Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450

The Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 is a desktop processor from Intel’s Core 2 Quad (Yorkfield) generation, released on 2008-03-24. It is built on Intel’s 45 nm process with 820 million transistors and a die size of 2x 107 mm². The Q9450 offers 4 cores and 4 threads at a base clock of 2.67 GHz, with no boost clock listed, and a 95 W TDP. It targets the Intel Socket 775 platform, carries part number SLAWR, and is marked end-of-life in the database.

Platform and Compatibility

The Q9450 uses Intel Socket 775, which defines the motherboard interface for this processor. The fact pack lists memory support spanning DDR1, DDR2, and DDR3, with a dual-channel memory bus. No memory bandwidth figure is recorded, so the practical throughput of that dual-channel configuration is not quantified in this dataset. ECC memory is not supported.

For expansion, the platform includes PCIe Gen 2 support. The cache hierarchy is specified as 64 KB L1 per core and 12 MB of shared L2. There is no L3 cache listed. Integrated graphics are not guaranteed on the processor itself; the record describes integrated graphics as a chipset feature on certain motherboards. That distinction matters for system builders who expect graphics output without a discrete card.

The upgrade path is constrained by the end-of-life status. Socket 775 remains the mechanical anchor, but the data does not enumerate which specific motherboards or chipsets are compatible beyond that socket. The multiplier is not unlocked, so the 2.67 GHz base clock is the fixed frequency reference. In addition, no boost clock is present in the record, meaning there is no advertised higher-frequency state for lightly threaded or single-core workloads. The platform picture is therefore a 775-era desktop design with broad older memory support, Gen 2 PCIe, and no ECC, anchored by a locked 4-core/4-thread processor.

How It Compares

The nearestRivals list in the fact pack is empty. This is a notable absence: there are no rival names, no rival scores, and no deltaPct values to compare against. As a result, a per-rival comparison cannot be written from this dataset. The only ranking signal is percentileVsAllCpus, which is 50. That places the Q9450 exactly at the midpoint of all CPUs in the database.

Without nearest rivals, the percentile cannot be translated into a statement such as “ahead of rival X” or “behind rival Y.” The average benchmark score is also reported as 0, which further suggests no populated measured score is available for comparison. The Q9450’s comparative position is, at best, a median placeholder. The data does not support any named rival comparison, so any inference about its standing relative to other processors would go beyond the fact pack.

Power and Thermals

The TDP for the Q9450 is 95 W. That places it in the 95 W thermal design class. The fact pack does not specify cooler dimensions, fan type, or heatsink rating, so the cooling tier can only be described in terms of the TDP envelope: a solution designed for a 95 W-class processor is implied.

The 45 nm manufacturing process and 820 million transistor count are the underlying manufacturing facts that inform that power rating. Because the Q9450 has no boost clock, its thermal profile is tied to one operating point: 2.67 GHz across all 4 cores and 4 threads. The locked multiplier also removes multiplier-based frequency scaling from the picture. No measured thermal test results are included, so the actual temperature deltas under load remain unquantified. The data supports only a broad conclusion: 95 W TDP, 45 nm process, and a fixed 2.67 GHz clock point.

FAQ

Q: What socket does the Q9450 use?

A: Intel Socket 775.

Q: What memory types does the Q9450 support?

A: DDR1, DDR2, and DDR3, with a dual-channel memory bus. ECC memory is not supported.

Q: Does the Q9450 have integrated graphics?

A: Integrated graphics are listed as a chipset feature on certain motherboards, not as a guaranteed feature of the processor itself.

Q: Is the multiplier unlocked?

A: No. The multiplierUnlocked field is false.

Q: What is the cache arrangement?

A: 64 KB L1 per core and 12 MB shared L2. No L3 cache is listed.

Q: When was the Q9450 released, and what is its production status?

A: It was released on 2008-03-24 and its production status is end-of-life.

Benchmark Performance

The benchmark data for the Q9450 is sparse. The benchmarks array is empty, and the average benchmark score is reported as 0. That 0 should be read as an empty or unpopulated score field rather than a measured result. The nearestRivals list is also empty, so there are no exact percentage deltas to calculate for the Q9450 versus any competing processor.

The only performance-adjacent quantity in the record is percentileVsAllCpus: 50. In a percentile framework, 50 is the median point. This implies that the Q9450 sits in the middle of the database’s CPU distribution. But because no underlying scores are stored, the magnitude of that median position cannot be tied to specific workloads or concrete margins. It is not possible to say that the Q9450 is a certain percentage ahead of one rival in multi-core or behind another in single-threaded tasks. The data simply has no rival scores, no benchmark entries, and no deltaPct values.

What the fact pack does provide is the architectural basis for performance: 4 cores, 4 threads, 2.67 GHz, 64 KB L1 per core, and 12 MB shared L2. Those specifications describe the workload envelope, even without a benchmark number. Still, the key quantitative conclusion for this section is a negative one: the Q9450’s average benchmark score is 0, its percentile is 50, and no rival deltas exist in the record.

Who Should Consider It

No gaming, content-creation, or office benchmark scores are present in the fact pack, so workload recommendations must come from the listed specifications rather than from measured results. The Q9450 is a 4-core, 4-thread desktop part with a 2.67 GHz base clock. Applications that can distribute work across 4 threads will align with its core and thread layout. Workloads that need more than 4 threads will run out of scheduling capacity, since the data lists no additional threads and no boost clock.

For single-thread-heavy tasks, the important specifications are the 2.67 GHz base clock and the 64 KB L1 per core. The 12 MB shared L2 could help workloads that repeatedly access a shared dataset across cores. For users on Socket 775 motherboards with support for DDR1, DDR2, or DDR3 and PCIe Gen 2, the Q9450 is architecturally compatible within that platform’s constraints. The end-of-life status and locked multiplier mean the consideration set is limited to existing motherboards and fixed-frequency operation.

The 50th percentile ranking suggests the processor sits at the middle of the database’s all-CPU distribution. However, without benchmark scores, the exact favorability for gaming, creation, or office work cannot be quantified. The Q9450 is best described as a 4-thread desktop part for Socket 775 systems that do not require ECC memory and do not depend on an unlocked multiplier.

Single-Thread vs Multi-Thread Behavior

The Q9450 has 4 cores and 4 threads. Since the thread count equals the core count, each thread has a dedicated core and no extra threads are listed. For a single-thread workload, the processor uses one core at 2.67 GHz with access to 64 KB of L1 and part of the shared 12 MB L2. No boost clock is recorded, so there is no higher single-thread frequency available in the data.

For multi-thread workloads, all 4 cores can operate at 2.67 GHz, allowing 4 threads to run in parallel. The shared L2 may reduce the cost of sharing data between cores, because the same 12 MB pool is accessible to all 4 cores. However, without benchmark scores, the actual scaling efficiency from 1 to 4 threads is not measured. The avgBenchmarkScore of 0 is a single placeholder, not a split between single-thread and multi-thread results.

The 50th percentile does not separate the two behaviors. The data supports a qualitative split: single-thread behavior is tied to one 2.67 GHz Core 2 architecture core, while multi-thread behavior is tied to 4 such cores at the same clock with a shared 12 MB L2. The absence of a boost clock means there is no frequency advantage for lightly threaded situations. The result is a straightforward frequency-and-core story: 2.67 GHz across all threads, with a maximum of 4 threads.