Core i5-2540M vs Xeon E5-2403

Core i5-2540M

2 Cores4 Thrd35 WWMax: 3.3 GHz2011

Xeon E5-2403

4 Cores4 Thrd80 WWMax: 1.8 GHz2012

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i5-2540M

2 / 4

2,356

0.0%

2,367

+0.5%

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 i5-2540M is positioned at rank 8 and the Xeon E5-2403 is on rank 816, so the Core i5-2540M 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 i5-2540M

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

112%

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

110%

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

101%

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

101%

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

100%

#10

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

97%

#11

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

93%

#12

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

92%

#13

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

90%

#17

Core i3-350M

MSRP: $130|Avg: $10

83%

#18

Atom x5-E8000

MSRP: $18|Avg: N/A

82%

#19

Core 2 Duo T5900

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $5

81%

#22

Core i3-3130M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

73%

#23

Core 2 Duo T5550

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $5

70%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5-2403

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

17553%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

3314%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

2944%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

2275%

#466

Xeon Platinum 8358

MSRP: $4607|Avg: $3145

100%

#467

EPYC 7713

MSRP: $7060|Avg: $1299

99%

#467

EPYC 7662

MSRP: $6150|Avg: $1266

99%

#469

EPYC 9554

MSRP: $9087|Avg: $2795

97%

#470

Xeon Gold 6338T

MSRP: $3139|Avg: $1795

96%

#471

Xeon E5-2650 v4

MSRP: $1166|Avg: $45

96%

#816

Xeon E5-2403

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#817

Xeon W3680

MSRP: $594|Avg: $26

100%

#819

Xeon E5-2640 v3

MSRP: $939|Avg: $189

99%

#824

Xeon E5-1660 v3

MSRP: $1080|Avg: $198

98%

#827

Xeon W3565

MSRP: $294|Avg: $69

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 E5-2403 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Core i5-2540M	Xeon E5-2403
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($10)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge-EN (2012) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i5-2540M ($10), 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 ($10 less, Infinity% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Core i5-2540M	Xeon E5-2403
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($10)	✅ 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 i5-2540M Benchmark Check

Xeon E5-2403 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-2540M and Xeon E5-2403

Core i5-2540M

The Core i5-2540M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 February 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.3 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: 2,356 points. Launch price was $266.

Xeon E5-2403

The Xeon E5-2403 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 14 May 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge-EN (2012) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.8 GHz, with boost up to 1.8 GHz. L3 cache: 10240 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1356. Thermal design power (TDP): 80 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,367 points. Launch price was $230.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-2540M packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Xeon E5-2403 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Xeon E5-2403 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.3 GHz on the Core i5-2540M versus 1.8 GHz on the Xeon E5-2403 — a 58.8% clock advantage for the Core i5-2540M (base: 2.6 GHz vs 1.8 GHz). The Core i5-2540M uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Xeon E5-2403 uses Sandy Bridge-EN (2012) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-2540M scores 2,356 against the Xeon E5-2403's 2,367 — a 0.5% lead for the Xeon E5-2403. L3 cache: 3 MB (total) on the Core i5-2540M vs 10240 kB (total) on the Xeon E5-2403.

Feature	Core i5-2540M	Xeon E5-2403
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	3.3 GHz+83%	1.8 GHz
Base Clock	2.6 GHz+44%	1.8 GHz
L3 Cache	3 MB (total)	10240 kB (total)+233%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256 kB (per core)
Process	32 nm	32 nm
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Sandy Bridge-EN (2012)
PassMark	2,356	2,367

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-2540M uses the PGA988 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Xeon E5-2403 uses LGA1356 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-2540M	Xeon E5-2403
Socket	PGA988	LGA1356
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 i5-2540M) / not specified (Xeon E5-2403). The Core i5-2540M includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics 3000), while the Xeon E5-2403 requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Core i5-2540M rivals Phenom II Black Edition N660.