Pentium E5300
VS
Xeon E3120

Pentium E5300 vs Xeon E3120

Intel

Pentium E5300

2 Cores2 Thrd65 WWMax: 2.6 GHz2008
VS

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 E5300 is positioned at rank 737 and the Xeon E3120 is on rank 948, so the Pentium E5300 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 Pentium E5300

#1
Ryzen 9 7950X
MSRP: $194|Avg: $20
13854%
#2
Core i9-10900T
MSRP: $120|Avg: $5
13091%
#3
Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE
MSRP: $423|Avg: $5
9505%
#4
Ryzen Threadripper 3960X
MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85
2863%
#5
Ryzen 9 9950X
MSRP: $649|Avg: $129
2268%
#6
Ryzen 5 8400F
MSRP: $303|Avg: $55
1984%
#7
Ryzen 7 PRO 2700
MSRP: $299|Avg: $60
1136%
#8
Ryzen 5 2600X
MSRP: $229|Avg: $55
1122%
#9
Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G
MSRP: $150|Avg: $60
1021%
#10
Core Ultra 5 245KF
MSRP: $294|Avg: $189
1021%
#11
Ryzen 5 5500
MSRP: $159|Avg: $85
1010%
#12
Ryzen 5 3600
MSRP: $199|Avg: $80
982%
#13
Core i3-9100E
MSRP: $202|Avg: $30
969%
#14
Core Ultra 5 245K
MSRP: $319|Avg: $200
965%
#15
Core i3-8300T
MSRP: $138|Avg: $25
956%
#288
Ryzen Threadripper 1950
MSRP: $999|Avg: $300
98%
#392
Celeron G4920
MSRP: $52|Avg: $115
99%
#737
Pentium E5300
MSRP: $62|Avg: $25
100%
#738
Core i3-4330T
MSRP: $138|Avg: $15
100%
#739
Athlon II X2 215
MSRP: $45|Avg: $10
100%
#740
Core i7-4790S
MSRP: $312|Avg: $60
99%
#741
Pentium G2020T
MSRP: $64|Avg: $69
99%
#742
FX-6100
MSRP: $165|Avg: $25
99%
#743
Core i7-4771
MSRP: $320|Avg: $78
99%
#746
Core i7-4770S
MSRP: $305|Avg: $35
98%
#747
Core i5-6400T
MSRP: $192|Avg: $40
98%
#749
Core i5-3570K
MSRP: $225|Avg: $35
98%
#750
Athlon II X3 455
MSRP: $88|Avg: $15
98%
#751
Core i5-3570S
MSRP: $213|Avg: $59
98%
#752
Core i7-3770
MSRP: $294|Avg: $60
97%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E3120

#1
Xeon Platinum 8454H
MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A
29520%
#6
Xeon Gold 6240R
MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A
5574%
#10
Xeon 6337P
MSRP: $60|Avg: $5
4952%
#15
EPYC 9174F
MSRP: $194|Avg: $30
3826%
#528
Xeon E5-2687W v3
MSRP: $2141|Avg: $749
96%
#529
Xeon Max 9480
MSRP: $12980|Avg: $12980
91%
#530
Xeon E5-2689 v4
MSRP: $2723|Avg: $100
89%
#531
EPYC 7543
MSRP: $10257|Avg: $468
87%
#948
Xeon E3120
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#949
Xeon E5-2630 v2
MSRP: $1069|Avg: $1224
100%
#953
Xeon E5-1620
MSRP: $885|Avg: $70
94%
#955
Xeon E5462
MSRP: $342|Avg: $45
92%
#958
Xeon E5-4650 v2
MSRP: $1723|Avg: $48
90%
#959
Xeon E5-1620 v4
MSRP: $1166|Avg: $160
89%
#963
Xeon E5-2660
MSRP: $1329|Avg: $65
86%
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 E3120 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.
InsightPentium E5300Xeon E3120
Gaming
Superior gaming performance
Lower gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
⚠️ Higher cost ($25)
More affordable ($0)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Wolfdale (2008−2010) / 45 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Legacy / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Pentium E5300 ($25), 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 ($25 less, Infinity% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.
InsightPentium E5300Xeon E3120
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
⚠️ Higher cost ($25)
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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium E5300 and Xeon E3120

Intel

Pentium E5300

The Pentium E5300 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in Novembro 2008 (17 years ago). It is based on the Wolfdale (2008−2010) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 2.6 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2 MB (total). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA775. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR1, DDR2, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,395 points. Launch price was $64.

Intel

Xeon E3120

The Xeon E3120 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. Base frequency: 3.16 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB L2 Cache. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA775. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 1,408 points. Launch price was $800.

Processing Power

The Pentium E5300 is built on the Wolfdale (2008−2010) architecture. In PassMark, the Pentium E5300 scores 1,395 against the Xeon E3120's 1,408 — a 0.9% lead for the Xeon E3120. L3 cache: 0 kB on the Pentium E5300 vs 6 MB L2 Cache on the Xeon E3120.

FeaturePentium E5300Xeon E3120
Cores / Threads
2 / 2
Boost Clock
2.6 GHz
Base Clock
2.6 GHz
3.16 GHz+22%
L3 Cache
0 kB
6 MB L2 Cache
L2 Cache
2 MB (total)
Process
45 nm
45 nm
Architecture
Wolfdale (2008−2010)
PassMark
1,395
1,408
🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the LGA775 socket with PCIe 1.1.

FeaturePentium E5300Xeon E3120
Socket
LGA775
LGA775
PCIe Generation
PCIe 1.1
PCIe 2.0+82%