Core 2 Extreme X9100 vs Turion II P520

Core 2 Extreme X9100 vs Turion II P520 Performance Spectrum

Core 2 Extreme X9100

2 / 2

2,063

+0.8%

Celeron E3300

Core Duo T2300

Pentium Dual Core T2370

2,047

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

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.

Core 2 Extreme X9100 vs Turion II P520 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Core 2 Extreme X9100 vs Turion II P520: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Core 2 Extreme X9100

2008

Why buy it

✅+0.8% higher PassMark.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $851 MSRP, while Turion II P520 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌2100% higher power demand at 44W vs 2W.

Turion II P520

2010

Why buy it

✅Draws 2W instead of 44W, a 42W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (2,047 vs 2,063).

Quick Answers

So, is Turion II P520 better than Core 2 Extreme X9100?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Turion II P520 is ahead with a 1.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Core 2 Extreme X9100 pulls ahead with 0.8% better PassMark.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core 2 Extreme X9100 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.8% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 2 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Turion II P520 is still the much better call for a fresh build. Turion II P520 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $851 MSRP, and it still gives you a 1.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Core 2 Extreme X9100 only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that usually means used-market pricing on an obsolete 2008 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (2.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on PGA478.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Turion II P520 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2010 vs 2008). That makes it the safer long-term bet.

Core 2 Extreme X9100 vs Turion II P520 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Core 2 Extreme X9100

The Core 2 Extreme X9100 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 July 2008 (17 years ago). It is based on the Penryn XE (2008) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3.06 GHz, with boost up to 0.07 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 6 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: PGA478. Thermal design power (TDP): 44 Watt. Memory support: DDR2, DDR3 Depends on motherboard. Passmark benchmark score: 2,063 points. Launch price was $851.

Turion II P520

The Turion II P520 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 2.3 GHz. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: S1g4. Thermal design power (TDP): 2 MB. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,047 points. Launch price was $69.

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Processing Power

Both the Core 2 Extreme X9100 and Turion II P520 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 0.07 GHz on the Core 2 Extreme X9100 versus 2.3 GHz on the Turion II P520 — a 188.2% clock advantage for the Turion II P520. The Core 2 Extreme X9100 uses the Penryn XE (2008) architecture (45 nm), while the Turion II P520 uses Champlain (2010−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Core 2 Extreme X9100 scores 2,063 against the Turion II P520's 2,047 — a 0.8% lead for the Core 2 Extreme X9100.

Feature	Core 2 Extreme X9100	Turion II P520
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 2
Boost Clock	0.07 GHz	2.3 GHz+3186%
Base Clock	3.06 GHz	—
L3 Cache	0 kB	—
L2 Cache	6 MB+200%	2 MB
Process	45 nm	45 nm
Architecture	Penryn XE (2008)	Champlain (2010−2011)
PassMark	2,063	2,047

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Memory & Platform

The Core 2 Extreme X9100 uses the PGA478 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Turion II P520 uses S1g4 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.