
Xeon E5345 vs Pentium G2120

Xeon E5345

Pentium G2120
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 E5345 is positioned at rank 887 and the Pentium G2120 is on rank 753, so the Pentium G2120 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5345
Performance Per Dollar Pentium G2120
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Xeon E5345 | Pentium G2120 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($20) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Clovertown (2006−2007) / 65 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Xeon E5345 | Pentium G2120 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($20) |
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 E5345 and Pentium G2120

Xeon E5345
The Xeon E5345 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 14 November 2006 (19 years ago). It is based on the Clovertown (2006−2007) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.33 GHz, with boost up to 0.33 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 4 MB (total). Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: LGA771. Thermal design power (TDP): 80 Watt. Memory support: DDR2, DDR3 Depends on motherboard. Passmark benchmark score: 1,868 points. Launch price was $851.

Pentium G2120
The Pentium G2120 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 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.1 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 55 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,876 points. Launch price was $88.
Processing Power
The Xeon E5345 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Pentium G2120 offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the Xeon E5345 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 0.33 GHz on the Xeon E5345 versus 3.1 GHz on the Pentium G2120 — a 161.5% clock advantage for the Pentium G2120 (base: 2.33 GHz vs 3.1 GHz). The Xeon E5345 uses the Clovertown (2006−2007) architecture (65 nm), while the Pentium G2120 uses Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5345 scores 1,868 against the Pentium G2120's 1,876 — a 0.4% lead for the Pentium G2120. L3 cache: 8 MB L2 Cache on the Xeon E5345 vs 3 MB (total) on the Pentium G2120.
| Feature | Xeon E5345 | Pentium G2120 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4+100% | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 0.33 GHz | 3.1 GHz+839% |
| Base Clock | 2.33 GHz | 3.1 GHz+33% |
| L3 Cache | 8 MB L2 Cache+167% | 3 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 4 MB (total)+1500% | 256 kB (per core) |
| Process | 65 nm | 22 nm-66% |
| Architecture | Clovertown (2006−2007) | Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) |
| PassMark | 1,868 | 1,876 |
Memory & Platform
The Xeon E5345 uses the LGA771 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium G2120 uses LGA1155 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Xeon E5345 | Pentium G2120 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA771 | LGA1155 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 3.0+50% |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR3-1600 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 32 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ✅ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 16 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Xeon E5345) / VT-x (Pentium G2120). The Pentium G2120 includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics (Ivy Bridge)), while the Xeon E5345 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Pentium G2120 targets Desktop.
| Feature | Xeon E5345 | Pentium G2120 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | Yes |
| IGPU Model | — | HD Graphics (Ivy Bridge) |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | VT-x |
| Target Use | — | Desktop |
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