Core i5-2540M vs Xeon E5472

Core i5-2540M

2 Cores4 Thrd35 WWMax: 3.3 GHz2011

Xeon E5472

4 Cores4 Thrd80 WWMax: 3 GHz2007

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i5-2540M

2 / 4

2,356

+1.0%

2,333

0.0%

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 E5472 is on rank 822, 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 E5472

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

17808%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

3362%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

2987%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

2308%

#469

EPYC 9554

MSRP: $9087|Avg: $2795

98%

#470

Xeon Gold 6338T

MSRP: $3139|Avg: $1795

98%

#471

Xeon E5-2650 v4

MSRP: $1166|Avg: $45

98%

#472

EPYC 9845

MSRP: $13564|Avg: $8670

97%

#473

EPYC 7F32

MSRP: $2100|Avg: $179

95%

#822

Xeon E5472

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#824

Xeon E5-1660 v3

MSRP: $1080|Avg: $198

100%

#827

Xeon W3565

MSRP: $294|Avg: $69

99%

#837

Xeon W3550

MSRP: $294|Avg: $30

95%

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 E5472 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Core i5-2540M	Xeon E5472
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($10)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Harpertown (2007−2008) / 45 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 E5472
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 E5472 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-2540M and Xeon E5472

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 E5472

The Xeon E5472 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 3 GHz, with boost up to 3 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: 2,333 points. Launch price was $1,022.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-2540M packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Xeon E5472 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Xeon E5472 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.3 GHz on the Core i5-2540M versus 3 GHz on the Xeon E5472 — a 9.5% clock advantage for the Core i5-2540M (base: 2.6 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Core i5-2540M uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Xeon E5472 uses Harpertown (2007−2008) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-2540M scores 2,356 against the Xeon E5472's 2,333 — a 1% lead for the Core i5-2540M. L3 cache: 3 MB (total) on the Core i5-2540M vs 12 MB L2 Cache on the Xeon E5472.

Feature	Core i5-2540M	Xeon E5472
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	3.3 GHz+10%	3 GHz
Base Clock	2.6 GHz	3 GHz+15%
L3 Cache	3 MB (total)	12 MB L2 Cache+300%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	6 MB (total)+2300%
Process	32 nm-29%	45 nm
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Harpertown (2007−2008)
PassMark	2,356	2,333

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-2540M uses the PGA988 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Xeon E5472 uses LGA771 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-2540M	Xeon E5472
Socket	PGA988	LGA771
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 E5472). The Core i5-2540M includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics 3000), while the Xeon E5472 requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Core i5-2540M rivals Phenom II Black Edition N660.