Core i5-520M vs Xeon L5335

CPU

GPU

Core i5-520M

2 Cores4 Thrd35 WWMax: 2.93 GHz2010

Xeon L5335

4 Cores4 Thrd50 WWMax: 2 GHz2007

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i5-520M

2 / 4

1,727

0.0%

1,737

+0.6%

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 i5-520M is positioned at rank 1139 and the Xeon L5335 is on rank 995, so the Xeon L5335 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 i5-520M

#1127

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

3820%

#1128

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

3764%

#1129

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

3456%

#1130

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

3440%

#1131

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

3409%

#1133

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

3292%

#1134

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

3156%

#1135

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

3151%

#1136

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

3066%

#1139

Core i5-520M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

100%

#1141

Celeron 807

MSRP: $70|Avg: $10

99%

#1142

Pentium B950

MSRP: $134|Avg: $35

99%

#1143

Celeron 220

MSRP: $42|Avg: $42

99%

#1144

Pentium B960

MSRP: $134|Avg: $15

99%

#1146

Pentium 957

MSRP: $134|Avg: $10

99%

#1147

Core 2 Duo SL9400

MSRP: $284|Avg: N/A

98%

#1149

Pentium N3540

MSRP: $161|Avg: $161

98%

#1150

Core i7-3555LE

MSRP: $300|Avg: $280

97%

#1151

Core i3-2377M

MSRP: $250|Avg: N/A

96%

#1152

Core 2 Duo E8435

MSRP: $150|Avg: $74

96%

#1153

Celeron M 723

MSRP: $161|Avg: $161

95%

#1154

Core i7-3517UE

MSRP: $330|Avg: $35

94%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon L5335

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

45475%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

8586%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

7628%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

5893%

#537

Xeon Platinum 8180

MSRP: $10009|Avg: $2363

84%

#538

Xeon Platinum 8280M

MSRP: $10009|Avg: $6223

82%

#539

Xeon Platinum 8280

MSRP: $10009|Avg: $2940

81%

#994

Xeon E5-4627 v2

MSRP: $2061|Avg: $70

100%

#995

Xeon L5335

MSRP: $380|Avg: $18

100%

#996

Xeon E-2144G

MSRP: $2090|Avg: $389

98%

#997

Xeon X5675

MSRP: $1440|Avg: $22

98%

#998

Xeon Phi 7210

MSRP: $1881|Avg: $150

85%

#999

Xeon D-1567

MSRP: $2702|Avg: $230

85%

#1000

Xeon E-2126G

MSRP: $2702|Avg: $230

84%

#1003

Xeon D-1531

MSRP: $2057|Avg: $250

82%

#1004

Xeon 5130

MSRP: $316|Avg: $10

81%

#1006

Xeon E5-4640 v3

MSRP: $2859|Avg: $300

79%

#1007

Xeon E5440

MSRP: $690|Avg: $37

75%

#1008

Xeon E5-2643

MSRP: $1552|Avg: $50

74%

#1009

Xeon E5-2637

MSRP: $885|Avg: $40

74%

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 ($18) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon L5335 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Core i5-520M	Xeon L5335
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($225)	✅ More affordable ($18)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Arrandale (2010−2011) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Clovertown (2006−2007) / 65 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i5-520M ($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 ($207 less, 1150% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Core i5-520M	Xeon L5335
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+1157%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($225)	✅ More affordable ($18)

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 i5-520M Benchmark Check

Xeon L5335 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-520M and Xeon L5335

Core i5-520M

The Core i5-520M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 7 January 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Arrandale (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 2.93 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: PGA988. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-800, DDR3-1066. Passmark benchmark score: 1,727 points. Launch price was $225.

Xeon L5335

The Xeon L5335 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 13 August 2007 (18 years ago). It is based on the Clovertown (2006−2007) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 2 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 4 MB (total). Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: LGA771. Thermal design power (TDP): 50 Watt. Memory support: DDR2, DDR3 Depends on motherboard. Passmark benchmark score: 1,737 points. Launch price was $380.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-520M packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Xeon L5335 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Xeon L5335 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.93 GHz on the Core i5-520M versus 2 GHz on the Xeon L5335 — a 37.7% clock advantage for the Core i5-520M (base: 2.4 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Core i5-520M uses the Arrandale (2010−2011) architecture (32 nm), while the Xeon L5335 uses Clovertown (2006−2007) (65 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-520M scores 1,727 against the Xeon L5335's 1,737 — a 0.6% lead for the Xeon L5335. L3 cache: 3 MB on the Core i5-520M vs 8 MB L2 Cache on the Xeon L5335.

Feature	Core i5-520M	Xeon L5335
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	2.93 GHz+47%	2 GHz
Base Clock	2.4 GHz+20%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	3 MB	8 MB L2 Cache+167%
L2 Cache	512 kB	4 MB (total)+700%
Process	32 nm-51%	65 nm
Architecture	Arrandale (2010−2011)	Clovertown (2006−2007)
PassMark	1,727	1,737
Geekbench 6 Single	360	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	695	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-520M uses the PGA988 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Xeon L5335 uses LGA771 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-520M	Xeon L5335
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 i5-520M) / not specified (Xeon L5335). The Core i5-520M includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics (Ironlake)), while the Xeon L5335 requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Core i5-520M rivals AMD Turion II Ultra M660.