Athlon II X4 740 vs Xeon E5-2403 v2
Athlon II X4 740
Xeon E5-2403 v2
Performance Spectrum - CPU
About PassMark
PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.
Value Upgrade Path
This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Athlon II X4 740 is positioned at rank 522 and the Xeon E5-2403 v2 is on rank 747, so the Athlon II X4 740 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Athlon II X4 740
Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5-2403 v2
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon II X4 740 | Xeon E5-2403 v2 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($20) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($61) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Piledriver / 32 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge-EN (2013−2014) / 22 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon II X4 740 | Xeon E5-2403 v2 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ✅ Better overall value (+206%) | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($20) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($61) |
Performance Check
To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.
Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Athlon II X4 740 and Xeon E5-2403 v2
Athlon II X4 740
The Athlon II X4 740 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 1 October 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Piledriver architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L2 cache: 4 MB. Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: FM2. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 watt. Passmark benchmark score: 2,677 points. Launch price was $71.
Xeon E5-2403 v2
The Xeon E5-2403 v2 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge-EN (2013−2014) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.8 GHz, with boost up to 1.8 GHz. L3 cache: 10 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1356. Thermal design power (TDP): 80 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,672 points. Launch price was $223.
Processing Power
Both the Athlon II X4 740 and Xeon E5-2403 v2 share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.7 GHz on the Athlon II X4 740 versus 1.8 GHz on the Xeon E5-2403 v2 — a 69.1% clock advantage for the Athlon II X4 740 (base: 3.2 GHz vs 1.8 GHz). The Athlon II X4 740 uses the Piledriver architecture (32 nm), while the Xeon E5-2403 v2 uses Ivy Bridge-EN (2013−2014) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon II X4 740 scores 2,677 against the Xeon E5-2403 v2's 2,672 — a 0.2% lead for the Athlon II X4 740.
| Feature | Athlon II X4 740 | Xeon E5-2403 v2 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4 | 4 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 3.7 GHz+106% | 1.8 GHz |
| Base Clock | 3.2 GHz+78% | 1.8 GHz |
| L3 Cache | — | 10 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 4 MB+1500% | 256 kB (per core) |
| Process | 32 nm | 22 nm-31% |
| Architecture | Piledriver | Ivy Bridge-EN (2013−2014) |
| PassMark | 2,677 | 2,672 |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon II X4 740 uses the FM2 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Xeon E5-2403 v2 uses LGA1356 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR3-1866 memory speed. The Xeon E5-2403 v2 supports up to 384 GB of RAM compared to 64 GB — 142.9% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Athlon II X4 740) vs 3 (Xeon E5-2403 v2). PCIe lanes: 16 (Athlon II X4 740) vs 24 (Xeon E5-2403 v2) — the Xeon E5-2403 v2 offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.
| Feature | Athlon II X4 740 | Xeon E5-2403 v2 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | FM2 | LGA1356 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 3.0+50% |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3-1866 | DDR3-1333 |
| Max RAM Capacity | 64 GB | 384 GB+500% |
| RAM Channels | 2 | 3+50% |
| ECC Support | ❌ | ✅ |
| PCIe Lanes | 16 | 24+50% |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Athlon II X4 740) / VT-x, VT-d (Xeon E5-2403 v2). Primary use case: Xeon E5-2403 v2 targets Server.
| Feature | Athlon II X4 740 | Xeon E5-2403 v2 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | No |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | VT-x, VT-d |
| Target Use | — | Server |
Value Analysis
The Athlon II X4 740 launched at $71 MSRP, while the Xeon E5-2403 v2 debuted at $192. At current prices ($20 vs $61), the Athlon II X4 740 is $41 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Athlon II X4 740 delivers 133.8 pts/$ vs 43.8 pts/$ for the Xeon E5-2403 v2 — making the Athlon II X4 740 the 101.4% better value option.
| Feature | Athlon II X4 740 | Xeon E5-2403 v2 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $71-63% | $192 |
| Avg Price (30d) | $20-67% | $61 |
| Performance per Dollar | 133.8+205% | 43.8 |
| Release Date | 2012 | 2013 |
Top Performing CPUs
The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
You May Also Compare
Similar CPU comparisons based on Athlon II X4 740 and Xeon E5-2403 v2
