Core 2 Quad Q9000 vs Turion X2 Ultra ZM-85

Core 2 Quad Q9000

4 Cores4 Thrd6 WWMax: 2 GHz2009

Turion X2 Ultra ZM-85

2 Cores2 Thrd2 WWMax: 2.3 GHz2008

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core 2 Quad Q9000

4 / 4

1,597

+0.8%

Turion X2 Ultra ZM-85

2 / 2

1,585

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5945WX

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.

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 Quad Q9000 is positioned at rank 1216 and the Turion X2 Ultra ZM-85 is on rank 413, so the Turion X2 Ultra ZM-85 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 Quad Q9000

#1204

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

6392%

#1205

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

6298%

#1206

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

5782%

#1207

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

5756%

#1208

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

5703%

#1210

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

5508%

#1211

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

5281%

#1212

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

5272%

#1213

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

5131%

#1216

Core 2 Quad Q9000

MSRP: $348|Avg: $15

100%

#1217

Core i5-2537M

MSRP: $250|Avg: N/A

100%

#1218

Core i7-720QM

MSRP: $364|Avg: N/A

99%

#1219

Pentium U5400

MSRP: $289|Avg: $214

97%

#1220

Pentium T2330

MSRP: $150|Avg: $7

97%

#1221

Z-01

MSRP: $50|Avg: $10

94%

#1222

Pentium T2310

MSRP: $150|Avg: $14

91%

#1223

Celeron SU2300

MSRP: $134|Avg: $134

89%

#1224

Core i5-560UM

MSRP: $250|Avg: N/A

88%

#1225

Core i7-660UM

MSRP: $317|Avg: N/A

88%

#1226

C-30

MSRP: $50|Avg: $15

88%

#1228

Core i7-620UM

MSRP: $278|Avg: N/A

85%

#1230

Celeron 570

MSRP: $134|Avg: $15

82%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Turion X2 Ultra ZM-85

#124

Core i5-1240P

MSRP: $309|Avg: $200

99%

#125

Core i7-13700H

MSRP: $502|Avg: N/A

99%

#401

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

555%

#402

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

547%

#403

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

502%

#404

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

500%

#405

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

496%

#407

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

479%

#408

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

459%

#409

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

458%

#410

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

446%

#413

Turion X2 Ultra ZM-85

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#421

Core i5-9400H

MSRP: $182|Avg: N/A

98%

#426

Celeron 2981U

MSRP: $137|Avg: N/A

98%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Turion X2 Ultra ZM-85 leads in gaming performance. However, the Core 2 Quad Q9000 is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.8% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Core 2 Quad Q9000	Turion X2 Ultra ZM-85
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($15)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Puma (2008−2009) / 65 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Core 2 Quad Q9000	Turion X2 Ultra ZM-85
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($15)	✅ More affordable ($0)

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 Quad Q9000 Benchmark Check

Turion X2 Ultra ZM-85 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 2 Quad Q9000 and Turion X2 Ultra ZM-85

Core 2 Quad Q9000

The Core 2 Quad Q9000 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 January 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 2 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 6 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: PGA478. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 1,597 points. Launch price was $348.

Turion X2 Ultra ZM-85

The Turion X2 Ultra ZM-85 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Puma (2008−2009) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 2.3 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: S1g2. Thermal design power (TDP): 2 MB. Memory support: DDR2. Passmark benchmark score: 1,585 points. Launch price was $69.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core 2 Quad Q9000 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Turion X2 Ultra ZM-85 offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the Core 2 Quad Q9000 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2 GHz on the Core 2 Quad Q9000 versus 2.3 GHz on the Turion X2 Ultra ZM-85 — a 14% clock advantage for the Turion X2 Ultra ZM-85. The Core 2 Quad Q9000 uses the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Turion X2 Ultra ZM-85 uses Puma (2008−2009) (65 nm). In PassMark, the Core 2 Quad Q9000 scores 1,597 against the Turion X2 Ultra ZM-85's 1,585 — a 0.8% lead for the Core 2 Quad Q9000. L3 cache: 6 MB L2 Cache on the Core 2 Quad Q9000 vs 0 kB on the Turion X2 Ultra ZM-85.

Feature	Core 2 Quad Q9000	Turion X2 Ultra ZM-85
Cores / Threads	4 / 4+100%	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2 GHz	2.3 GHz+15%
Base Clock	2 GHz	—
L3 Cache	6 MB L2 Cache	0 kB
L2 Cache	6 MB+200%	2 MB
Process	45 nm-31%	65 nm
Architecture	Penryn (2008−2011)	Puma (2008−2009)
PassMark	1,597	1,585

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 2 Quad Q9000 uses the PGA478 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Turion X2 Ultra ZM-85 uses S1g2 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.