
Pentium B940 vs Xeon E5450

Pentium B940

Xeon E5450
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 Pentium B940 is positioned at rank 895 and the Xeon E5450 is on rank 778, so the Xeon E5450 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Pentium B940
Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5450
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Pentium B940 | Xeon E5450 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($11) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Harpertown (2007−2008) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Pentium B940 | Xeon E5450 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($11) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
Performance Check
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 Pentium B940 and Xeon E5450

Pentium B940
The Pentium B940 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 19 June 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 2 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: PGA988. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,610 points. Launch price was $134.

Xeon E5450
The Xeon E5450 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 November 2007 (18 years ago). It is based on the Harpertown (2007−2008) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 6 MB (total). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA771. Thermal design power (TDP): 80 Watt. Memory support: DDR2, DDR3 Depends on motherboard. Passmark benchmark score: 2,581 points. Launch price was $915.
Processing Power
The Pentium B940 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Xeon E5450 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Xeon E5450 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2 GHz on the Pentium B940 versus 3 GHz on the Xeon E5450 — a 40% clock advantage for the Xeon E5450 (base: 2 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Pentium B940 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Xeon E5450 uses Harpertown (2007−2008) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium B940 scores 2,610 against the Xeon E5450's 2,581 — a 1.1% lead for the Pentium B940. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Pentium B940 vs 12 MB L2 Cache on the Xeon E5450.
| Feature | Pentium B940 | Xeon E5450 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 4 / 4+100% |
| Boost Clock | 2 GHz | 3 GHz+50% |
| Base Clock | 2 GHz | 3 GHz+50% |
| L3 Cache | 2 MB (total) | 12 MB L2 Cache+500% |
| L2 Cache | 256K (per core) | 6 MB (total)+2300% |
| Process | 32 nm-29% | 45 nm |
| Architecture | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) | Harpertown (2007−2008) |
| PassMark | 2,610+1% | 2,581 |
Memory & Platform
The Pentium B940 uses the PGA988 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Xeon E5450 uses LGA771 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Pentium B940 | Xeon E5450 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | PGA988 | LGA771 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 2.0 |
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