Xeon E5430 vs Core i7-940XM

Xeon E5430

4 Cores4 Thrd80 WWMax: 0.67 GHz2007

Core i7-940XM

4 Cores8 Thrd55 WWMax: 3.33 GHz2010

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Xeon E5430

4 / 4

2,256

0.0%

2,269

+0.6%

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 E5430 is positioned at rank 833 and the Core i7-940XM is on rank 1237, so the Xeon E5430 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 E5430

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

18424%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

3479%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

3091%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

2388%

#472

EPYC 9845

MSRP: $13564|Avg: $8670

100%

#473

EPYC 7F32

MSRP: $2100|Avg: $179

98%

#474

EPYC 9654P

MSRP: $10625|Avg: $5345

97%

#475

EPYC 9965

MSRP: $14813|Avg: $10000

96%

#476

EPYC 9745

MSRP: $12141|Avg: $10588

95%

#477

EPYC 7J13

MSRP: $7890|Avg: $150

95%

#478

EPYC 7702

MSRP: $6450|Avg: $2035

95%

#833

Xeon E5430

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#836

Xeon W3550

MSRP: $294|Avg: $30

98%

#838

Xeon E5-2450

MSRP: $694|Avg: $795

96%

#840

Xeon E5-2630L v2

MSRP: $612|Avg: $149

96%

#841

Xeon E3-1246 v3

MSRP: $667|Avg: $215

96%

#842

Xeon W3540

MSRP: $284|Avg: $10

96%

#843

Xeon E-2124G

MSRP: $667|Avg: $462

96%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-940XM

#1225

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

14174%

#1226

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

13966%

#1227

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

12821%

#1228

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

12763%

#1229

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

12646%

#1231

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

12213%

#1232

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

11710%

#1233

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

11691%

#1234

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

11377%

#1237

Core i7-940XM

MSRP: $1096|Avg: N/A

100%

#1238

Core Solo T1350

MSRP: $200|Avg: $70

98%

#1240

Core Solo T1300

MSRP: $209|Avg: $10

89%

#1241

Core Solo T1200

MSRP: $209|Avg: $10

82%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Use Case Distinction: This is a comparison between a Professional Workstation processor ($0) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon E5430 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Xeon E5430	Core i7-940XM
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($1,096)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Harpertown (2007−2008) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Clarksfield (2009−2010) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-940XM ($1,096), however, is optimized for mixed workloads and gaming. For most users, it offers superior single-thread performance and responsiveness at a fraction of the cost ($1,096 less, Infinity% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Xeon E5430	Core i7-940XM
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($1,096)

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 E5430 Benchmark Check

Core i7-940XM Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E5430 and Core i7-940XM

Xeon E5430

The Xeon E5430 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 2.66 GHz, with boost up to 0.67 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: 2,256 points. Launch price was $455.

Core i7-940XM

The Core i7-940XM is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 20 June 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Clarksfield (2009−2010) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.13 GHz, with boost up to 3.33 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: PGA988. Thermal design power (TDP): 55 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-1066, DDR3-1333. Passmark benchmark score: 2,269 points. Launch price was $1,096.

⚡

Processing Power

The Xeon E5430 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, matching the Core i7-940XM's 4 cores. Boost clocks reach 0.67 GHz on the Xeon E5430 versus 3.33 GHz on the Core i7-940XM — a 133% clock advantage for the Core i7-940XM (base: 2.66 GHz vs 2.13 GHz). The Xeon E5430 uses the Harpertown (2007−2008) architecture (45 nm), while the Core i7-940XM uses Clarksfield (2009−2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5430 scores 2,256 against the Core i7-940XM's 2,269 — a 0.6% lead for the Core i7-940XM. L3 cache: 12 MB L2 Cache on the Xeon E5430 vs 8 MB (total) on the Core i7-940XM.

Feature	Xeon E5430	Core i7-940XM
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	4 / 8
Boost Clock	0.67 GHz	3.33 GHz+397%
Base Clock	2.66 GHz+25%	2.13 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB L2 Cache+50%	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	6 MB (total)+2300%	256 kB (per core)
Process	45 nm	45 nm
Architecture	Harpertown (2007−2008)	Clarksfield (2009−2010)
PassMark	2,256	2,269

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon E5430 uses the LGA771 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i7-940XM uses PGA988 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.