Core 2 Solo SU3500 vs Phenom X4 9450e

Core 2 Solo SU3500

1 Cores1 Thrd3 WWMax: 1.4 GHz2009

Phenom X4 9450e

4 Cores4 Thrd65 WWMax: 2.1 GHz2008

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core 2 Solo SU3500

1 / 1

1,468

+0.9%

1,455

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

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 Solo SU3500 is positioned at rank 1195 and the Phenom X4 9450e is on rank 1093, so the Phenom X4 9450e 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 Solo SU3500

#1183

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

5239%

#1184

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

5163%

#1185

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

4739%

#1186

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

4718%

#1187

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

4675%

#1189

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

4514%

#1190

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

4329%

#1191

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

4321%

#1192

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

4205%

#1195

Core 2 Solo SU3500

MSRP: $262|Avg: $15

100%

#1196

Core 2 Duo E8335

MSRP: $200|Avg: $50

98%

#1199

Celeron 560

MSRP: $89|Avg: $5

95%

#1200

Core i3-2312M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

94%

#1201

Celeron 857

MSRP: $134|Avg: $10

94%

#1202

Celeron 925

MSRP: $100|Avg: $100

94%

#1203

Core 2 Duo E8135

MSRP: $200|Avg: $15

91%

#1204

Core 2 Duo U7700

MSRP: $262|Avg: $10

91%

#1205

Core Duo T2400

MSRP: $294|Avg: N/A

90%

#1206

Core 2 Duo U7600

MSRP: $250|Avg: $5

90%

#1207

Pentium M 735

MSRP: $294|Avg: N/A

89%

#1208

Core i7-620LM

MSRP: $300|Avg: N/A

87%

#1209

Core i7-740QM

MSRP: $378|Avg: N/A

87%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Phenom X4 9450e

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

96506%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

91189%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

66211%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

19946%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

15800%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

13822%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

7916%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

7813%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

7114%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

7113%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

7034%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

6844%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

6748%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

6721%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

6660%

#1093

Phenom X4 9450e

MSRP: $450|Avg: $430

100%

#1094

Athlon 64 X2 3800+

MSRP: $354|Avg: $20

96%

#1095

Athlon 64 3000+

MSRP: $149|Avg: $10

93%

#1096

Athlon XP 3100+

MSRP: $150|Avg: $20

88%

#1097

Athlon 64 3300+

MSRP: $200|Avg: $200

81%

#1098

Athlon 64 2800+

MSRP: $178|Avg: $15

73%

#1099

Athlon 64 3700+

MSRP: $272|Avg: $20

71%

#1100

Athlon 64 FX-72

MSRP: $799|Avg: $40

70%

#1101

Athlon 64 X2 4200+

MSRP: $581|Avg: $110

67%

#1102

Athlon 64 3500+

MSRP: $272|Avg: $10

65%

#1103

Pentium D 830

MSRP: $316|Avg: $20

61%

#1104

Pentium D 960

MSRP: $523|Avg: $15

59%

#1105

Athlon XP 2500+

MSRP: $172|Avg: $15

58%

#1106

Athlon 64 3800+

MSRP: $354|Avg: $10

57%

#1107

Pentium 4 2.53

MSRP: $193|Avg: $13

55%

#1108

Pentium 4 2.40

MSRP: $193|Avg: $193

52%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Phenom X4 9450e leads in gaming performance. However, the Core 2 Solo SU3500 is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.9% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Core 2 Solo SU3500	Phenom X4 9450e
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	✅ More affordable ($15)	⚠️ Higher cost ($430)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Agena (2007−2008) / 65 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Efficiency: Even within a comparison of older hardware, the Core 2 Solo SU3500 stands out as the superior choice. It is effectively 97% cheaper ($15 vs $430) while identifying as the stronger performer.

Insight	Core 2 Solo SU3500	Phenom X4 9450e
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+2792%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($15)	⚠️ Higher cost ($430)

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 Solo SU3500 Benchmark Check

Phenom X4 9450e Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 2 Solo SU3500 and Phenom X4 9450e

Core 2 Solo SU3500

The Core 2 Solo SU3500 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 April 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture. It features 1 cores and 1 threads. Base frequency is 1.3 GHz, with boost up to 1.4 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB. L2 cache: 3 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: BGA956. Thermal design power (TDP): 5.5 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 1,468 points. Launch price was $262.

Phenom X4 9450e

The Phenom X4 9450e is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Agena (2007−2008) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Max frequency: 2.1 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: AM2+. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 1,455 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core 2 Solo SU3500 packs 1 cores / 1 threads, while the Phenom X4 9450e offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Phenom X4 9450e has 3 more cores. Boost clocks reach 1.4 GHz on the Core 2 Solo SU3500 versus 2.1 GHz on the Phenom X4 9450e — a 40% clock advantage for the Phenom X4 9450e. The Core 2 Solo SU3500 uses the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Phenom X4 9450e uses Agena (2007−2008) (65 nm). In PassMark, the Core 2 Solo SU3500 scores 1,468 against the Phenom X4 9450e's 1,455 — a 0.9% lead for the Core 2 Solo SU3500. L3 cache: 3 MB on the Core 2 Solo SU3500 vs 2 MB (total) on the Phenom X4 9450e.

Feature	Core 2 Solo SU3500	Phenom X4 9450e
Cores / Threads	1 / 1	4 / 4+300%
Boost Clock	1.4 GHz	2.1 GHz+50%
Base Clock	1.3 GHz	—
L3 Cache	3 MB+50%	2 MB (total)
L2 Cache	3 MB+500%	512 kB (per core)
Process	45 nm-31%	65 nm
Architecture	Penryn (2008−2011)	Agena (2007−2008)
PassMark	1,468	1,455

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 2 Solo SU3500 uses the BGA956 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Phenom X4 9450e uses AM2+ (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core 2 Solo SU3500	Phenom X4 9450e
Socket	BGA956	AM2+
PCIe Generation	PCIe 1.1	PCIe 2.0+82%

💰

Value Analysis

The Core 2 Solo SU3500 launched at $262 MSRP, while the Phenom X4 9450e debuted at $450. At current prices ($15 vs $430), the Core 2 Solo SU3500 is $415 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core 2 Solo SU3500 delivers 97.9 pts/$ vs 3.4 pts/$ for the Phenom X4 9450e — making the Core 2 Solo SU3500 the 186.6% better value option.