Core 2 Quad Q9650 vs Apple M3 Pro 12-Core
Aggregate performance score
Apple M3 Pro 12-Core outperforms Core 2 Quad Q9650 by a whopping 849% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
Comparing Apple M3 Pro 12-Core and Core 2 Quad Q9650 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in performance ranking | 430 | 2007 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | no data | 1.43 |
| Market segment | Laptop | Desktop processor |
| Series | Apple M3 | no data |
| Architecture codename | no data | Yorkfield (2007−2009) |
| Release date | 30 October 2023 (less than a year ago) | August 2008 (15 years ago) |
| Current price | no data | $75 |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance per price, higher is better.
Detailed specifications
Apple M3 Pro 12-Core and Core 2 Quad Q9650 basic parameters such as number of cores, number of threads, base frequency and turbo boost clock, lithography, cache size and multiplier lock state. These parameters indirectly say of CPU speed, though for more precise assessment you have to consider their test results.
| Physical cores | 12 (Dodeca-Core) | 4 (Quad-Core) |
| Threads | 126 x 4.1 GHz Apple M3 P-Core6 x 2.7 GHz Apple M3 E-Core | 4 |
| Base clock speed | 2.748 GHz | 3 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 4.06 GHz | 3 GHz |
| L1 cache | no data | 64 KB (per core) |
| L2 cache | no data | 6 MB (per die) |
| L3 cache | no data | 0 KB |
| Chip lithography | 3 nm | 45 nm |
| Die size | no data | 2x 107 mm2 |
| Maximum core temperature | no data | 71 °C |
| Number of transistors | 37000 Million | 820 million |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | no data | - |
| Unlocked multiplier | No | No |
| VID voltage range | no data | 0.85V-1.3625V |
Compatibility
Information on Apple M3 Pro 12-Core and Core 2 Quad Q9650 compatibility with other computer components: motherboard (look for socket type), power supply unit (look for power consumption) etc. Useful when planning a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. Note that power consumption of some processors can well exceed their nominal TDP, even without overclocking. Some can even double their declared thermals given that the motherboard allows to tune the CPU power parameters.
| Number of CPUs in a configuration | no data | 1 |
| Socket | no data | LGA775 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 27 Watt | 95 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Apple M3 Pro 12-Core and Core 2 Quad Q9650. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| AES-NI | no data | - |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | no data | + |
| Turbo Boost Technology | no data | - |
| Hyper-Threading Technology | no data | - |
| Idle States | no data | + |
| Thermal Monitoring | no data | + |
| Demand Based Switching | no data | - |
| FSB parity | no data | - |
| Status | no data | Discontinued |
Security technologies
Apple M3 Pro 12-Core and Core 2 Quad Q9650 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | no data | + |
| EDB | no data | + |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Apple M3 Pro 12-Core and Core 2 Quad Q9650 are enumerated here.
| VT-d | no data | + |
| VT-x | no data | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Apple M3 Pro 12-Core and Core 2 Quad Q9650. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | no data | DDR1, DDR2, DDR3 |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | Apple M3 Pro 18-Core GPU | no data |
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 15.19 | 1.60 |
| Physical cores | 12 | 4 |
| Threads | 126 x 4.1 GHz Apple M3 P-Core6 x 2.7 GHz Apple M3 E-Core | 4 |
| Chip lithography | 3 nm | 45 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 27 Watt | 95 Watt |
The Apple M3 Pro 12-Core is our recommended choice as it beats the Core 2 Quad Q9650 in performance tests.
Be aware that Apple M3 Pro 12-Core is a notebook processor while Core 2 Quad Q9650 is a desktop one.
Should you still have questions on choice between Apple M3 Pro 12-Core and Core 2 Quad Q9650, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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