Xeon E5420 vs Xeon X5355
Xeon E5420
Xeon X5355
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 X5355 is on rank 1032, so the Xeon X5355 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 X5355
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Xeon E5420 | Xeon X5355 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($6,500) | ✅ More affordable ($4,000) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Harpertown (2007−2008) / 45 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Clovertown (2006−2007) / 65 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Xeon E5420 | Xeon X5355 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ✅ Better overall value (+62%) |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($6,500) | ✅ More affordable ($4,000) |
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 X5355
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 X5355
The Xeon X5355 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 2.66 GHz, with boost up to 0.67 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 4 MB (total). Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: LGA771. Thermal design power (TDP): 120 Watt. Memory support: DDR2, DDR3 Depends on motherboard. Passmark benchmark score: 2,039 points. Launch price was $1,172.
Processing Power
Both the Xeon E5420 and Xeon X5355 share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.5 GHz on the Xeon E5420 versus 0.67 GHz on the Xeon X5355 — a 115.5% clock advantage for the Xeon E5420 (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2.66 GHz). The Xeon E5420 uses the Harpertown (2007−2008) architecture (45 nm), while the Xeon X5355 uses Clovertown (2006−2007) (65 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5420 scores 2,044 against the Xeon X5355's 2,039 — a 0.2% lead for the Xeon E5420. L3 cache: 12 MB L2 Cache on the Xeon E5420 vs 8 MB L2 Cache on the Xeon X5355.
| Feature | Xeon E5420 | Xeon X5355 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4 | 4 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 2.5 GHz+273% | 0.67 GHz |
| Base Clock | 2.5 GHz | 2.66 GHz+6% |
| L3 Cache | 12 MB L2 Cache+50% | 8 MB L2 Cache |
| L2 Cache | 6 MB (total)+50% | 4 MB (total) |
| Process | 45 nm-31% | 65 nm |
| Architecture | Harpertown (2007−2008) | Clovertown (2006−2007) |
| PassMark | 2,044 | 2,039 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 314 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 881 | — |
Memory & Platform
Both processors use the LGA771 socket with PCIe 2.0.
| Feature | Xeon E5420 | Xeon X5355 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA771 | LGA771 |
| 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 (Xeon X5355).
| Feature | Xeon E5420 | Xeon X5355 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | Yes | — |
Value Analysis
The Xeon E5420 launched at $7214 MSRP, while the Xeon X5355 debuted at $4491. At current prices ($6500 vs $4000), the Xeon X5355 is $2500 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Xeon E5420 delivers 0.3 pts/$ vs 0.5 pts/$ for the Xeon X5355 — making the Xeon X5355 the 47.4% better value option.
| Feature | Xeon E5420 | Xeon X5355 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $7214 | $4491-38% |
| Avg Price (30d) | $6500 | $4000-38% |
| Performance per Dollar | 0.3 | 0.5+67% |
| Release Date | 2007 | 2006 |
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