Turion II P520
VS
Core 2 Duo SL9600

Turion II P520 vs Core 2 Duo SL9600

AMD

Turion II P520

2 Cores2 Thrd2 WWMax: 2.3 GHz2010
VS
Intel

Core 2 Duo SL9600

2 Cores2 Thrd6 WWMax: 2.13 GHz2009

Performance Spectrum - CPU

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 Turion II P520 is positioned at rank 281 and the Core 2 Duo SL9600 is on rank 1177, so the Turion II P520 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 Turion II P520

#82
Core i7-11700B
MSRP: $323|Avg: $311
98%
#83
Core i7-13700HX
MSRP: $485|Avg: N/A
97%
#269
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
430%
#270
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
424%
#271
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
389%
#272
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
387%
#273
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
384%
#275
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
371%
#276
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
355%
#277
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
355%
#278
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
345%
#281
Turion II P520
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core 2 Duo SL9600

#1165
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
4514%
#1166
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
4448%
#1167
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
4083%
#1168
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
4065%
#1169
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
4027%
#1171
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
3889%
#1172
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
3729%
#1173
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
3723%
#1174
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
3623%
#1177
Core 2 Duo SL9600
MSRP: $316|Avg: N/A
100%
#1178
Athlon PRO 3045B
MSRP: $426|Avg: $180
100%
#1179
Core 2 Duo T5600
MSRP: $241|Avg: N/A
100%
#1180
Pentium N3510
MSRP: $161|Avg: $161
99%
#1181
Core i7-7Y75
MSRP: $393|Avg: $285
99%
#1183
Core i7-4500U
MSRP: $398|Avg: N/A
96%
#1185
Athlon Neo X2 L325
MSRP: $100|Avg: $5
95%
#1186
Core i3-2370M
MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A
94%
#1187
Core i3-3217UE
MSRP: $225|Avg: $35
93%
#1188
Celeron T3000
MSRP: $150|Avg: $54
93%
#1189
Core m7-6Y75
MSRP: $393|Avg: $393
92%
#1190
Core M-5Y10
MSRP: $281|Avg: $20
90%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Turion II P520 leads in gaming performance. However, the Core 2 Duo SL9600 is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.3% greater multi-core processing power.
InsightTurion II P520Core 2 Duo SL9600
Gaming
Superior gaming performance
Lower gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($316)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Champlain (2010−2011) / 45 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

InsightTurion II P520Core 2 Duo SL9600
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($316)

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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Turion II P520 and Core 2 Duo SL9600

AMD

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.

Intel

Core 2 Duo SL9600

The Core 2 Duo SL9600 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 March 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.13 GHz, with boost up to 2.13 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 6 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: BGA956. Thermal design power (TDP): 17 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 2,054 points. Launch price was $316.

Processing Power

Both the Turion II P520 and Core 2 Duo SL9600 share an identical 2-core/2-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.3 GHz on the Turion II P520 versus 2.13 GHz on the Core 2 Duo SL9600 — a 7.7% clock advantage for the Turion II P520. The Turion II P520 uses the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Core 2 Duo SL9600 uses Penryn (2008−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Turion II P520 scores 2,047 against the Core 2 Duo SL9600's 2,054 — a 0.3% lead for the Core 2 Duo SL9600.

FeatureTurion II P520Core 2 Duo SL9600
Cores / Threads
2 / 2
2 / 2
Boost Clock
2.3 GHz+8%
2.13 GHz
Base Clock
2.13 GHz
L3 Cache
6 MB L2 Cache
L2 Cache
2 MB
6 MB+200%
Process
45 nm
45 nm
Architecture
Champlain (2010−2011)
Penryn (2008−2011)
PassMark
2,047
2,054
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Turion II P520 uses the S1g4 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core 2 Duo SL9600 uses BGA956 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureTurion II P520Core 2 Duo SL9600
Socket
S1g4
BGA956
PCIe Generation
PCIe 2.0+82%
PCIe 1.1
Max RAM Speed
DDR3-1066
Max RAM Capacity
8 GB
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
0
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Turion II P520) / VT-x, VT-d (Core 2 Duo SL9600). Primary use case: Core 2 Duo SL9600 targets Mobile.

FeatureTurion II P520Core 2 Duo SL9600
Integrated GPU
No
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
VT-x, VT-d
Target Use
Mobile