Core 2 Duo T7300 vs Xeon E5420

Core 2 Duo T7300

2 Cores2 Thrd4 WWMax: 2 GHz2007

Xeon E5420

4 Cores4 Thrd80 WWMax: 2.5 GHz2007

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core 2 Duo T7300

2 / 2

2,040

0.0%

2,044

+0.2%

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 T7300 is positioned at rank 283 and the Xeon E5420 is on rank 1033, so the Core 2 Duo T7300 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 T7300

#82

Core i7-11700B

MSRP: $323|Avg: $311

98%

#83

Core i7-13700HX

MSRP: $485|Avg: N/A

98%

#271

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

431%

#272

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

425%

#273

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

390%

#274

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

389%

#275

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

385%

#277

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

372%

#278

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

356%

#279

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

356%

#280

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

346%

#283

Core 2 Duo T7300

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5420

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

742225%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

140139%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

124507%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

96186%

#1033

Xeon E5420

MSRP: $7214|Avg: $6500

100%

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 ($6,500) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon E5420 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Core 2 Duo T7300	Xeon E5420
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($6,500)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Merom (2006−2008) / 65 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Harpertown (2007−2008) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core 2 Duo T7300 ($0), 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 ($6,500 less, 100% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Core 2 Duo T7300	Xeon E5420
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($6,500)

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 T7300 Benchmark Check

Xeon E5420 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core 2 Duo T7300 and Xeon E5420

Core 2 Duo T7300

The Core 2 Duo T7300 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 9 May 2007 (18 years ago). It is based on the Merom (2006−2008) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 2 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 4 MB. Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: PGA478. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 2,040 points. Launch price was $234.

Xeon E5420

The Xeon E5420 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 November 2007 (18 years ago). It is based on the Harpertown (2007−2008) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 2.5 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 6 MB (total). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA771. Thermal design power (TDP): 80 Watt. Memory support: DDR2, DDR3 Depends on motherboard. Passmark benchmark score: 2,044 points. Launch price was $316.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core 2 Duo T7300 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Xeon E5420 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Xeon E5420 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2 GHz on the Core 2 Duo T7300 versus 2.5 GHz on the Xeon E5420 — a 22.2% clock advantage for the Xeon E5420 (base: 2 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Core 2 Duo T7300 uses the Merom (2006−2008) architecture (65 nm), while the Xeon E5420 uses Harpertown (2007−2008) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Core 2 Duo T7300 scores 2,040 against the Xeon E5420's 2,044 — a 0.2% lead for the Xeon E5420. Multi-core Geekbench: 3,499 vs 881 (119.5% advantage for the Core 2 Duo T7300). L3 cache: 0 kB on the Core 2 Duo T7300 vs 12 MB L2 Cache on the Xeon E5420.

Feature	Core 2 Duo T7300	Xeon E5420
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	2 GHz	2.5 GHz+25%
Base Clock	2 GHz	2.5 GHz+25%
L3 Cache	0 kB	12 MB L2 Cache
L2 Cache	4 MB	6 MB (total)+50%
Process	65 nm	45 nm-31%
Architecture	Merom (2006−2008)	Harpertown (2007−2008)
PassMark	2,040	2,044
Geekbench 6 Single	—	314
Geekbench 6 Multi	3,499+297%	881

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core 2 Duo T7300 uses the PGA478 socket (PCIe 1.1), while the Xeon E5420 uses LGA771 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR2-667 memory speed. Memory channels: 2 (Core 2 Duo T7300) vs 4 (Xeon E5420). Chipset compatibility: GM965,PM965 (Core 2 Duo T7300) and Intel 5000P,Intel 5100,Intel 5400 (Xeon E5420).

Feature	Core 2 Duo T7300	Xeon E5420
Socket	PGA478	LGA771
PCIe Generation	PCIe 1.1	PCIe 2.0+82%
Max RAM Speed	DDR2-667	DDR2-667
Max RAM Capacity	—	32 GB
RAM Channels	2	4+100%
ECC Support	❌	✅
PCIe Lanes	—	32

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x (Core 2 Duo T7300) vs Yes (Xeon E5420). Primary use case: Core 2 Duo T7300 targets Budget. Direct competitor: Core 2 Duo T7300 rivals Athlon 64 X2 TK-42.