Core i7-940 vs Xeon X5550

Core i7-940

4 Cores8 Thrd1 WWMax: 3.2 GHz2008

Xeon X5550

4 Cores8 Thrd95 WWMax: 3.06 GHz2009

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i7-940

4 / 8

3,029

0.0%

3,036

+0.2%

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 i7-940 is positioned at rank 1071 and the Xeon X5550 is on rank 712, so the Xeon X5550 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 i7-940

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

57832%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

54646%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

39677%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

11953%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

9468%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

8283%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

4744%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

4682%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

4263%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

4263%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

4215%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

4101%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

4044%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

4028%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

3991%

#1071

Core i7-940

MSRP: $562|Avg: $90

100%

#1072

Celeron 2.40

MSRP: $69|Avg: $13

93%

#1073

Sempron 2800+

MSRP: $65|Avg: $29

91%

#1074

Athlon 64 3100+

MSRP: $100|Avg: $15

88%

#1075

Sempron 3600+

MSRP: $105|Avg: $20

86%

#1076

Celeron 2.80

MSRP: $100|Avg: $15

79%

#1077

Athlon 64 X2 6000+

MSRP: $450|Avg: $20

75%

#1078

Athlon 64 3600+

MSRP: $149|Avg: $15

74%

#1079

Core 2 Quad Q6700

MSRP: $530|Avg: $50

73%

#1080

Athlon 64 2600+

MSRP: $100|Avg: $5

73%

#1081

Celeron 2.20

MSRP: $79|Avg: $15

72%

#1082

Athlon 64 X2 5200+

MSRP: $420|Avg: $15

66%

#1083

Athlon 64 X2 4000+

MSRP: $328|Avg: $10

66%

#1084

Core i7-975

MSRP: $999|Avg: $50

65%

#1085

Athlon XP 2600+

MSRP: $98|Avg: $10

64%

#1086

Core i7-965

MSRP: $1000|Avg: $40

63%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon X5550

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

13691%

Core i9-9990XE

MSRP: $2000|Avg: N/A

99%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

2585%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

2297%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

1774%

#416

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3995WX

MSRP: $5489|Avg: $3486

100%

#417

EPYC 9474F

MSRP: $6780|Avg: $3723

99%

#418

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX

MSRP: $11699|Avg: $11699

99%

#419

Xeon 6736P

MSRP: $3351|Avg: $3351

98%

#420

EPYC 9655P

MSRP: $10811|Avg: $7958

98%

#421

EPYC 9554P

MSRP: $7104|Avg: $3052

97%

#712

Xeon X5550

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#717

Xeon E5-4655 v3

MSRP: $623|Avg: $150

99%

#718

Xeon E3-1220 v6

MSRP: $372|Avg: $80

99%

#719

Xeon E5-2623 v3

MSRP: $444|Avg: $50

99%

#722

Xeon E5-2620

MSRP: $360|Avg: $89

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 X5550 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Core i7-940	Xeon X5550
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($90)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Bloomfield (2008−2010) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Gainestown (2009−2010) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-940 ($90), 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 ($90 less, Infinity% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Core i7-940	Xeon X5550
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($90)	✅ 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.

Core i7-940 Benchmark Check

Xeon X5550 Benchmark Check

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-940 and Xeon X5550

Core i7-940

The Core i7-940 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in Novembro 2008 (17 years ago). It is based on the Bloomfield (2008−2010) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.93 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: LGA1366. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,029 points. Launch price was $299.

Xeon X5550

The Xeon X5550 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 30 March 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Gainestown (2009−2010) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.66 GHz, with boost up to 3.06 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1366. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,036 points. Launch price was $62.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i7-940 and Xeon X5550 share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.2 GHz on the Core i7-940 versus 3.06 GHz on the Xeon X5550 — a 4.5% clock advantage for the Core i7-940 (base: 2.93 GHz vs 2.66 GHz). The Core i7-940 uses the Bloomfield (2008−2010) architecture (45 nm), while the Xeon X5550 uses Gainestown (2009−2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-940 scores 3,029 against the Xeon X5550's 3,036 — a 0.2% lead for the Xeon X5550. Both processors carry 8 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core i7-940	Xeon X5550
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 8
Boost Clock	3.2 GHz+5%	3.06 GHz
Base Clock	2.93 GHz+10%	2.66 GHz
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	256 kB (per core)
Process	45 nm	45 nm
Architecture	Bloomfield (2008−2010)	Gainestown (2009−2010)
PassMark	3,029	3,036

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the LGA1366 socket with PCIe 2.0. Both support up to DDR3-1066 memory speed. Both feature 3-channel memory with ECC support.

Feature	Core i7-940	Xeon X5550
Socket	LGA1366	LGA1366
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1066	DDR3-1333
Max RAM Capacity	24 GB	—
RAM Channels	3	3
ECC Support	❌	✅
PCIe Lanes	36	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x (Core i7-940) vs VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Xeon X5550). Primary use case: Core i7-940 targets Desktop, Xeon X5550 targets Workstation. Direct competitor: Xeon X5550 rivals Core i3-2100.