Core i7-980 vs Xeon X5680

Core i7-980

6 Cores12 Thrd130 WWMax: 3.6 GHz2011

Xeon X5680

6 Cores12 Thrd130 WWMax: 3.6 GHz2010

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i7-980

6 / 12

6,890

0.0%

6,910

+0.3%

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 i7-980 is positioned at rank 966 and the Xeon X5680 is on rank 704, so the Xeon X5680 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 i7-980

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

26372%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

24919%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

18093%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

5451%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

4318%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

3777%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

2163%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

2135%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

1944%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

1944%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

1922%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

1870%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

1844%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

1837%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

1820%

#966

Core i7-980

MSRP: $583|Avg: $50

100%

#967

Pentium G3250

MSRP: $171|Avg: $25

99%

#968

Pentium E2200

MSRP: $84|Avg: $5

99%

#969

Core 2 Duo E7300

MSRP: $133|Avg: $133

99%

#970

Core i3-540

MSRP: $133|Avg: $5

99%

#972

Phenom II X3 700e

MSRP: $125|Avg: $40

98%

#973

Core i5-760

MSRP: $230|Avg: $61

98%

#974

Core i3-7102E

MSRP: $225|Avg: $80

98%

#975

Core 2 Quad Q8400

MSRP: $183|Avg: $128

96%

#976

Pentium Dual-Core E2180

MSRP: $84|Avg: $5

95%

#977

Pentium E2180

MSRP: $84|Avg: $15

95%

#978

Pentium Dual-Core E2140

MSRP: $74|Avg: $5

93%

#979

Core i7-960

MSRP: $309|Avg: $110

93%

#980

E1-1500

MSRP: $60|Avg: $10

93%

#981

Core i5-2405S

MSRP: $309|Avg: $120

93%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon X5680

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

13530%

Core i9-9990XE

MSRP: $2000|Avg: N/A

98%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

2555%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

2270%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

1753%

#411

Xeon w9-3495X

MSRP: $5889|Avg: $6333

100%

#412

Xeon Gold 5320T

MSRP: $1977|Avg: $1379

100%

#413

EPYC 7643

MSRP: $4995|Avg: $2750

99%

#414

Xeon Gold 6330N

MSRP: $2389|Avg: $1798

99%

#415

EPYC 7473X

MSRP: $3900|Avg: $200

99%

#416

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3995WX

MSRP: $5489|Avg: $3486

99%

#417

EPYC 9474F

MSRP: $6780|Avg: $3723

98%

#418

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX

MSRP: $11699|Avg: $11699

98%

#704

Xeon X5680

MSRP: $450|Avg: $13

100%

#707

Pentium 1403 v2

MSRP: $150|Avg: $150

99%

#716

Xeon E5-4655 v3

MSRP: $623|Avg: $150

98%

#717

Xeon E3-1220 v6

MSRP: $372|Avg: $80

98%

#718

Xeon E5-2623 v3

MSRP: $444|Avg: $50

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 ($13) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon X5680 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Core i7-980	Xeon X5680
Gaming	Balanced gaming performance	Balanced gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($50)	✅ More affordable ($13)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Gulftown (2010−2011) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Westmere-EP (2010−2011) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-980 ($50), 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 ($37 less, 285% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Core i7-980	Xeon X5680
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+286%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($50)	✅ More affordable ($13)

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 i7-980 Benchmark Check

Xeon X5680 Benchmark Check

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-980 and Xeon X5680

Core i7-980

The Core i7-980 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 26 June 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Gulftown (2010−2011) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.33 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1366. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 6,890 points. Launch price was $1,109.

Xeon X5680

The Xeon X5680 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 14 February 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Westmere-EP (2010−2011) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.33 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1366. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 6,910 points. Launch price was $172.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i7-980 and Xeon X5680 share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.6 GHz on the Core i7-980 versus 3.6 GHz on the Xeon X5680 — identical boost frequencies (base: 3.33 GHz vs 3.33 GHz). The Core i7-980 uses the Gulftown (2010−2011) architecture (32 nm), while the Xeon X5680 uses Westmere-EP (2010−2011) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-980 scores 6,890 against the Xeon X5680's 6,910 — a 0.3% lead for the Xeon X5680. Both processors carry 12 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core i7-980	Xeon X5680
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	3.6 GHz	3.6 GHz
Base Clock	3.33 GHz	3.33 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	12 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	256 kB (per core)
Process	32 nm	32 nm
Architecture	Gulftown (2010−2011)	Westmere-EP (2010−2011)
PassMark	6,890	6,910

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the LGA1366 socket with PCIe 2.0.

Feature	Core i7-980	Xeon X5680
Socket	LGA1366	LGA1366
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR3-1333
RAM Channels	—	3
ECC Support	—	✅

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Core i7-980) / VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Xeon X5680). Primary use case: Xeon X5680 targets Workstation. Direct competitor: Xeon X5680 rivals Core i7-980X.

Feature	Core i7-980	Xeon X5680
Integrated GPU	—	No
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	—	Workstation

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-980 launched at $583 MSRP, while the Xeon X5680 debuted at $450. At current prices ($50 vs $13), the Xeon X5680 is $37 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-980 delivers 137.8 pts/$ vs 531.5 pts/$ for the Xeon X5680 — making the Xeon X5680 the 117.7% better value option.