Xeon E5-2680 vs Core i5-8400

Xeon E5-2680

8 Cores16 Thrd130 WWMax: 3.5 GHz2012

Core i5-8400

6 Cores6 Thrd65 WWMax: 4 GHz2017

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Xeon E5-2680

8 / 16

9,289

+0.7%

9,229

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.

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 E5-2680 is positioned at rank 1014 and the Core i5-8400 is on rank 421, so the Core i5-8400 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 E5-2680

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

72161%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

13625%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

12105%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

9351%

#541

Xeon E5-4669 v4

MSRP: $7007|Avg: $300

87%

#1014

Xeon E5-2680

MSRP: $3226|Avg: $40

100%

#1016

Xeon E5-4640

MSRP: $2725|Avg: N/A

89%

#1018

Xeon E5-4650

MSRP: $3616|Avg: $71

83%

#1019

Xeon E5-4650L

MSRP: $3616|Avg: N/A

82%

#1020

Xeon E5-4655 v4

MSRP: $4616|Avg: N/A

82%

#1021

Xeon E-2224

MSRP: $3226|Avg: $195

77%

#1022

Athlon MP 2400+

MSRP: $151|Avg: $20

70%

#1023

Xeon E5-2650L v2

MSRP: $4115|Avg: $1078

64%

#1024

Xeon E5-2640 v2

MSRP: $4115|Avg: $530

64%

#1025

Opteron 142

MSRP: $292|Avg: $20

53%

#1026

Athlon MP 2800+

MSRP: $275|Avg: $10

48%

#1027

Xeon L3110

MSRP: $1000|Avg: $950

47%

#1028

Xeon 2.66

MSRP: $337|Avg: $10

46%

#1029

Xeon X5272

MSRP: $1172|Avg: $76

43%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i5-8400

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

6147%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

5808%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

4217%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

1270%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

1006%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

880%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

504%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

498%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

453%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

453%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

448%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

436%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

430%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

428%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

424%

#342

Core i3-9350K

MSRP: $184|Avg: $150

100%

#343

Athlon Gold PRO 3150G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $150

98%

#344

Core i9-9900

MSRP: $423|Avg: $330

97%

#345

Core i9-9980XE

MSRP: $1979|Avg: $593

97%

#346

Core i7-10700K

MSRP: $387|Avg: $380

96%

#421

Core i5-8400

MSRP: $182|Avg: $95

100%

#423

Phenom II X3 705e

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $69

100%

#427

Core 2 Duo E8500

MSRP: $26|Avg: $26

98%

#429

Xeon E5-2618L v4

MSRP: $779|Avg: $33

98%

#434

Core i3-7320

MSRP: $99|Avg: $40

96%

#435

Celeron G3930T

MSRP: $42|Avg: $39

95%

#436

Ryzen 5 1500X

MSRP: $189|Avg: $67

95%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Generational Difference: This comparison involves processors from different technological eras. The Core i5-8400 (2017) utilizes 14 nm technology and DDR3, DDR4, providing a fundamental performance advantage.

Insight	Xeon E5-2680	Core i5-8400
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	✅ More affordable ($40)	⚠️ Higher cost ($95)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge-EP (2012) / 32 nm)	✨ Modern (Coffee Lake-S (2017−2018) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Xeon E5-2680 (2012) relies on 32 nm technology and DDR3, placing it in a different performance category relative to modern standards.

Insight	Xeon E5-2680	Core i5-8400
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+139%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($40)	⚠️ Higher cost ($95)

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 E5-2680 Benchmark Check

Core i5-8400 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E5-2680 and Core i5-8400

Xeon E5-2680

The Xeon E5-2680 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 6 March 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge-EP (2012) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 20 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 9,289 points. Launch price was $1,723.

Core i5-8400

The Core i5-8400 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 5 October 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-S (2017−2018) architecture. It features 6 cores and 6 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 9 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 9,229 points. Launch price was $182.

⚡

Processing Power

The Xeon E5-2680 packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Core i5-8400 offers 6 cores / 6 threads — the Xeon E5-2680 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.5 GHz on the Xeon E5-2680 versus 4 GHz on the Core i5-8400 — a 13.3% clock advantage for the Core i5-8400 (base: 2.7 GHz vs 2.8 GHz). The Xeon E5-2680 uses the Sandy Bridge-EP (2012) architecture (32 nm), while the Core i5-8400 uses Coffee Lake-S (2017−2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5-2680 scores 9,289 against the Core i5-8400's 9,229 — a 0.6% lead for the Xeon E5-2680. L3 cache: 20 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-2680 vs 9 MB (total) on the Core i5-8400.

Feature	Xeon E5-2680	Core i5-8400
Cores / Threads	8 / 16+33%	6 / 6
Boost Clock	3.5 GHz	4 GHz+14%
Base Clock	2.7 GHz	2.8 GHz+4%
L3 Cache	20 MB (total)+122%	9 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	32 nm	14 nm-56%
Architecture	Sandy Bridge-EP (2012)	Coffee Lake-S (2017−2018)
PassMark	9,289	9,229

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon E5-2680 uses the LGA2011 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i5-8400 uses LGA1151 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR3-1600 on the Xeon E5-2680 versus DDR4-2666 on the Core i5-8400 — the Core i5-8400 supports 28.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon E5-2680 supports up to 384 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 100% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 4 (Xeon E5-2680) vs 2 (Core i5-8400). PCIe lanes: 40 (Xeon E5-2680) vs 16 (Core i5-8400) — the Xeon E5-2680 offers 24 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel X79,Intel C602 (Xeon E5-2680) and Intel 300 series (Core i5-8400).

Feature	Xeon E5-2680	Core i5-8400
Socket	LGA2011	LGA1151
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1600	DDR4-2666+33%
Max RAM Capacity	384 GB+200%	128 GB
RAM Channels	4+100%	2
ECC Support	✅	❌
PCIe Lanes	40+150%	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Xeon E5-2680) / VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-8400). The Core i5-8400 includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the Xeon E5-2680 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-8400 targets Desktop.

Feature	Xeon E5-2680	Core i5-8400
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	UHD Graphics 630
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	—	Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The Xeon E5-2680 launched at $3226 MSRP, while the Core i5-8400 debuted at $182. At current prices ($40 vs $95), the Xeon E5-2680 is $55 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Xeon E5-2680 delivers 232.2 pts/$ vs 97.1 pts/$ for the Core i5-8400 — making the Xeon E5-2680 the 82% better value option.