Core i7-2960XM vs Xeon E5640

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 i7-2960XM is positioned at rank 60 and the Xeon E5640 is on rank 574, so the Core i7-2960XM 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 i7-2960XM

#13

Ryzen 3 210

MSRP: $99|Avg: $99

99%

#14

Ryzen 5 PRO 230

MSRP: $150|Avg: $150

98%

#15

Ryzen 5 220

MSRP: $150|Avg: $150

93%

#48

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

218%

#49

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

215%

#50

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

197%

#51

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

196%

#52

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

195%

#54

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

188%

#55

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

180%

#56

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

180%

#57

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

175%

#60

Core i7-2960XM

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#65

Core i5-3320M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

99%

#66

Core i7-4510U

MSRP: $393|Avg: N/A

98%

#69

Core 2 Quad Q9100

MSRP: $14|Avg: $14

96%

#75

Core i3-4030U

MSRP: $281|Avg: N/A

93%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5640

#1

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

8739%

#6

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

1650%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

1466%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

1133%

#348

Xeon Gold 6426Y

MSRP: $2145|Avg: N/A

99%

#349

EPYC 4565P

MSRP: $2730|Avg: $1980

99%

#351

Xeon W-2295

MSRP: $1333|Avg: $1400

98%

#352

Xeon 6741P

MSRP: $4421|Avg: $3780

96%

#353

EPYC 7452

MSRP: $2025|Avg: $2025

95%

#574

Xeon E5640

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#575

Xeon E3-1225 v3

MSRP: $224|Avg: $29

100%

#577

Xeon E5-1620 v3

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

100%

#583

Xeon E3-1245 v2

MSRP: $273|Avg: $204

98%

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 E5640 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Core i7-2960XM	Xeon E5640
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Legacy / Standard Node)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-2960XM ($0), 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 ($0 less, NaN% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Core i7-2960XM	Xeon E5640
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing

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 i7-2960XM Benchmark Check

Xeon E5640 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-2960XM and Xeon E5640

Core i7-2960XM

The Core i7-2960XM is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 September 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: PGA988. Thermal design power (TDP): 55 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 4,709 points. Launch price was $1,096.

Xeon E5640

The Xeon E5640 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. Passmark benchmark score: 4,755 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-2960XM is built on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. In PassMark, the Core i7-2960XM scores 4,709 against the Xeon E5640's 4,755 — a 1% lead for the Xeon E5640.

Feature	Core i7-2960XM	Xeon E5640
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	—
Boost Clock	3.7 GHz	—
Base Clock	2.7 GHz	—
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)	—
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	—
Process	32 nm	—
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	—
PassMark	4,709	4,755

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: true (Core i7-2960XM) / not specified (Xeon E5640). The Core i7-2960XM includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics 3000), while the Xeon E5640 requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Core i7-2960XM rivals Core i7-2820QM.