Core i5-480M vs Xeon E5205

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 i5-480M is positioned at rank 6 and the Xeon E5205 is on rank 952, so the Core i5-480M 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 i5-480M

#4

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

111%

#5

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

109%

#6

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

100%

#7

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

100%

#8

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

99%

#10

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

95%

#11

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

91%

#12

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

91%

#13

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

89%

#17

Core i3-350M

MSRP: $130|Avg: $10

82%

#18

Atom x5-E8000

MSRP: $18|Avg: N/A

81%

#19

Core 2 Duo T5900

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $5

80%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5205

#1

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

31346%

#6

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

5918%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

5258%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

4062%

#529

Xeon Max 9480

MSRP: $12980|Avg: $12980

96%

#530

Xeon E5-2689 v4

MSRP: $2723|Avg: $100

95%

#531

EPYC 7543

MSRP: $10257|Avg: $468

93%

#532

Xeon Platinum 8368Q

MSRP: $7719|Avg: $7719

91%

#533

Xeon Gold 6250

MSRP: $3400|Avg: $2000

91%

#952

Xeon E5205

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#953

Xeon E5-1620

MSRP: $885|Avg: $70

100%

#955

Xeon E5462

MSRP: $342|Avg: $45

98%

#958

Xeon E5-4650 v2

MSRP: $1723|Avg: $48

96%

#959

Xeon E5-1620 v4

MSRP: $1166|Avg: $160

95%

#963

Xeon E5-2660

MSRP: $1329|Avg: $65

92%

#964

Xeon E5-2667 v3

MSRP: $2057|Avg: $150

91%

#966

Xeon E3110

MSRP: $214|Avg: $158

91%

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 E5205 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Core i5-480M	Xeon E5205
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($77)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Arrandale (2010−2011) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Legacy / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i5-480M ($77), 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 ($77 less, Infinity% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Core i5-480M	Xeon E5205
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($77)	✅ 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 i5-480M Benchmark Check

Xeon E5205 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-480M and Xeon E5205

Core i5-480M

The Core i5-480M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 9 January 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Arrandale (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.66 GHz, with boost up to 2.93 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: 1,327 points. Launch price was $81.

Xeon E5205

The Xeon E5205 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. Base frequency: 1.86 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB L2 Cache. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA771. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 1,325 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-480M is built on the Arrandale (2010−2011) architecture. In PassMark, the Core i5-480M scores 1,327 against the Xeon E5205's 1,325 — a 0.2% lead for the Core i5-480M. L3 cache: 3 MB (total) on the Core i5-480M vs 6 MB L2 Cache on the Xeon E5205.

Feature	Core i5-480M	Xeon E5205
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	—
Boost Clock	2.93 GHz	—
Base Clock	2.66 GHz+43%	1.86 GHz
L3 Cache	3 MB (total)	6 MB L2 Cache+100%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	—
Process	32 nm-29%	45 nm
Architecture	Arrandale (2010−2011)	—
PassMark	1,327	1,325

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-480M uses the PGA988 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Xeon E5205 uses LGA771 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-480M	Xeon E5205
Socket	PGA988	LGA771
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	1066	—
Max RAM Capacity	8	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	❌	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: true (Core i5-480M) / not specified (Xeon E5205). The Core i5-480M includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics (Ironlake)), while the Xeon E5205 requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Core i5-480M rivals AMD Turion II M620.