Core i7-3517UE
VS
Xeon X5450

Core i7-3517UE vs Xeon X5450

Intel

Core i7-3517UE

2 Cores4 Thrd17 WWMax: 2.8 GHz2012
VS
Intel

Xeon X5450

4 Cores4 Thrd120 WWMax: 3 GHz2007

Performance Spectrum - CPU

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 i7-3517UE is positioned at rank 1154 and the Xeon X5450 is on rank 807, so the Xeon X5450 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 i7-3517UE

#1142
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
4064%
#1143
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
4004%
#1144
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
3676%
#1145
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
3659%
#1146
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
3626%
#1148
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
3501%
#1149
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
3357%
#1150
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
3352%
#1151
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
3262%
#1154
Core i7-3517UE
MSRP: $330|Avg: $35
100%
#1155
Core M-5Y51
MSRP: $281|Avg: $281
100%
#1156
Pentium N3530
MSRP: $161|Avg: $20
100%
#1157
Core i3-330E
MSRP: $177|Avg: $89
99%
#1159
Core i7-2640M
MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A
98%
#1160
Core M-5Y71
MSRP: $281|Avg: $281
97%
#1162
Core i7-2620M
MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A
97%
#1164
Celeron N3010
MSRP: $107|Avg: N/A
95%
#1165
Core i7-3537U
MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A
94%
#1166
Core M-5Y10c
MSRP: $281|Avg: $281
94%
#1167
Core M-5Y10a
MSRP: $281|Avg: $281
94%
#1168
Core M-5Y31
MSRP: $281|Avg: $30
94%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon X5450

#1
Xeon Platinum 8454H
MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A
17204%
#6
Xeon Gold 6240R
MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A
3248%
#10
Xeon 6337P
MSRP: $60|Avg: $5
2886%
#15
EPYC 9174F
MSRP: $194|Avg: $30
2229%
#462
Xeon W-2175
MSRP: $1947|Avg: $180
100%
#463
EPYC 75F3
MSRP: $5383|Avg: $2799
99%
#464
Xeon W-3375
MSRP: $4951|Avg: $6000
99%
#466
Xeon Platinum 8358
MSRP: $4607|Avg: $3145
98%
#467
EPYC 7662
MSRP: $6150|Avg: $1266
97%
#467
EPYC 7713
MSRP: $7060|Avg: $1299
97%
#807
Xeon X5450
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#812
Xeon E3-1220L
MSRP: $189|Avg: $27
99%
#815
Xeon X3450
MSRP: $241|Avg: $39
99%
#817
Xeon W3680
MSRP: $594|Avg: $26
98%
#819
Xeon E5-2640 v3
MSRP: $939|Avg: $189
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 X5450 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.
InsightCore i7-3517UEXeon X5450
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
⚠️ Higher cost ($35)
More affordable ($0)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Harpertown (2007−2008) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-3517UE ($35), 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 ($35 less, Infinity% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.
InsightCore i7-3517UEXeon X5450
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
⚠️ Higher cost ($35)
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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-3517UE and Xeon X5450

Intel

Core i7-3517UE

The Core i7-3517UE is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 June 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.7 GHz, with boost up to 2.8 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1023. Thermal design power (TDP): 17 Watt. Memory support: unknown Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 2,384 points. Launch price was $69.

Intel

Xeon X5450

The Xeon X5450 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): 120 Watt. Memory support: DDR2, DDR3 Depends on motherboard. Passmark benchmark score: 2,416 points. Launch price was $851.

Processing Power

The Core i7-3517UE packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Xeon X5450 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Xeon X5450 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.8 GHz on the Core i7-3517UE versus 3 GHz on the Xeon X5450 — a 6.9% clock advantage for the Xeon X5450 (base: 1.7 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Core i7-3517UE uses the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture (22 nm), while the Xeon X5450 uses Harpertown (2007−2008) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-3517UE scores 2,384 against the Xeon X5450's 2,416 — a 1.3% lead for the Xeon X5450. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Core i7-3517UE vs 12 MB L2 Cache on the Xeon X5450.

FeatureCore i7-3517UEXeon X5450
Cores / Threads
2 / 4
4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock
2.8 GHz
3 GHz+7%
Base Clock
1.7 GHz
3 GHz+76%
L3 Cache
4 MB (total)
12 MB L2 Cache+200%
L2 Cache
256 kB (per core)
6 MB (total)+2300%
Process
22 nm-51%
45 nm
Architecture
Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)
Harpertown (2007−2008)
PassMark
2,384
2,416+1%
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-3517UE uses the BGA1023 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon X5450 uses LGA771 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureCore i7-3517UEXeon X5450
Socket
BGA1023
LGA771
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0+50%
PCIe 2.0