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

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

High-end dual-core Core 2 processor with unlocked multipliers Core 2 Quad (Q Series) - Mainstream quad-core Core 2 processor

Mainstream quad-core Core 2 processor Core 2 Duo (E Series) - Mainstream dual-core Core 2 processor

Mainstream dual-core Core 2 processor Pentium Dual-Core (E2000 Series) - Value-segment dual-core Core 2 processor

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

Process Cores L1 Cache L2 Cache FSB

Speed Multiplier Clock

Frequency 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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