Xeon E5-2407 vs Athlon X4 970
Xeon E5-2407
Athlon X4 970
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 Xeon E5-2407 is positioned at rank 852 and the Athlon X4 970 is on rank 582, so the Athlon X4 970 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5-2407
Performance Per Dollar Athlon X4 970
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Xeon E5-2407 | Athlon X4 970 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($25) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($85) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge-EN (2012) / 32 nm) | ✨ Modern (Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) / 28 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Xeon E5-2407 | Athlon X4 970 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ✅ Better overall value (+242%) | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($25) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($85) |
Performance Check
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 Xeon E5-2407 and Athlon X4 970
Xeon E5-2407
The Xeon E5-2407 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 14 May 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge-EN (2012) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 2.2 GHz. L3 cache: 10240 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1356. Thermal design power (TDP): 80 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,659 points. Launch price was $335.
Athlon X4 970
The Athlon X4 970 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 2,644 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
Both the Xeon E5-2407 and Athlon X4 970 share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.2 GHz on the Xeon E5-2407 versus 4 GHz on the Athlon X4 970 — a 58.1% clock advantage for the Athlon X4 970 (base: 2.2 GHz vs 3.8 GHz). The Xeon E5-2407 uses the Sandy Bridge-EN (2012) architecture (32 nm), while the Athlon X4 970 uses Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) (28 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5-2407 scores 2,659 against the Athlon X4 970's 2,644 — a 0.6% lead for the Xeon E5-2407. L3 cache: 10240 kB (total) on the Xeon E5-2407 vs 0 kB on the Athlon X4 970.
| Feature | Xeon E5-2407 | Athlon X4 970 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4 | 4 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 2.2 GHz | 4 GHz+82% |
| Base Clock | 2.2 GHz | 3.8 GHz+73% |
| L3 Cache | 10240 kB (total) | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 256 kB (per core) | 512 kB (per core)+100% |
| Process | 32 nm | 28 nm-13% |
| Architecture | Sandy Bridge-EN (2012) | Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) |
| PassMark | 2,659 | 2,644 |
Memory & Platform
The Xeon E5-2407 uses the LGA1356 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Athlon X4 970 uses AM4 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Xeon E5-2407 | Athlon X4 970 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1356 | AM4 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 3.0+50% |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR4-2400 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 64 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 8 |
Value Analysis
The Xeon E5-2407 launched at $250 MSRP, while the Athlon X4 970 debuted at $85. At current prices ($25 vs $85), the Xeon E5-2407 is $60 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Xeon E5-2407 delivers 106.4 pts/$ vs 31.1 pts/$ for the Athlon X4 970 — making the Xeon E5-2407 the 109.5% better value option.
| Feature | Xeon E5-2407 | Athlon X4 970 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $250 | $85-66% |
| Avg Price (30d) | $25-71% | $85 |
| Performance per Dollar | 106.4+242% | 31.1 |
| Release Date | 2012 | 2017 |
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