CPU
GPU
Xeon E5-2420
Xeon E5645
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 E5-2420 is positioned at rank 556 and the Xeon E5645 is on rank 669, so the Xeon E5-2420 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5-2420
Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5645
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Xeon E5-2420 | Xeon E5645 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($294) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge-EN (2012) / 32 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Westmere-EP (2010−2011) / 32 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Xeon E5-2420 | Xeon E5645 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($294) |
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 E5-2420 and Xeon E5645
Xeon E5-2420
The Xeon E5-2420 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 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 1.9 GHz, with boost up to 2.4 GHz. L3 cache: 15360 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1356. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 5,012 points. Launch price was $390.
Xeon E5645
The Xeon E5645 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 16 March 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Westmere-EP (2010−2011) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 2.67 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1366. Thermal design power (TDP): 80 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 4,942 points. Launch price was $294.
Processing Power
Both the Xeon E5-2420 and Xeon E5645 share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.4 GHz on the Xeon E5-2420 versus 2.67 GHz on the Xeon E5645 — a 10.7% clock advantage for the Xeon E5645 (base: 1.9 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Xeon E5-2420 uses the Sandy Bridge-EN (2012) architecture (32 nm), while the Xeon E5645 uses Westmere-EP (2010−2011) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5-2420 scores 5,012 against the Xeon E5645's 4,942 — a 1.4% lead for the Xeon E5-2420. L3 cache: 15360 kB (total) on the Xeon E5-2420 vs 12 MB (total) on the Xeon E5645.
| Feature | Xeon E5-2420 | Xeon E5645 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 6 / 12 | 6 / 12 |
| Boost Clock | 2.4 GHz | 2.67 GHz+11% |
| Base Clock | 1.9 GHz | 2.4 GHz+26% |
| L3 Cache | 15360 kB (total)+25% | 12 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 256 kB (per core) | 256 kB (per core) |
| Process | 32 nm | 32 nm |
| Architecture | Sandy Bridge-EN (2012) | Westmere-EP (2010−2011) |
| PassMark | 5,012+1% | 4,942 |
Memory & Platform
The Xeon E5-2420 uses the LGA1356 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Xeon E5645 uses LGA1366 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Xeon E5-2420 | Xeon E5645 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1356 | LGA1366 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 5.0+150% |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR3-1333 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 288 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 3 |
| ECC Support | — | ✅ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 0 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Xeon E5-2420) / VT-x (Xeon E5645). Primary use case: Xeon E5645 targets Server.
| Feature | Xeon E5-2420 | Xeon E5645 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | No |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | VT-x |
| Target Use | — | Server |
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