Core i7-3940XM
VS
Xeon E5-2650L

Core i7-3940XM vs Xeon E5-2650L

Intel

Core i7-3940XM

4 Cores8 Thrd55 WWMax: 3.9 GHz2012
VS
Intel

Xeon E5-2650L

8 Cores16 Thrd70 WWMax: 2.3 GHz2012

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 i7-3940XM is positioned at rank 936 and the Xeon E5-2650L is on rank 916, so the Xeon E5-2650L 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 i7-3940XM

#924
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
1694%
#925
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
1669%
#926
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
1532%
#927
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
1525%
#928
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
1511%
#930
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
1460%
#931
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
1400%
#932
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
1397%
#933
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
1360%
#936
Core i7-3940XM
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#939
FX-7600P
MSRP: $150|Avg: $45
98%
#940
Athlon II M300
MSRP: $100|Avg: $10
98%
#944
Athlon Neo X2 L335
MSRP: $80|Avg: $15
96%
#945
Core i7-3610QE
MSRP: $315|Avg: $105
96%
#948
A8-8600P
MSRP: $150|Avg: $30
95%
#950
FX-9800P
MSRP: $150|Avg: $45
95%
#951
Celeron 1020E
MSRP: $86|Avg: $20
94%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5-2650L

#1
Xeon Platinum 8454H
MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A
25689%
#6
Xeon Gold 6240R
MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A
4850%
#10
Xeon 6337P
MSRP: $60|Avg: $5
4309%
#15
EPYC 9174F
MSRP: $194|Avg: $30
3329%
#515
Xeon E5-4640 v4
MSRP: $2837|Avg: N/A
98%
#516
Xeon E7-8867 v3
MSRP: $4672|Avg: $4672
98%
#517
Xeon Gold 6150
MSRP: $3358|Avg: $196
97%
#518
Xeon E5-1680 v3
MSRP: $1723|Avg: $200
95%
#519
Xeon E5-2690 v3
MSRP: $2090|Avg: $85
95%
#520
Xeon 6780E
MSRP: $11350|Avg: $8513
94%
#521
Xeon E5-2697A v4
MSRP: $2891|Avg: $121
92%
#522
Xeon Gold 6134
MSRP: $2214|Avg: $378
92%
#916
Xeon E5-2650L
MSRP: $748|Avg: $129
100%
#918
Xeon E5410
MSRP: $256|Avg: $20
98%
#924
Xeon E5-1660
MSRP: $1080|Avg: $29
95%
#931
Xeon E5-2660 v2
MSRP: $1393|Avg: $129
92%
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 ($129) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon E5-2650L is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.
InsightCore i7-3940XMXeon E5-2650L
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($129)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge-EP (2012) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-3940XM ($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 ($129 less, 100% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.
InsightCore i7-3940XMXeon E5-2650L
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($129)

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 i7-3940XM and Xeon E5-2650L

Intel

Core i7-3940XM

The Core i7-3940XM is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 September 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: PGA988. Thermal design power (TDP): 55 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 5,957 points. Launch price was $1,096.

Intel

Xeon E5-2650L

The Xeon E5-2650L is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 6 March 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge-EP (2012) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 1.8 GHz, with boost up to 2.3 GHz. L3 cache: 20480 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 70 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 6,055 points. Launch price was $142.

Processing Power

The Core i7-3940XM packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Xeon E5-2650L offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Xeon E5-2650L has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.9 GHz on the Core i7-3940XM versus 2.3 GHz on the Xeon E5-2650L — a 51.6% clock advantage for the Core i7-3940XM (base: 3 GHz vs 1.8 GHz). The Core i7-3940XM uses the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture (22 nm), while the Xeon E5-2650L uses Sandy Bridge-EP (2012) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-3940XM scores 5,957 against the Xeon E5-2650L's 6,055 — a 1.6% lead for the Xeon E5-2650L. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Core i7-3940XM vs 20480 kB (total) on the Xeon E5-2650L.

FeatureCore i7-3940XMXeon E5-2650L
Cores / Threads
4 / 8
8 / 16+100%
Boost Clock
3.9 GHz+70%
2.3 GHz
Base Clock
3 GHz+67%
1.8 GHz
L3 Cache
8 MB (total)
20480 kB (total)+150%
L2 Cache
256K (per core)
256 kB (per core)
Process
22 nm-31%
32 nm
Architecture
Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)
Sandy Bridge-EP (2012)
PassMark
5,957
6,055+2%
Geekbench 6 Single
720
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-3940XM uses the PGA988 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E5-2650L uses LGA2011 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureCore i7-3940XMXeon E5-2650L
Socket
PGA988
LGA2011
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0
PCIe 5.0+67%
Max RAM Speed
DDR3-1600
Max RAM Capacity
32 GB
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
16
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i7-3940XM) / not specified (Xeon E5-2650L). The Core i7-3940XM includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 4000), while the Xeon E5-2650L requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-3940XM targets Extreme Performance Laptop. Direct competitor: Core i7-3940XM rivals A10-5750M.

FeatureCore i7-3940XMXeon E5-2650L
Integrated GPU
Yes
IGPU Model
HD Graphics 4000
Unlocked
Yes
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use
Extreme Performance Laptop