Core i5-2450M vs Xeon X3320

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 i5-2450M is positioned at rank 1100 and the Xeon X3320 is on rank 858, so the Xeon X3320 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 i5-2450M

#1088

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

3179%

#1089

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

3132%

#1090

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

2875%

#1091

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

2862%

#1092

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

2836%

#1094

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

2739%

#1095

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

2626%

#1096

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

2622%

#1097

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

2551%

#1100

Core i5-2450M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

100%

#1101

Core i5-7Y57

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

100%

#1102

Core i5-7Y54

MSRP: $281|Avg: $100

100%

#1104

Pentium 997

MSRP: $134|Avg: $10

98%

#1105

Pentium A1018

MSRP: $132|Avg: $15

98%

#1106

Core i5-2430M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

97%

#1108

Pentium Dual Core T4500

MSRP: $150|Avg: $30

97%

#1109

Celeron B820

MSRP: $86|Avg: $15

96%

#1110

Pentium B980

MSRP: $125|Avg: $35

95%

#1111

Celeron 867

MSRP: $86|Avg: $15

95%

#1112

Pentium B970

MSRP: $125|Avg: $39

95%

#1113

Core i5-2410M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

94%

#1114

Pentium T2370

MSRP: $86|Avg: $10

94%

#1115

Pentium N3710

MSRP: $161|Avg: $50

93%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon X3320

#1

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

19964%

#6

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

3769%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

3349%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

2587%

#484

EPYC 7773X

MSRP: $8800|Avg: $8800

100%

#485

Xeon Gold 6258R

MSRP: $3950|Avg: $1400

98%

#486

EPYC 9175F

MSRP: $4256|Avg: $3703

98%

#488

EPYC 9534

MSRP: $8803|Avg: $2999

97%

#489

EPYC 9654

MSRP: $11805|Avg: $5345

97%

#490

EPYC 7H12

MSRP: $6950|Avg: $1340

96%

#491

EPYC 7742

MSRP: $6950|Avg: $800

96%

#858

Xeon X3320

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#859

Xeon W3530

MSRP: $294|Avg: $10

100%

#861

Xeon W3520

MSRP: $284|Avg: $15

99%

#862

Xeon E3-1271 v3

MSRP: $727|Avg: $831

99%

#863

Xeon E5603

MSRP: $188|Avg: N/A

99%

#871

Xeon 6315P

MSRP: $1166|Avg: $160

97%

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 X3320 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Core i5-2450M	Xeon X3320
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($225)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Legacy / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i5-2450M ($225), 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 ($225 less, Infinity% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Core i5-2450M	Xeon X3320
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($225)	✅ 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 i5-2450M Benchmark Check

Xeon X3320 Benchmark Check

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Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-2450M and Xeon X3320

Core i5-2450M

The Core i5-2450M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 January 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.1 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: PGA988. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,076 points. Launch price was $823.

Xeon X3320

The Xeon X3320 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. Base frequency: 2.5 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB L2 Cache. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA775. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 2,082 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-2450M is built on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. In PassMark, the Core i5-2450M scores 2,076 against the Xeon X3320's 2,082 — a 0.3% lead for the Xeon X3320. L3 cache: 3 MB (total) on the Core i5-2450M vs 6 MB L2 Cache on the Xeon X3320.

Feature	Core i5-2450M	Xeon X3320
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	—
Boost Clock	3.1 GHz	—
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	2.5 GHz
L3 Cache	3 MB (total)	6 MB L2 Cache+100%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	—
Process	32 nm-29%	45 nm
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	—
PassMark	2,076	2,082
Cinebench R23 Multi	1,352	—
Geekbench 6 Single	453	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	871	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-2450M uses the PGA988 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Xeon X3320 uses LGA775 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-2450M	Xeon X3320
Socket	PGA988	LGA775
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	1333	—
Max RAM Capacity	16	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	❌	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: true (Core i5-2450M) / not specified (Xeon X3320). The Core i5-2450M includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics 3000), while the Xeon X3320 requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Core i5-2450M rivals AMD A8-3500M.