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Intel Core 2 Performance Comparison Guide
The Intel Core 2 processors are a very successful line of processors. They are based on the Core microarchitecture which offers a tremendous improvement in performance and power efficiency. There are currently over 30 different processor models based on three main core designs. They are split into several performance grades :
- Core 2 Extreme (QX Series) - High-end quad-core Core 2 processor with unlocked multipliers
- Core 2 Extreme (X Series) - High-end dual-core Core 2 processor with unlocked multipliers
- Core 2 Quad (Q Series) - Mainstream quad-core Core 2 processor
- Core 2 Duo (E Series) - Mainstream dual-core Core 2 processor
- Pentium Dual-Core (E2000 Series) - Value-segment dual-core Core 2 processor
- Celeron Dual-Core (E1000 Series) - Budget-segment dual-core Core 2 processor
Unlike the AMD Phenom quad-core processors which are built on a single die, Intel still build their Core 2 quad-core processors as multi-chip packages - essentially two dual-core dies combined into a single package. Even their new 45 nm Core 2 processors are built this way.
This has led AMD to claim that they are not "true quad-core" processors, and therefore inferior to AMD's monolithic quad-core design. However, this is really a minor distinction. The Intel Core 2 quad-core processors have four processing cores and that qualifies them as quad-core processors, whether they are built as two dies or a single die.
In this article, we compare the performance of 23 Intel Core 2 processors in five benchmarks - two game-based benchmarks and three application benchmarks. We hope to add on more and more results as we get hold of additional Core 2 processors over time. Let's take a look at the Core 2 processors we have rounded up for this comparison.
The Processors
Processor |
Fab |
Cores |
L1 Cache |
L2 Cache |
FSB |
Multiplier |
Clock |
Core 2 Extreme QX9650 |
45 nm |
4 |
32 KB x 4 |
6 MB x 2 |
1333 MHz |
9x |
3.0 GHz |
Core 2 Quad Q9550 |
45 nm |
4 |
32 KB x 4 |
6 MB x 2 |
1333 MHz |
8.5x |
2.83 GHz |
Core 2 Quad Q9450 |
45 nm |
4 |
32 KB x 4 |
6 MB x 2 |
1333 MHz |
8x |
2.67 GHz |
Core 2 Duo E8600 |
45 nm |
2 |
32 KB x 2 |
6 MB |
1333 MHz |
10x |
3.33 GHz |
Core 2 Duo E8500 |
45 nm |
2 |
32 KB x 2 |
6 MB |
1333 MHz |
9.5x |
3.16 GHz |
Core 2 Duo E8400 |
45 nm |
2 |
32 KB x 2 |
6 MB |
1333 MHz |
9x |
3.0 GHz |
Core 2 Duo E8300 |
45 nm |
2 |
32 KB x 2 |
6 MB |
1333 MHz |
8.5x |
2.83 GHz |
Core 2 Duo E8200/E8190 |
45 nm |
2 |
32 KB x 2 |
6 MB |
1333 MHz |
8x |
2.67 GHz |
Core 2 Duo E7200 |
45 nm |
2 |
32 KB x 2 |
3 MB |
1066 MHz |
9.5x |
2.53 GHz |
Core 2 Extreme QX6850 |
65 nm |
4 |
32 KB x 4 |
4 MB x 2 |
1333 MHz |
9x |
3.0 GHz |
Core 2 Extreme QX6800 |
65 nm |
4 |
32 KB x 4 |
4 MB x 2 |
1066 MHz |
11x |
2.93 GHz |
Core 2 Extreme QX6700 |
65 nm |
4 |
32 KB x 4 |
4 MB x 2 |
1066 MHz |
10x |
2.67 GHz |
Core 2 Quad Q6700 |
65 nm |
4 |
32 KB x 4 |
4 MB x 2 |
1066 MHz |
10x |
2.67 GHz |
Core 2 Quad Q6600 |
65 nm |
4 |
32 KB x 4 |
4 MB x 2 |
1066 MHz |
9x |
2.4 GHz |
Core 2 Duo E6850 |
65 nm |
2 |
32 KB x 2 |
4 MB |
1333 MHz |
9x |
3.0 GHz |
Core 2 Duo E6750 |
65 nm |
2 |
32 KB x 2 |
4 MB |
1333 MHz |
8x |
2.67 GHz |
Core 2 Duo E6600 |
65 nm |
2 |
32 KB x 2 |
4 MB |
1066 MHz |
9x |
2.4 GHz |
Core 2 Duo E6550/E6540 |
65 nm |
2 |
32 KB x 2 |
4 MB |
1333 MHz |
7x |
2.33 GHz |
Core 2 Duo E6420 |
65 nm |
2 |
32 KB x 2 |
4 MB |
1066 MHz |
8x |
2.13 GHz |
Core 2 Duo E6320 |
65 nm |
2 |
32 KB x 2 |
4 MB |
1066 MHz |
7x |
1.86 GHz |
Celeron Dual-Core E1200 |
65 nm |
2 |
32 KB x 2 |
512 KB |
800 MHz |
8x |
1.6 GHz |
For more specifications, take a look at our Desktop CPU Comparison Guide. |
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The Performance Comparison |
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| Benchmark Details & Settings | ||
Games |
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3D Rendering |
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Media Encoding |
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Math Calculations |
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Conclusion |
