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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

N200

2023

Why buy it

✅+1.5% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $803 less on MSRP ($193 MSRP vs $996 MSRP).
✅Delivers 423.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 24.5 vs 4.7 PassMark/$ ($193 MSRP vs $996 MSRP).
✅Draws 6W instead of 60W, a 54W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA1264 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1366 and older memory support.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon L5640 across 9 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (6 MB vs 12 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon L5640, which brings 6 cores / 12 threads.

Xeon L5640

2010

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +9.1% higher average FPS across 9 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 6 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 6 cores / 12 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (4,659 vs 4,729).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 4.7 vs 24.5 PassMark/$ ($996 MSRP vs $193 MSRP).
❌900% higher power demand at 60W vs 6W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1366, while N200 moves to FCBGA1264 and DDR5.

N200

2023

Xeon L5640

2010

Why buy it

✅+1.5% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $803 less on MSRP ($193 MSRP vs $996 MSRP).
✅Delivers 423.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 24.5 vs 4.7 PassMark/$ ($193 MSRP vs $996 MSRP).
✅Draws 6W instead of 60W, a 54W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA1264 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1366 and older memory support.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +9.1% higher average FPS across 9 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 6 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 6 cores / 12 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon L5640 across 9 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (6 MB vs 12 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon L5640, which brings 6 cores / 12 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (4,659 vs 4,729).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 4.7 vs 24.5 PassMark/$ ($996 MSRP vs $193 MSRP).
❌900% higher power demand at 60W vs 6W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1366, while N200 moves to FCBGA1264 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is N200 better than Xeon L5640?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon L5640 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while N200 is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, N200 is the better fit. You are getting 1.5% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

N200 is the smarter buy today. N200 is $803 cheaper on MSRP at $193 MSRP versus $996 MSRP, and it gives you 1.5% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Xeon L5640 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 9.1% average FPS lead across 9 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 423.8% better value on MSRP (24.5 vs 4.7 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

N200 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2010), a healthier platform with FCBGA1264 and DDR5 instead of LGA1366, and more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 4 threads instead of 6/12. That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

Games Benchmarks

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.

N200 Benchmark Check

Xeon L5640 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	N200	Xeon L5640
1080p
low	118 FPS	116 FPS
medium	118 FPS	116 FPS
high	113 FPS	105 FPS
ultra	88 FPS	87 FPS
1440p
low	118 FPS	116 FPS
medium	115 FPS	111 FPS
high	91 FPS	86 FPS
ultra	71 FPS	70 FPS
4K
low	69 FPS	61 FPS
medium	58 FPS	55 FPS
high	46 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	34 FPS

Open N200 Open Xeon L5640

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	N200	Xeon L5640
1080p
low	118 FPS	116 FPS
medium	118 FPS	116 FPS
high	118 FPS	116 FPS
ultra	118 FPS	116 FPS
1440p
low	118 FPS	116 FPS
medium	118 FPS	116 FPS
high	118 FPS	116 FPS
ultra	118 FPS	107 FPS
4K
low	118 FPS	116 FPS
medium	118 FPS	116 FPS
high	110 FPS	104 FPS
ultra	84 FPS	74 FPS

Open N200 Open Xeon L5640

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	N200	Xeon L5640
1080p
low	118 FPS	116 FPS
medium	118 FPS	116 FPS
high	118 FPS	116 FPS
ultra	118 FPS	116 FPS
1440p
low	118 FPS	116 FPS
medium	118 FPS	116 FPS
high	118 FPS	116 FPS
ultra	118 FPS	116 FPS
4K
low	118 FPS	116 FPS
medium	118 FPS	116 FPS
high	118 FPS	116 FPS
ultra	118 FPS	116 FPS

Open N200 Open Xeon L5640

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	N200	Xeon L5640
1080p
low	118 FPS	116 FPS
medium	118 FPS	116 FPS
high	118 FPS	116 FPS
ultra	118 FPS	116 FPS
1440p
low	118 FPS	116 FPS
medium	118 FPS	116 FPS
high	118 FPS	116 FPS
ultra	118 FPS	116 FPS
4K
low	118 FPS	116 FPS
medium	118 FPS	116 FPS
high	118 FPS	116 FPS
ultra	118 FPS	116 FPS

Open N200 Open Xeon L5640

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of N200 and Xeon L5640

N200

The N200 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 January 2023 (2 years ago). It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Max frequency: 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB Intel® Smart Cache. Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1264. Thermal design power (TDP): 6 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200, DDR5-4800, LPDDR5-4800. Passmark benchmark score: 4,729 points. Launch price was $69.

Xeon L5640

The Xeon L5640 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 16 March 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Westmere-EP (2010−2011) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.26 GHz, with boost up to 2.8 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1366. Thermal design power (TDP): 60 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 4,659 points. Launch price was $200.

⚡

Processing Power

The N200 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Xeon L5640 offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Xeon L5640 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.7 GHz on the N200 versus 2.8 GHz on the Xeon L5640 — a 27.7% clock advantage for the N200. The Xeon L5640 is built on the Westmere-EP (2010−2011) architecture. In PassMark, the N200 scores 4,729 against the Xeon L5640's 4,659 — a 1.5% lead for the N200. L3 cache: 6 MB Intel® Smart Cache on the N200 vs 12 MB (total) on the Xeon L5640.

Feature	N200	Xeon L5640
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	6 / 12+50%
Boost Clock	3.7 GHz+32%	2.8 GHz
Base Clock	—	2.26 GHz
L3 Cache	6 MB Intel® Smart Cache	12 MB (total)+100%
L2 Cache	—	256 kB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm-78%	32 nm
Architecture	—	Westmere-EP (2010−2011)
PassMark	4,729+2%	4,659

🧠

Memory & Platform

The N200 uses the FCBGA1264 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon L5640 uses LGA1366 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	N200	Xeon L5640
Socket	FCBGA1264	LGA1366
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 5.0+25%
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR3 1333 MHz
Max RAM Capacity	—	288 GB
RAM Channels	—	3
ECC Support	—	Yes
PCIe Lanes	—	0

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (N200) / true (Xeon L5640). Primary use case: Xeon L5640 targets Server Low Power.

Feature	N200	Xeon L5640
Integrated GPU	—	No
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	true
Target Use	—	Server Low Power

💰

Value Analysis

The N200 launched at $193 MSRP, while the Xeon L5640 debuted at $996. On MSRP ($193 vs $996), the N200 is $803 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the N200 delivers 24.5 pts/$ vs 4.7 pts/$ for the Xeon L5640 — making the N200 the 135.9% better value option.