CPU
GPU
Xeon E5420
Xeon E7-8890 v4
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 Xeon E7-8890 v4 is on rank 864, so the Xeon E7-8890 v4 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 Xeon E7-8890 v4
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Xeon E5420 | Xeon E7-8890 v4 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($6,500) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Harpertown (2007−2008) / 45 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Broadwell (2015−2019) / 14 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Xeon E5420 | Xeon E7-8890 v4 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($6,500) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
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 Xeon E7-8890 v4
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.
Xeon E7-8890 v4
The Xeon E7-8890 v4 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 20 June 2016 (9 years ago). It is based on the Broadwell (2015−2019) architecture. It features 24 cores and 48 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 60 MB. L2 cache: 6 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 165 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1333, DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866, DDR3-1066, DDR3-1333, DDR3-1600. Passmark benchmark score: 2,054 points. Launch price was $7,174.
Processing Power
The Xeon E5420 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Xeon E7-8890 v4 offers 24 cores / 48 threads — the Xeon E7-8890 v4 has 20 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.5 GHz on the Xeon E5420 versus 3.4 GHz on the Xeon E7-8890 v4 — a 30.5% clock advantage for the Xeon E7-8890 v4 (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Xeon E5420 uses the Harpertown (2007−2008) architecture (45 nm), while the Xeon E7-8890 v4 uses Broadwell (2015−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5420 scores 2,044 against the Xeon E7-8890 v4's 2,054 — a 0.5% lead for the Xeon E7-8890 v4. L3 cache: 12 MB L2 Cache on the Xeon E5420 vs 60 MB on the Xeon E7-8890 v4.
| Feature | Xeon E5420 | Xeon E7-8890 v4 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4 | 24 / 48+500% |
| Boost Clock | 2.5 GHz | 3.4 GHz+36% |
| Base Clock | 2.5 GHz+14% | 2.2 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 12 MB L2 Cache | 60 MB+400% |
| L2 Cache | 6 MB (total) | 6 MB |
| Process | 45 nm | 14 nm-69% |
| Architecture | Harpertown (2007−2008) | Broadwell (2015−2019) |
| PassMark | 2,044 | 2,054 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 314 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 881 | — |
Memory & Platform
The Xeon E5420 uses the LGA771 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Xeon E7-8890 v4 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Xeon E5420 | Xeon E7-8890 v4 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA771 | LGA2011 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 3.0+50% |
| 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 (Xeon E7-8890 v4).
| Feature | Xeon E5420 | Xeon E7-8890 v4 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | Yes | — |
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