Pentium Silver N6005 vs Xeon E5-2430L

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 N6005 is positioned at rank 414 and the Xeon E5-2430L is on rank 881, so the Pentium Silver N6005 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 N6005

#124

Core i5-1240P

MSRP: $309|Avg: $200

100%

#125

Core i7-13700H

MSRP: $502|Avg: N/A

99%

#402

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

559%

#403

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

550%

#404

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

505%

#405

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

503%

#406

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

498%

#408

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

481%

#409

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

461%

#410

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

461%

#411

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

448%

#414

Pentium Silver N6005

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#421

Core i5-9400H

MSRP: $182|Avg: N/A

99%

#426

Celeron 2981U

MSRP: $137|Avg: N/A

99%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5-2430L

#1

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

21603%

#6

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

4079%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

3624%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

2800%

#495

Xeon Platinum 8470

MSRP: $9359|Avg: $9359

100%

#496

Xeon E7-8857 v2

MSRP: $3838|Avg: $2995

98%

#497

Xeon Gold 6148

MSRP: $3072|Avg: $290

98%

#498

Xeon E5-1681 V3

MSRP: $1589|Avg: $200

97%

#499

Xeon W-3275

MSRP: $4449|Avg: $1550

96%

#500

Xeon Gold 6138

MSRP: $2612|Avg: $300

96%

#501

Xeon E5-2690 v4

MSRP: $2090|Avg: $389

96%

#502

Xeon Platinum 8362

MSRP: $6236|Avg: $5740

95%

#503

Xeon W-3275M

MSRP: $4449|Avg: $4449

94%

#881

Xeon E5-2430L

MSRP: $551|Avg: $250

100%

#886

Xeon X3460

MSRP: $316|Avg: $25

97%

#893

Xeon E5502

MSRP: $188|Avg: $39

95%

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 N6005 (2021) utilizes 10 nm technology and DDR4, providing a fundamental performance advantage.

Insight	Pentium Silver N6005	Xeon E5-2430L
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($250)
Longevity	✨ Modern (Jasper Lake (2021) / 10 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge-EN (2012) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Xeon E5-2430L (2012) relies on 32 nm technology and DDR3, placing it in a different performance category relative to modern standards.

Insight	Pentium Silver N6005	Xeon E5-2430L
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($250)

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 N6005 Benchmark Check

Xeon E5-2430L Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Pentium Silver N6005 and Xeon E5-2430L

Pentium Silver N6005

The Pentium Silver N6005 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Jasper Lake (2021) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 3.3 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.5 MB (total). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1338. Thermal design power (TDP): 10 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 5,253 points. Launch price was $69.

Xeon E5-2430L

The Xeon E5-2430L is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Sandy Bridge-EN (2012) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 2.5 GHz. L3 cache: 15360 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1356. Thermal design power (TDP): 60 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 5,300 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The Pentium Silver N6005 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Xeon E5-2430L offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Xeon E5-2430L has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.3 GHz on the Pentium Silver N6005 versus 2.5 GHz on the Xeon E5-2430L — a 27.6% clock advantage for the Pentium Silver N6005 (base: 2 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Pentium Silver N6005 uses the Jasper Lake (2021) architecture (10 nm), while the Xeon E5-2430L uses Sandy Bridge-EN (2012) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium Silver N6005 scores 5,253 against the Xeon E5-2430L's 5,300 — a 0.9% lead for the Xeon E5-2430L. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Pentium Silver N6005 vs 15360 kB (total) on the Xeon E5-2430L.

Feature	Pentium Silver N6005	Xeon E5-2430L
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	6 / 12+50%
Boost Clock	3.3 GHz+32%	2.5 GHz
Base Clock	2 GHz	2 GHz
L3 Cache	4 MB (total)	15360 kB (total)+275%
L2 Cache	1.5 MB (total)+500%	256 kB (per core)
Process	10 nm-69%	32 nm
Architecture	Jasper Lake (2021)	Sandy Bridge-EN (2012)
PassMark	5,253	5,300

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Pentium Silver N6005 uses the BGA1338 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon E5-2430L uses LGA1356 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.