Xeon D-1521 vs Core i7-3740QM

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 Xeon D-1521 is positioned at rank 505 and the Core i7-3740QM is on rank 761, so the Xeon D-1521 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 Xeon D-1521

#1

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

7251%

#6

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

1369%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

1216%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

940%

#312

EPYC 7643P

MSRP: $2722|Avg: $2722

99%

#313

Xeon w5-3435X

MSRP: $1589|Avg: $163

99%

#314

Xeon Gold 6312U

MSRP: $1645|Avg: N/A

99%

#315

EPYC 7443

MSRP: $2010|Avg: $1800

98%

#316

Xeon Gold 6416H

MSRP: $1845|Avg: N/A

98%

#318

EPYC 7343

MSRP: $1565|Avg: $1350

97%

#319

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5965WX

MSRP: $2399|Avg: $225

97%

#320

EPYC 7413

MSRP: $1825|Avg: $450

97%

#505

Xeon D-1521

MSRP: $199|Avg: $241

100%

#513

Xeon E3-1220 v5

MSRP: $203|Avg: $100

98%

#515

Xeon X5690

MSRP: $250|Avg: $250

98%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-3740QM

#748

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

1094%

#749

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

1078%

#750

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

990%

#751

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

985%

#752

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

976%

#754

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

943%

#755

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

904%

#756

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

903%

#757

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

878%

#760

Core i3-N300

MSRP: $309|Avg: $309

100%

#761

Core i7-3740QM

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#766

Core i7-1250U

MSRP: $426|Avg: N/A

99%

#771

Core i7-9750HF

MSRP: $395|Avg: $395

98%

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 ($241) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon D-1521 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Xeon D-1521	Core i7-3740QM
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($241)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Broadwell (2015−2019) / 14 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-3740QM ($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 ($241 less, 100% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Xeon D-1521	Core i7-3740QM
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($241)	✅ 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.

Xeon D-1521 Benchmark Check

Core i7-3740QM Benchmark Check

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Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon D-1521 and Core i7-3740QM

Xeon D-1521

The Xeon D-1521 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 November 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Broadwell (2015−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 2.7 GHz. L3 cache: 1.5 MB (per core). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1667. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 5,703 points. Launch price was $199.

Core i7-3740QM

The Core i7-3740QM is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 September 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: PGA988. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 5,710 points. Launch price was $378.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Xeon D-1521 and Core i7-3740QM share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.7 GHz on the Xeon D-1521 versus 3.7 GHz on the Core i7-3740QM — a 31.3% clock advantage for the Core i7-3740QM (base: 2.4 GHz vs 2.7 GHz). The Xeon D-1521 uses the Broadwell (2015−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i7-3740QM uses Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon D-1521 scores 5,703 against the Core i7-3740QM's 5,710 — a 0.1% lead for the Core i7-3740QM. L3 cache: 1.5 MB (per core) on the Xeon D-1521 vs 6 MB (total) on the Core i7-3740QM.

Feature	Xeon D-1521	Core i7-3740QM
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 8
Boost Clock	2.7 GHz	3.7 GHz+37%
Base Clock	2.4 GHz	2.7 GHz+13%
L3 Cache	1.5 MB (per core)	6 MB (total)+300%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	14 nm-36%	22 nm
Architecture	Broadwell (2015−2019)	Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)
PassMark	5,703	5,710

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon D-1521 uses the FCBGA1667 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-3740QM uses PGA988 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.