Xeon E5-1660 v2 vs Xeon E7540

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 E5-1660 v2 is positioned at rank 352 and the Xeon E7540 is on rank 986, so the Xeon E5-1660 v2 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 E5-1660 v2

#1

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

5028%

#6

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

949%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

844%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

652%

#253

Xeon W-2150B

MSRP: $499|Avg: $400

99%

#255

Xeon 6517P

MSRP: $1195|Avg: $1195

99%

#352

Xeon E5-1660 v2

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#362

Xeon E5-2667 v2

MSRP: $300|Avg: $300

98%

#367

Xeon E5-1410

MSRP: $120|Avg: $55

98%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E7540

#1

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

39661%

#6

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

7488%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

6653%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

5140%

#986

Xeon E7540

MSRP: $1980|Avg: $146

100%

#987

Xeon E7530

MSRP: $1391|Avg: $146

99%

#988

Xeon E5-4627 v4

MSRP: $2500|Avg: $200

99%

#989

Xeon E5-4627 v3

MSRP: $2225|Avg: $200

97%

#990

Xeon X5660

MSRP: $1219|Avg: $10

94%

#991

Xeon E5-2667

MSRP: $1552|Avg: $31

92%

#992

Xeon E5-2690

MSRP: $2057|Avg: $150

91%

#993

Xeon E3-1565L v5

MSRP: $1552|Avg: $120

90%

#994

Xeon L5640

MSRP: $996|Avg: N/A

89%

#995

Xeon L5335

MSRP: $380|Avg: $18

87%

#996

Xeon E5-4627 v2

MSRP: $2061|Avg: $70

87%

#997

Xeon E-2144G

MSRP: $2090|Avg: $389

86%

#998

Xeon X5675

MSRP: $1440|Avg: $22

85%

#999

Xeon Phi 7210

MSRP: $1881|Avg: $150

74%

#1000

Xeon D-1567

MSRP: $2702|Avg: $230

74%

#1001

Xeon E-2126G

MSRP: $2702|Avg: $230

74%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Xeon E7540 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Xeon E5-1660 v2 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.4% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Xeon E5-1660 v2	Xeon E7540
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($146)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge-E (2013) / 22 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Legacy / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Xeon E5-1660 v2	Xeon E7540
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($146)

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 E5-1660 v2 Benchmark Check

Xeon E7540 Benchmark Check

Loading...

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E5-1660 v2 and Xeon E7540

Xeon E5-1660 v2

The Xeon E5-1660 v2 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge-E (2013) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 15 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 10,332 points. Launch price was $1,809.

Xeon E7540

The Xeon E7540 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 2.27 GHz. L3 cache: 18 MB L3 Cache. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1567. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 10,376 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Xeon E5-1660 v2 and Xeon E7540 share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4 GHz on the Xeon E5-1660 v2 versus 2.27 GHz on the Xeon E7540 — a 55.2% clock advantage for the Xeon E5-1660 v2 (base: 3.7 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Xeon E5-1660 v2 is built on the Ivy Bridge-E (2013) architecture. In PassMark, the Xeon E5-1660 v2 scores 10,332 against the Xeon E7540's 10,376 — a 0.4% lead for the Xeon E7540. L3 cache: 15 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-1660 v2 vs 18 MB L3 Cache on the Xeon E7540.

Feature	Xeon E5-1660 v2	Xeon E7540
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	4 GHz+76%	2.27 GHz
Base Clock	3.7 GHz+85%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	15 MB (total)	18 MB L3 Cache+20%
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	—
Process	22 nm-51%	45 nm
Architecture	Ivy Bridge-E (2013)	—
PassMark	10,332	10,376

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon E5-1660 v2 uses the LGA2011 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E7540 uses LGA1567 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Xeon E5-1660 v2	Xeon E7540
Socket	LGA2011	LGA1567
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0+50%	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR3-1066
Max RAM Capacity	—	2 TB
RAM Channels	—	4
ECC Support	—	✅
PCIe Lanes	—	32