Core 2 Quad Q9100 vs Xeon E5503

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 Q9100 is positioned at rank 69 and the Xeon E5503 is on rank 895, so the Core 2 Quad Q9100 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 Q9100

#15

Ryzen 5 220

MSRP: $150|Avg: $150

97%

#18

Ryzen 5 8500G

MSRP: $179|Avg: $150

93%

#57

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

227%

#58

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

224%

#59

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

206%

#60

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

205%

#61

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

203%

#63

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

196%

#64

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

188%

#65

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

188%

#66

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

183%

#69

Core 2 Quad Q9100

MSRP: $14|Avg: $14

100%

#75

Core i3-4030U

MSRP: $281|Avg: N/A

97%

#79

Atom D2500

MSRP: $42|Avg: N/A

94%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5503

#1

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

22888%

#6

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

4321%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

3839%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

2966%

#503

Xeon W-3275M

MSRP: $4449|Avg: $4449

100%

#504

Xeon E5-2660 v3

MSRP: $1445|Avg: $150

99%

#505

Xeon E5-2679 v4

MSRP: $2702|Avg: $500

98%

#506

Xeon E5-2680 v3

MSRP: $1745|Avg: $212

94%

#507

Xeon Platinum 8562Y+

MSRP: $5945|Avg: $7000

93%

#508

Xeon E7-8895 v2

MSRP: $6841|Avg: $65

92%

#509

EPYC 9684X

MSRP: $14756|Avg: $14756

91%

#509

EPYC 9754

MSRP: $11900|Avg: $10631

91%

#895

Xeon E5503

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#898

Xeon W-2225

MSRP: $1166|Avg: $150

98%

#900

Xeon E5-2650L v3

MSRP: $1329|Avg: N/A

98%

#906

Xeon E5405

MSRP: $209|Avg: $15

92%

#907

Xeon E5-2440

MSRP: $728|Avg: $249

92%

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 ($0) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon E5503 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Core 2 Quad Q9100	Xeon E5503
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($14)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Gainestown (2009−2010) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core 2 Quad Q9100 ($14), 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 ($14 less, Infinity% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Core 2 Quad Q9100	Xeon E5503
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($14)	✅ 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 Q9100 Benchmark Check

Xeon E5503 Benchmark Check

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Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 2 Quad Q9100 and Xeon E5503

Core 2 Quad Q9100

The Core 2 Quad Q9100 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2008-01-01. It is based on the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.26 GHz, with boost up to 2.26 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 6 MB (total). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: PGA478. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 1,806 points. Launch price was $249.

Xeon E5503

The Xeon E5503 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 16 March 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Gainestown (2009−2010) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 2 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1366. Thermal design power (TDP): 80 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,815 points. Launch price was $287.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core 2 Quad Q9100 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Xeon E5503 offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the Core 2 Quad Q9100 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.26 GHz on the Core 2 Quad Q9100 versus 2 GHz on the Xeon E5503 — a 12.2% clock advantage for the Core 2 Quad Q9100 (base: 2.26 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Core 2 Quad Q9100 uses the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Xeon E5503 uses Gainestown (2009−2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Core 2 Quad Q9100 scores 1,806 against the Xeon E5503's 1,815 — a 0.5% lead for the Xeon E5503. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Core 2 Quad Q9100 vs 4 MB (total) on the Xeon E5503.

Feature	Core 2 Quad Q9100	Xeon E5503
Cores / Threads	4 / 4+100%	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.26 GHz+13%	2 GHz
Base Clock	2.26 GHz+13%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	0 kB	4 MB (total)
L2 Cache	6 MB (total)+2300%	256 kB (per core)
Process	45 nm	45 nm
Architecture	Penryn (2008−2011)	Gainestown (2009−2010)
PassMark	1,806	1,815

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Memory & Platform

The Core 2 Quad Q9100 uses the PGA478 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Xeon E5503 uses LGA1366 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.