Intel Core 2 Duo P9700

The Intel Core 2 Duo P9700 is an Intel mobile processor built around the Core 2 architecture with the Penryn core on a 45 nm process. It was released on June 1, 2009, and the database lists a launch MSRP of $348. The part number is SLGQS, it uses Intel Socket P, and its production status is end-of-life. The processor has 2 cores and 2 threads, a base clock of 2.80 GHz, and no boost clock.

Benchmark Performance

Benchmark records for the P9700 are absent: the benchmarks array is empty. The average benchmark score field is 0, which reflects that empty array rather than a measured performance result. The percentileVsAllCpus field is 50, so the processor sits at the 50th percentile of the database's CPU distribution. That is a median placement. No nearestRivals entries are present, so there are no scores and no deltaPct values for comparison. The data cannot state a percentage advantage or disadvantage against any other CPU.

In place of measured scores, the specification list is the only performance evidence. It shows 2 cores, 2 threads, a 2.80 GHz clock, and 6 MB of shared L2 cache. The memory support is DDR2 and DDR3 over a dual-channel bus. No memory bandwidth number is listed, so the interaction between the memory subsystem and the CPU is described only in terms of supported memory types and channel layout. The empty benchmark list means any statement about how this processor compares in speed must be drawn from its configuration rather than from recorded runs.

Power and Thermals

The P9700 carries a TDP of 28 W. That TDP defines the thermal class: a low-power mobile package rather than a high-heat desktop one. The listed market segment is Mobile, which reinforces that reading.

The 45 nm process uses 410 million transistors on a 107 mm² die. These figures describe the Penryn implementation behind the processor. The multiplier is locked, and no boost clock is present, so the processor is not given a mechanism to raise speed beyond 2.80 GHz. The implied cooling tier is a compact notebook-class solution, consistent with the 28 W TDP and the Mobile market segment. There is no measured power draw or temperature data in the entry, so the thermal analysis rests on the TDP rating and the fixed clock configuration.

Who Should Consider It

The workload profile of the P9700 follows directly from its 2 cores and 2 threads. Applications that run well within a single thread see the full 2.80 GHz, because there is no boost clock. Applications that can use a second thread gain a second core plus access to the same shared 6 MB L2 cache. This shape fits office productivity, document editing, spreadsheet work, and similar light workloads.

The 28 W TDP and Mobile market segment also make the processor suitable for notebook-class systems where a modest thermal solution is expected. Because the production status is end-of-life, the practical consideration is existing systems or legacy upgrades, not new retail builds.

Users with workloads that require more than 2 simultaneous threads are outside the intended usage. The hardware exposes only 2 threads; any larger thread count must be time-sliced. The absence of measured multi-thread scores prevents a numeric estimate of that limitation, but the 2-thread ceiling is explicit in the data.

How It Compares

In this database entry, the nearestRivals array is empty. There are no rival names, scores, or deltaPct values to list, so no head-to-head comparison can be drawn from the data. The only comparison signal is the overall percentile: 50. That value places the P9700 at the midpoint of all CPUs in the database. It is not a top-tier position and it is not a bottom-tier position.

Because the average benchmark score is 0 due to the empty benchmarks array, the percentile is the sole quantitative rank. The absence of rivals means this entry is best treated as a standalone historical mobile processor rather than a chip ranked against specific contemporaries. No direct comparison statements are possible from the provided entry.

Single-Thread vs Multi-Thread Behavior

The P9700's thread count equals its core count: 2 cores and 2 threads. There is no listed mechanism for additional threads per core. For single-thread work, the relevant clock is 2.80 GHz. No boost clock is available, so a single thread cannot be accelerated beyond the base frequency by the processor's own settings. The locked multiplier also prevents multiplier-based frequency adjustment.

For 2-thread work, the second core provides concurrency, and the 6 MB L2 cache is shared between the cores. That shared cache matters when both threads reference the same data set. With more than 2 threads in the workload, the processor must schedule those threads through its 2 hardware threads; it cannot execute more than 2 of them at once.

The L3 cache field is null, so there is no L3 cache above the shared L2 in the listed hierarchy. Memory support is DDR2 and DDR3 through a dual-channel bus, which can feed both cores at once, although no bandwidth figure is recorded. Overall, the split is simple: a fixed-speed core can be used, or 2 fixed-speed cores can be used together, with no further thread expansion available.

FAQ

Q: What socket does the Core 2 Duo P9700 use?

A: It uses Intel Socket P.

Q: What is the core and thread configuration?

A: The processor has 2 cores and 2 threads, with a base clock of 2.80 GHz and no boost clock.

Q: What memory does it support?

A: It supports DDR2 and DDR3 memory on a dual-channel bus. ECC memory is not supported.

Q: What cache is listed?

A: The listed cache is 64 KB of L1 per core and 6 MB of shared L2. No L3 cache is listed.

Q: Does it have integrated graphics?

A: Integrated graphics are listed as "On certain motherboards (Chipset feature)", meaning the graphics capability is tied to the motherboard or chipset rather than presented as a processor function.

Q: Is the processor still in production?

A: No. The production status is end-of-life, and the release date is June 1, 2009.