Athlon X4 730 vs Xeon L5520
Athlon X4 730
Xeon L5520
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 X4 730 is positioned at rank 519 and the Xeon L5520 is on rank 832, so the Athlon X4 730 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Athlon X4 730
Performance Per Dollar Xeon L5520
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon X4 730 | Xeon L5520 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($52) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Trinity (2012−2013) / 32 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Gainestown (2009−2010) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon X4 730 | Xeon L5520 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($52) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
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 X4 730 and Xeon L5520
Athlon X4 730
The Athlon X4 730 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Trinity (2012−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L2 cache: 4 MB (total). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: FM2. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-1866. Passmark benchmark score: 2,278 points. Launch price was $149.
Xeon L5520
The Xeon L5520 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 30 March 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Gainestown (2009−2010) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.26 GHz, with boost up to 2.48 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1366. Thermal design power (TDP): 60 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,274 points. Launch price was $100.
Processing Power
The Athlon X4 730 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, matching the Xeon L5520's 4 cores. Boost clocks reach 3.2 GHz on the Athlon X4 730 versus 2.48 GHz on the Xeon L5520 — a 25.4% clock advantage for the Athlon X4 730 (base: 2.8 GHz vs 2.26 GHz). The Athlon X4 730 uses the Trinity (2012−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Xeon L5520 uses Gainestown (2009−2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon X4 730 scores 2,278 against the Xeon L5520's 2,274 — a 0.2% lead for the Athlon X4 730.
| Feature | Athlon X4 730 | Xeon L5520 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4 | 4 / 8 |
| Boost Clock | 3.2 GHz+29% | 2.48 GHz |
| Base Clock | 2.8 GHz+24% | 2.26 GHz |
| L3 Cache | — | 8 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 4 MB (total)+1500% | 256 kB (per core) |
| Process | 32 nm-29% | 45 nm |
| Architecture | Trinity (2012−2013) | Gainestown (2009−2010) |
| PassMark | 2,278 | 2,274 |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon X4 730 uses the FM2 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Xeon L5520 uses LGA1366 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Athlon X4 730 | Xeon L5520 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | FM2 | LGA1366 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3-1866 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 64 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | ❌ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 16 | — |
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The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
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