Core i7-3520M vs Xeon X3450

Core i7-3520M

2 Cores4 Thrd512 WWMax: 3.6 GHz2012

Xeon X3450

4 Cores8 Thrd95 WWMax: 3.2 GHz2009

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i7-3520M

2 / 4

2,842

0.0%

2,877

+1.2%

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 i7-3520M is positioned at rank 1127 and the Xeon X3450 is on rank 813, so the Xeon X3450 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 i7-3520M

#1113

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

3574%

#1114

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

3521%

#1115

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

3233%

#1116

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

3218%

#1117

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

3189%

#1119

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

3079%

#1120

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

2952%

#1121

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

2948%

#1122

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

2868%

#1125

Pentium Dual Core T4300

MSRP: $150|Avg: $99

100%

#1126

Core i3-4100E

MSRP: $225|Avg: $30

100%

#1127

Core i7-3520M

MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A

100%

#1128

Core i3-2310E

MSRP: $225|Avg: $20

100%

#1129

Core i5-2510E

MSRP: $230|Avg: $30

100%

#1130

Core m5-6Y54

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

99%

#1132

Core i3-2330E

MSRP: $225|Avg: $10

99%

#1133

Core i5-4288U

MSRP: $342|Avg: N/A

95%

#1134

Core m3-6Y30

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

95%

#1135

Core i3-2340UE

MSRP: $200|Avg: $200

94%

#1136

Core i7-2820QM

MSRP: $568|Avg: N/A

94%

#1137

Core i5-520M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

94%

#1139

Celeron 807

MSRP: $70|Avg: $10

93%

#1140

Pentium B950

MSRP: $134|Avg: $35

93%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon X3450

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

17406%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

3286%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

2920%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

2256%

#464

Xeon W-3375

MSRP: $4951|Avg: $6000

100%

#466

Xeon Platinum 8358

MSRP: $4607|Avg: $3145

99%

#467

EPYC 7662

MSRP: $6150|Avg: $1266

98%

#467

EPYC 7713

MSRP: $7060|Avg: $1299

98%

#469

EPYC 9554

MSRP: $9087|Avg: $2795

96%

#813

Xeon X3450

MSRP: $241|Avg: $39

100%

#816

Xeon W3680

MSRP: $594|Avg: $26

99%

#818

Xeon E5-2640 v3

MSRP: $939|Avg: $189

99%

#823

Xeon E5-1660 v3

MSRP: $1080|Avg: $198

98%

#826

Xeon W3565

MSRP: $294|Avg: $69

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 ($39) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon X3450 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Core i7-3520M	Xeon X3450
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($346)	✅ More affordable ($39)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Lynnfield (2009−2010) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-3520M ($346), 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 ($307 less, 787% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Core i7-3520M	Xeon X3450
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+798%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($346)	✅ More affordable ($39)

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 i7-3520M Benchmark Check

Xeon X3450 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-3520M and Xeon X3450

Core i7-3520M

The Core i7-3520M 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 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: PGA988. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,842 points. Launch price was $346.

Xeon X3450

The Xeon X3450 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 8 September 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Lynnfield (2009−2010) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.66 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1156. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-800, DDR3-1066, DDR3-1333. Passmark benchmark score: 2,877 points. Launch price was $241.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-3520M packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Xeon X3450 offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Xeon X3450 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.6 GHz on the Core i7-3520M versus 3.2 GHz on the Xeon X3450 — a 11.8% clock advantage for the Core i7-3520M (base: 2.9 GHz vs 2.66 GHz). The Core i7-3520M uses the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture (22 nm), while the Xeon X3450 uses Lynnfield (2009−2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-3520M scores 2,842 against the Xeon X3450's 2,877 — a 1.2% lead for the Xeon X3450. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Core i7-3520M vs 8 MB (total) on the Xeon X3450.

Feature	Core i7-3520M	Xeon X3450
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	4 / 8+100%
Boost Clock	3.6 GHz+12%	3.2 GHz
Base Clock	2.9 GHz+9%	2.66 GHz
L3 Cache	4 MB (total)	8 MB (total)+100%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256 kB (per core)
Process	22 nm-51%	45 nm
Architecture	Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)	Lynnfield (2009−2010)
PassMark	2,842	2,877+1%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-3520M uses the PGA988 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon X3450 uses LGA1156 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-3520M	Xeon X3450
Socket	PGA988	LGA1156
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0+50%	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	1600	—
Max RAM Capacity	32	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	❌	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: true (Core i7-3520M) / not specified (Xeon X3450). The Core i7-3520M includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics 4000), while the Xeon X3450 requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Core i7-3520M rivals AMD A10-5750M.