Core 2 Duo E8335 vs Xeon L3406

Core 2 Duo E8335

2 Cores2 Thrd44 WWMax: 0.93 GHz2009

Xeon L3406

2 Cores4 Thrd30 WWMax: 2.53 GHz2010

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core 2 Duo E8335

2 / 2

1,094

0.0%

1,104

+0.9%

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 Core 2 Duo E8335 is positioned at rank 1196 and the Xeon L3406 is on rank 969, so the Xeon L3406 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Core 2 Duo E8335

#1184

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

5364%

#1185

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

5285%

#1186

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

4852%

#1187

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

4830%

#1188

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

4786%

#1190

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

4622%

#1191

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

4431%

#1192

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

4424%

#1193

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

4305%

#1196

Core 2 Duo E8335

MSRP: $200|Avg: $50

100%

#1199

Celeron 560

MSRP: $89|Avg: $5

98%

#1200

Core i3-2312M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

97%

#1201

Celeron 857

MSRP: $134|Avg: $10

96%

#1202

Celeron 925

MSRP: $100|Avg: $100

96%

#1203

Core 2 Duo E8135

MSRP: $200|Avg: $15

93%

#1204

Core 2 Duo U7700

MSRP: $262|Avg: $10

93%

#1205

Core Duo T2400

MSRP: $294|Avg: N/A

93%

#1206

Core 2 Duo U7600

MSRP: $250|Avg: $5

92%

#1207

Pentium M 735

MSRP: $294|Avg: N/A

91%

#1208

Core i7-620LM

MSRP: $300|Avg: N/A

89%

#1209

Core i7-740QM

MSRP: $378|Avg: N/A

89%

#1211

Core 2 Solo SU3300

MSRP: $262|Avg: $50

87%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon L3406

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

35586%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

6719%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

5970%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

4612%

#535

Xeon W-3245M

MSRP: $5002|Avg: $5002

98%

#536

Xeon W-3265M

MSRP: $6300|Avg: $3500

97%

#969

Xeon L3406

MSRP: $189|Avg: $30

100%

#970

Xeon E5-2687W v2

MSRP: $2112|Avg: $62

100%

#972

Xeon L5430

MSRP: $390|Avg: $380

99%

#973

Xeon E5-2470

MSRP: $1440|Avg: $125

99%

#974

Xeon E5-2670

MSRP: $1552|Avg: $60

98%

#976

Xeon X3470

MSRP: $589|Avg: $16

97%

#979

Xeon E5-2689

MSRP: $1800|Avg: $18

94%

#980

Xeon E5-2450L

MSRP: $1106|Avg: $78

94%

#981

Xeon X3480

MSRP: $612|Avg: $48

93%

#982

Xeon E5-2687W

MSRP: $1885|Avg: $70

91%

#983

Xeon E5-4610

MSRP: $1219|Avg: $50

91%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Use Case Distinction: This is a comparison between a Professional Workstation processor ($30) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon L3406 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Core 2 Duo E8335	Xeon L3406
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($50)	✅ More affordable ($30)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Legacy / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core 2 Duo E8335 ($50), however, is optimized for mixed workloads and gaming. For most users, it offers superior single-thread performance and responsiveness at a fraction of the cost ($20 less, 67% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Core 2 Duo E8335	Xeon L3406
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+68%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($50)	✅ More affordable ($30)

Performance Check

Paired with RTX 4090

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.

Core 2 Duo E8335 Benchmark Check

Xeon L3406 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 2 Duo E8335 and Xeon L3406

Core 2 Duo E8335

The Core 2 Duo E8335 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2008-01-01. It is based on the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.933 GHz, with boost up to 0.93 GHz. L2 cache: 6 MB (total). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: P. Thermal design power (TDP): 44 Watt. Memory support: DDR2, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,094 points. Launch price was $249.

Xeon L3406

The Xeon L3406 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.26 GHz, with boost up to 2.53 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB Intel® Smart Cache. Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1156. Thermal design power (TDP): 30 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-1066. Passmark benchmark score: 1,104 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core 2 Duo E8335 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, matching the Xeon L3406's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 0.93 GHz on the Core 2 Duo E8335 versus 2.53 GHz on the Xeon L3406 — a 92.5% clock advantage for the Xeon L3406 (base: 2.933 GHz vs 2.26 GHz). The Core 2 Duo E8335 is built on the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture. In PassMark, the Core 2 Duo E8335 scores 1,094 against the Xeon L3406's 1,104 — a 0.9% lead for the Xeon L3406.

Feature	Core 2 Duo E8335	Xeon L3406
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	2 / 4
Boost Clock	0.93 GHz	2.53 GHz+172%
Base Clock	2.933 GHz+30%	2.26 GHz
L3 Cache	—	4 MB Intel® Smart Cache
L2 Cache	6 MB (total)	—
Process	45 nm	32 nm-29%
Architecture	Penryn (2008−2011)	—
PassMark	1,094	1,104

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 2 Duo E8335 uses the P socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Xeon L3406 uses LGA1156 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core 2 Duo E8335	Xeon L3406
Socket	P	LGA1156
PCIe Generation	PCIe 1.1	PCIe 2.0+82%

💰

Value Analysis

The Core 2 Duo E8335 launched at $200 MSRP, while the Xeon L3406 debuted at $189. At current prices ($50 vs $30), the Xeon L3406 is $20 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core 2 Duo E8335 delivers 21.9 pts/$ vs 36.8 pts/$ for the Xeon L3406 — making the Xeon L3406 the 50.9% better value option.