Xeon E5420 vs Phenom II X4 810
Xeon E5420
Phenom II X4 810
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 E5420 is positioned at rank 1033 and the Phenom II X4 810 is on rank 312, so the Phenom II X4 810 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5420
Performance Per Dollar Phenom II X4 810
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Xeon E5420 | Phenom II X4 810 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($6,500) | ✅ More affordable ($175) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Harpertown (2007−2008) / 45 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Deneb (2009−2011) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Xeon E5420 | Phenom II X4 810 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ✅ Better overall value (+3600%) |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($6,500) | ✅ More affordable ($175) |
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 E5420 and Phenom II X4 810
Xeon E5420
The Xeon E5420 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 November 2007 (18 years ago). It is based on the Harpertown (2007−2008) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 2.5 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 6 MB (total). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA771. Thermal design power (TDP): 80 Watt. Memory support: DDR2, DDR3 Depends on motherboard. Passmark benchmark score: 2,044 points. Launch price was $316.
Phenom II X4 810
The Phenom II X4 810 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 9 February 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Deneb (2009−2011) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 2.6 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,036 points. Launch price was $116.
Processing Power
Both the Xeon E5420 and Phenom II X4 810 share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.5 GHz on the Xeon E5420 versus 2.6 GHz on the Phenom II X4 810 — a 3.9% clock advantage for the Phenom II X4 810 (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2.6 GHz). The Xeon E5420 uses the Harpertown (2007−2008) architecture (45 nm), while the Phenom II X4 810 uses Deneb (2009−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5420 scores 2,044 against the Phenom II X4 810's 2,036 — a 0.4% lead for the Xeon E5420. L3 cache: 12 MB L2 Cache on the Xeon E5420 vs 4 MB (total) on the Phenom II X4 810.
| Feature | Xeon E5420 | Phenom II X4 810 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4 | 4 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 2.5 GHz | 2.6 GHz+4% |
| Base Clock | 2.5 GHz | 2.6 GHz+4% |
| L3 Cache | 12 MB L2 Cache+200% | 4 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 6 MB (total)+1100% | 512 kB (per core) |
| Process | 45 nm | 45 nm |
| Architecture | Harpertown (2007−2008) | Deneb (2009−2011) |
| PassMark | 2,044 | 2,036 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 314 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 881 | — |
Memory & Platform
The Xeon E5420 uses the LGA771 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Phenom II X4 810 uses AM3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Xeon E5420 | Phenom II X4 810 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA771 | AM3 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR2-667 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 32 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 4 | — |
| ECC Support | ✅ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 32 | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: Yes (Xeon E5420) / not specified (Phenom II X4 810).
| Feature | Xeon E5420 | Phenom II X4 810 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | Yes | — |
Value Analysis
The Xeon E5420 launched at $7214 MSRP, while the Phenom II X4 810 debuted at $175.
| Feature | Xeon E5420 | Phenom II X4 810 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $7214 | $175-98% |
| Avg Price (30d) | $6500 | — |
| Release Date | 2007 | 2009 |
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