Phenom II X4 840T
VS
Xeon E3-1220L v2

Phenom II X4 840T vs Xeon E3-1220L v2

AMD

Phenom II X4 840T

4 Cores4 Thrd95 WWMax: 3.2 GHz2010
VS
Intel

Xeon E3-1220L v2

2 Cores4 Thrd17 WWMax: 3.5 GHz2012

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 Phenom II X4 840T is positioned at rank 265 and the Xeon E3-1220L v2 is on rank 810, so the Phenom II X4 840T 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 Phenom II X4 840T

#1
Ryzen 9 7950X
MSRP: $194|Avg: $20
3951%
#2
Core i9-10900T
MSRP: $120|Avg: $5
3733%
#3
Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE
MSRP: $423|Avg: $5
2711%
#4
Ryzen Threadripper 3960X
MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85
817%
#5
Ryzen 9 9950X
MSRP: $649|Avg: $129
647%
#6
Ryzen 5 8400F
MSRP: $303|Avg: $55
566%
#7
Ryzen 7 PRO 2700
MSRP: $299|Avg: $60
324%
#8
Ryzen 5 2600X
MSRP: $229|Avg: $55
320%
#9
Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G
MSRP: $150|Avg: $60
291%
#10
Core Ultra 5 245KF
MSRP: $294|Avg: $189
291%
#11
Ryzen 5 5500
MSRP: $159|Avg: $85
288%
#12
Ryzen 5 3600
MSRP: $199|Avg: $80
280%
#13
Core i3-9100E
MSRP: $202|Avg: $30
276%
#14
Core Ultra 5 245K
MSRP: $319|Avg: $200
275%
#15
Core i3-8300T
MSRP: $138|Avg: $25
273%
#251
Core i3-10300T
MSRP: $157|Avg: $100
100%
#252
Core i9-10900TE
MSRP: $309|Avg: $180
100%
#253
Core i9-12900T
MSRP: $489|Avg: $378
99%
#254
Core i5-12600T
MSRP: $223|Avg: $223
99%
#255
Ryzen 5 PRO 4655GE
MSRP: $200|Avg: $180
99%
#256
Ryzen 5 3500X
MSRP: $155|Avg: $171
98%
#257
Core i9-14900
MSRP: $524|Avg: $589
98%
#258
Core i5-8600
MSRP: $213|Avg: $130
97%
#259
Core i3-9100TE
MSRP: $122|Avg: $60
97%
#260
Core i5-12500T
MSRP: $302|Avg: $214
97%
#261
Core i9-13900
MSRP: $549|Avg: $599
96%
#262
Core i7-11700
MSRP: $323|Avg: $274
95%
#265
Phenom II X4 840T
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E3-1220L v2

#1
Xeon Platinum 8454H
MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A
17333%
#6
Xeon Gold 6240R
MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A
3273%
#10
Xeon 6337P
MSRP: $60|Avg: $5
2908%
#15
EPYC 9174F
MSRP: $194|Avg: $30
2246%
#463
EPYC 75F3
MSRP: $5383|Avg: $2799
100%
#464
Xeon W-3375
MSRP: $4951|Avg: $6000
100%
#466
Xeon Platinum 8358
MSRP: $4607|Avg: $3145
98%
#467
EPYC 7713
MSRP: $7060|Avg: $1299
98%
#467
EPYC 7662
MSRP: $6150|Avg: $1266
98%
#810
Xeon E3-1220L v2
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#812
Xeon E3-1220L
MSRP: $189|Avg: $27
100%
#814
Xeon X3450
MSRP: $241|Avg: $39
100%
#817
Xeon W3680
MSRP: $594|Avg: $26
99%
#819
Xeon E5-2640 v3
MSRP: $939|Avg: $189
98%
#824
Xeon E5-1660 v3
MSRP: $1080|Avg: $198
97%
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 E3-1220L v2 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.
InsightPhenom II X4 840TXeon E3-1220L v2
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
Equivalent pricing
Equivalent pricing
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Zosma (2010−2011) / 45 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Phenom II X4 840T ($0), 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 ($0 less, NaN% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.
InsightPhenom II X4 840TXeon E3-1220L v2
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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Phenom II X4 840T and Xeon E3-1220L v2

AMD

Phenom II X4 840T

The Phenom II X4 840T is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 1 September 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Zosma (2010−2011) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,367 points. Launch price was $80.

Intel

Xeon E3-1220L v2

The Xeon E3-1220L v2 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 17 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,397 points. Launch price was $800.

Processing Power

The Phenom II X4 840T packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Xeon E3-1220L v2 offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the Phenom II X4 840T has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.2 GHz on the Phenom II X4 840T versus 3.5 GHz on the Xeon E3-1220L v2 — a 9% clock advantage for the Xeon E3-1220L v2 (base: 2.9 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The Phenom II X4 840T uses the Zosma (2010−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Xeon E3-1220L v2 uses Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Phenom II X4 840T scores 2,367 against the Xeon E3-1220L v2's 2,397 — a 1.3% lead for the Xeon E3-1220L v2. L3 cache: 6 MB (total) on the Phenom II X4 840T vs 8 MB (total) on the Xeon E3-1220L v2.

FeaturePhenom II X4 840TXeon E3-1220L v2
Cores / Threads
4 / 4+100%
2 / 4
Boost Clock
3.2 GHz
3.5 GHz+9%
Base Clock
2.9 GHz+26%
2.3 GHz
L3 Cache
6 MB (total)
8 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache
512 kB (per core)+100%
256 kB (per core)
Process
45 nm
22 nm-51%
Architecture
Zosma (2010−2011)
Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)
PassMark
2,367
2,397+1%
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Phenom II X4 840T uses the AM3 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Xeon E3-1220L v2 uses LGA1155 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeaturePhenom II X4 840TXeon E3-1220L v2
Socket
AM3
LGA1155
PCIe Generation
PCIe 2.0
PCIe 3.0+50%