Turion II P520 vs Xeon E5420

Turion II P520 vs Xeon E5420 Performance Spectrum

Turion II P520

2 / 2

2,047

+0.1%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Xeon E5420

4 / 4

2,044

0.0%

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.

Turion II P520 vs Xeon E5420 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Turion II P520 vs Xeon E5420: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Turion II P520

2010

Why buy it

✅+0.1% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 2W instead of 80W, a 78W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5420, which brings 4 cores / 4 threads and 32 PCIe lanes.

Xeon E5420

2007

Why buy it

✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 4 cores / 4 threads, plus 32 PCIe lanes vs 0.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (32 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (2,044 vs 2,047).
❌Launch MSRP is still $7,214 MSRP, while Turion II P520 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌3900% higher power demand at 80W vs 2W.

Quick Answers

So, is Turion II P520 better than Xeon E5420?

Not really, because they are built for different jobs. Xeon E5420 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Turion II P520 is the more practical desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and everyday use.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Turion II P520 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.1% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 2 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Turion II P520 is still the faster CPU overall, but Xeon E5420 is easier to justify if budget matters more than peak performance. Turion II P520 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $7,214 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.1% better PassMark. The compromise is that Xeon E5420 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 0.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Xeon E5420 is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (0.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it can still make sense for tighter-budget builds on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Turion II P520 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2010 vs 2007) and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 2 threads instead of 4/4. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Turion II P520 vs Xeon E5420 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Turion II P520

The Turion II P520 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 2.3 GHz. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: S1g4. Thermal design power (TDP): 2 MB. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,047 points. Launch price was $69.

Xeon E5420

The Xeon E5420 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 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 2.5 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: 2,044 points. Launch price was $316.

⚡

Processing Power

The Turion II P520 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Xeon E5420 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Xeon E5420 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.3 GHz on the Turion II P520 versus 2.5 GHz on the Xeon E5420 — a 8.3% clock advantage for the Xeon E5420. The Turion II P520 uses the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Xeon E5420 uses Harpertown (2007−2008) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Turion II P520 scores 2,047 against the Xeon E5420's 2,044 — a 0.1% lead for the Turion II P520.

Feature	Turion II P520	Xeon E5420
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	2.3 GHz	2.5 GHz+9%
Base Clock	—	2.5 GHz
L3 Cache	—	12 MB L2 Cache
L2 Cache	2 MB	6 MB (total)+200%
Process	45 nm	45 nm
Architecture	Champlain (2010−2011)	Harpertown (2007−2008)
PassMark	2,047	2,044
Geekbench 6 Single	—	314
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	881

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Turion II P520 uses the S1g4 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Xeon E5420 uses LGA771 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.