: This is a comparison between a Professional Workstation processor ($15) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon 5120 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Core 2 Extreme X9000	Xeon 5120
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($15)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Woodcrest (2006) / 65 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core 2 Extreme X9000 ($0), however, is optimized for mixed workloads and gaming. For most users, it offers superior single-thread performance and responsiveness at a fraction of the cost ($15 less, 100% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Core 2 Extreme X9000	Xeon 5120
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 X9000 Benchmark Check

Xeon 5120 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 2 Extreme X9000 and Xeon 5120

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.

Xeon 5120

The Xeon 5120 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in Junho 2006 (19 years ago). It is based on the Woodcrest (2006) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 1.86 GHz, with boost up to 1.87 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 4 MB. Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: LGA771. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR2. Passmark benchmark score: 1,115 points. Launch price was $45.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core 2 Extreme X9000 and Xeon 5120 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.8 GHz on the Core 2 Extreme X9000 versus 1.87 GHz on the Xeon 5120 — a 39.8% clock advantage for the Core 2 Extreme X9000 (base: 2.8 GHz vs 1.86 GHz). The Core 2 Extreme X9000 uses the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Xeon 5120 uses Woodcrest (2006) (65 nm). In PassMark, the Core 2 Extreme X9000 scores 1,108 against the Xeon 5120's 1,115 — a 0.6% lead for the Xeon 5120. L3 cache: 6 MB L2 Cache on the Core 2 Extreme X9000 vs 0 kB on the Xeon 5120.

Feature	Core 2 Extreme X9000	Xeon 5120
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.8 GHz+50%	1.87 GHz
Base Clock	2.8 GHz+51%	1.86 GHz
L3 Cache	6 MB L2 Cache	0 kB
L2 Cache	6 MB+50%	4 MB
Process	45 nm-31%	65 nm
Architecture	Penryn (2008−2011)	Woodcrest (2006)
PassMark	1,108	1,115

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 2 Extreme X9000 uses the PGA478 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Xeon 5120 uses LGA771 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.