Pentium Extreme Edition 955 vs Core 2 Extreme X9000

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 Pentium Extreme Edition 955 is positioned at rank 1123 and the Core 2 Extreme X9000 is on rank 915, so the Core 2 Extreme X9000 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 Pentium Extreme Edition 955

#1

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

283377%

#2

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

267764%

#3

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

194418%

#4

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

58570%

#5

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

46394%

#6

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

40585%

#7

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

23245%

#8

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

22942%

#9

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

20889%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

20887%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

20654%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

20096%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

19815%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

19735%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

19556%

#1123

Pentium Extreme Edition 955

MSRP: $999|Avg: $50

100%

#1124

Athlon XP 2700+

MSRP: $349|Avg: $20

94%

#1125

Athlon XP 2800+

MSRP: $375|Avg: $35

92%

#1126

Pentium III 1200

MSRP: $200|Avg: $10

89%

#1127

Athlon XP 3200+

MSRP: $464|Avg: $40

87%

#1128

Pentium III 1400

MSRP: $250|Avg: $20

83%

#1129

Pentium 4 2.60

MSRP: $401|Avg: $25

83%

#1130

Pentium III 1400S

MSRP: $250|Avg: $250

83%

#1131

Athlon XP 1800+

MSRP: $252|Avg: $30

81%

#1132

Athlon XP 1900+

MSRP: $269|Avg: $20

80%

#1133

Athlon 64 FX-51

MSRP: $733|Avg: $733

76%

#1134

Athlon 64 FX-55

MSRP: $827|Avg: $50

75%

#1135

Athlon 64 FX-53

MSRP: $799|Avg: $15

74%

#1136

Athlon XP 2000+

MSRP: $339|Avg: $40

67%

#1137

Athlon 64 FX-57

MSRP: $1031|Avg: $200

64%

#1138

Athlon XP 3000+

MSRP: $588|Avg: $20

63%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

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 Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Core 2 Extreme X9000 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Pentium Extreme Edition 955 in both compute-intensive tasks (1.2% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Pentium Extreme Edition 955	Core 2 Extreme X9000
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($50)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Presler (2005−2007) / 65 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Pentium Extreme Edition 955	Core 2 Extreme X9000
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($50)	✅ 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.

Pentium Extreme Edition 955 Benchmark Check

Core 2 Extreme X9000 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium Extreme Edition 955 and Core 2 Extreme X9000

Pentium Extreme Edition 955

The Pentium Extreme Edition 955 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 27 December 2005 (19 years ago). It is based on the Presler (2005−2007) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.466 GHz, with boost up to 0.47 GHz. L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: LGA775. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR1, DDR2, DDR3 Depends on motherboard. Passmark benchmark score: 1,095 points. Launch price was $999.

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.

⚡

Processing Power

The Pentium Extreme Edition 955 packs 2 cores / 4 threads, matching the Core 2 Extreme X9000's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 0.47 GHz on the Pentium Extreme Edition 955 versus 2.8 GHz on the Core 2 Extreme X9000 — a 142.5% clock advantage for the Core 2 Extreme X9000 (base: 3.466 GHz vs 2.8 GHz). The Pentium Extreme Edition 955 uses the Presler (2005−2007) architecture (65 nm), while the Core 2 Extreme X9000 uses Penryn (2008−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium Extreme Edition 955 scores 1,095 against the Core 2 Extreme X9000's 1,108 — a 1.2% lead for the Core 2 Extreme X9000.

Feature	Pentium Extreme Edition 955	Core 2 Extreme X9000
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	2 / 2
Boost Clock	0.47 GHz	2.8 GHz+496%
Base Clock	3.466 GHz+24%	2.8 GHz
L3 Cache	—	6 MB L2 Cache
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)	6 MB+200%
Process	65 nm	45 nm-31%
Architecture	Presler (2005−2007)	Penryn (2008−2011)
PassMark	1,095	1,108+1%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium Extreme Edition 955 uses the LGA775 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Core 2 Extreme X9000 uses PGA478 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.