Core i3-4100M vs Xeon E5520

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 i3-4100M is positioned at rank 114 and the Xeon E5520 is on rank 788, so the Core i3-4100M 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 i3-4100M

#31

Ryzen 5 230

MSRP: $200|Avg: $190

100%

#102

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

290%

#103

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

286%

#104

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

262%

#105

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

261%

#106

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

259%

#108

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

250%

#109

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

239%

#110

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

239%

#111

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

233%

#114

Core i3-4100M

MSRP: $225|Avg: $99

100%

#126

Celeron N4000

MSRP: $107|Avg: $30

97%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5520

#1

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

16351%

#6

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

3087%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

2743%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

2119%

#456

EPYC 9575F

MSRP: $11791|Avg: $9238

99%

#457

EPYC 7642

MSRP: $4775|Avg: $850

98%

#458

EPYC 7573X

MSRP: $5590|Avg: $3580

98%

#459

Xeon Platinum 8568Y+

MSRP: $6497|Avg: $6497

96%

#788

Xeon E5520

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#796

Xeon E-2276M

MSRP: $939|Avg: $124

98%

#797

Xeon W3580

MSRP: $294|Avg: $30

97%

#798

Xeon W3690

MSRP: $583|Avg: $140

97%

#800

Xeon E5-2428L

MSRP: $692|Avg: $42

97%

#803

Opteron 6380

MSRP: $551|Avg: $111

96%

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 ($0) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon E5520 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Core i3-4100M	Xeon E5520
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($99)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Gainestown (2009−2010) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i3-4100M ($99), 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 ($99 less, Infinity% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Core i3-4100M	Xeon E5520
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($99)	✅ More affordable ($0)

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 i3-4100M Benchmark Check

Xeon E5520 Benchmark Check

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Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i3-4100M and Xeon E5520

Core i3-4100M

The Core i3-4100M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 June 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 2.5 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: PGA946. Thermal design power (TDP): 37 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,531 points. Launch price was $225.

Xeon E5520

The Xeon E5520 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 2.53 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1366. Thermal design power (TDP): 80 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,541 points. Launch price was $19.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i3-4100M packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Xeon E5520 offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Xeon E5520 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.5 GHz on the Core i3-4100M versus 2.53 GHz on the Xeon E5520 — a 1.2% clock advantage for the Xeon E5520 (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2.26 GHz). The Core i3-4100M uses the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Xeon E5520 uses Gainestown (2009−2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Core i3-4100M scores 2,531 against the Xeon E5520's 2,541 — a 0.4% lead for the Xeon E5520. L3 cache: 3 MB on the Core i3-4100M vs 8 MB (total) on the Xeon E5520.

Feature	Core i3-4100M	Xeon E5520
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	4 / 8+100%
Boost Clock	2.5 GHz	2.53 GHz+1%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz+11%	2.26 GHz
L3 Cache	3 MB	8 MB (total)+167%
L2 Cache	512 kB+100%	256 kB (per core)
Process	22 nm-51%	45 nm
Architecture	Haswell (2013−2015)	Gainestown (2009−2010)
PassMark	2,531	2,541

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i3-4100M uses the PGA946 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E5520 uses LGA1366 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i3-4100M	Xeon E5520
Socket	PGA946	LGA1366
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0+50%	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR3L-1600	—
Max RAM Capacity	32 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	❌	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i3-4100M) / not specified (Xeon E5520). The Core i3-4100M includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 4600), while the Xeon E5520 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i3-4100M targets Mobile.