Pentium Silver N5000 vs Xeon E5606

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 Silver N5000 is positioned at rank 459 and the Xeon E5606 is on rank 802, so the Pentium Silver N5000 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 Silver N5000

#144

Core i7-12650H

MSRP: $457|Avg: N/A

97%

#447

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

601%

#448

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

592%

#449

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

543%

#450

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

541%

#451

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

536%

#453

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

518%

#454

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

496%

#455

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

495%

#456

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

482%

#459

Pentium Silver N5000

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#472

Ryzen Embedded R1505G

MSRP: $80|Avg: $80

97%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5606

#1

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

17007%

#6

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

3211%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

2853%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

2204%

#460

Xeon E5-2686 V3

MSRP: $1500|Avg: $160

99%

#460

Xeon Gold 6242R

MSRP: $2977|Avg: $779

99%

#462

Xeon W-2175

MSRP: $1947|Avg: $180

99%

#463

EPYC 75F3

MSRP: $5383|Avg: $2799

98%

#464

Xeon W-3375

MSRP: $4951|Avg: $6000

98%

#802

Xeon E5606

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#803

Opteron 6380

MSRP: $551|Avg: $111

99%

#812

Xeon E3-1220L

MSRP: $189|Avg: $27

98%

#815

Xeon X3450

MSRP: $241|Avg: $39

98%

#817

Xeon W3680

MSRP: $594|Avg: $26

97%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Generational Difference: This comparison involves processors from different technological eras. The Pentium Silver N5000 (2017) utilizes 14 nm technology and DDR4, providing a fundamental performance advantage.

Insight	Pentium Silver N5000	Xeon E5606
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	✨ Modern (Goldmont Plus (2017) / 14 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Westmere-EP (2010−2011) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Xeon E5606 (2011) relies on 32 nm technology and DDR3, placing it in a different performance category relative to modern standards.

Insight	Pentium Silver N5000	Xeon E5606
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing

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.

Pentium Silver N5000 Benchmark Check

Xeon E5606 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

No prediction data available

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium Silver N5000 and Xeon E5606

Pentium Silver N5000

The Pentium Silver N5000 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 December 2017 (7 years ago). It is based on the Goldmont Plus (2017) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.1 GHz, with boost up to 2.7 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB. L2 cache: 4 MB (total). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1090. Thermal design power (TDP): 6 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 2,442 points. Launch price was $161.

Xeon E5606

The Xeon E5606 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 14 February 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Westmere-EP (2010−2011) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.13 GHz, with boost up to 0.13 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1366. Thermal design power (TDP): 80 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,443 points. Launch price was $46.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Pentium Silver N5000 and Xeon E5606 share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.7 GHz on the Pentium Silver N5000 versus 0.13 GHz on the Xeon E5606 — a 181.6% clock advantage for the Pentium Silver N5000 (base: 1.1 GHz vs 2.13 GHz). The Pentium Silver N5000 uses the Goldmont Plus (2017) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon E5606 uses Westmere-EP (2010−2011) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium Silver N5000 scores 2,442 against the Xeon E5606's 2,443 — a 0% lead for the Xeon E5606. L3 cache: 4 MB on the Pentium Silver N5000 vs 8 MB (total) on the Xeon E5606.

Feature	Pentium Silver N5000	Xeon E5606
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	4 / 4
Boost Clock	2.7 GHz+1977%	0.13 GHz
Base Clock	1.1 GHz	2.13 GHz+94%
L3 Cache	4 MB	8 MB (total)+100%
L2 Cache	4 MB (total)+1500%	256 kB (per core)
Process	14 nm-56%	32 nm
Architecture	Goldmont Plus (2017)	Westmere-EP (2010−2011)
PassMark	2,442	2,443

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium Silver N5000 uses the FCBGA1090 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E5606 uses LGA1366 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.