Xeon E5440 vs Athlon II X4 645
Xeon E5440
Athlon II X4 645
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 E5440 is positioned at rank 1008 and the Athlon II X4 645 is on rank 819, so the Athlon II X4 645 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5440
Performance Per Dollar Athlon II X4 645
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Xeon E5440 | Athlon II X4 645 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($37) | ✅ More affordable ($20) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Harpertown (2007−2008) / 45 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Propus (2009−2011) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Xeon E5440 | Athlon II X4 645 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ✅ Better overall value (+86%) |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($37) | ✅ More affordable ($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 E5440 and Athlon II X4 645
Xeon E5440
The Xeon E5440 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 2.83 GHz, with boost up to 0.83 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: 2,367 points. Launch price was $690.
Athlon II X4 645
The Athlon II X4 645 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 21 September 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Propus (2009−2011) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.1 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. 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: 2,375 points. Launch price was $80.
Processing Power
Both the Xeon E5440 and Athlon II X4 645 share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 0.83 GHz on the Xeon E5440 versus 3.1 GHz on the Athlon II X4 645 — a 115.5% clock advantage for the Athlon II X4 645 (base: 2.83 GHz vs 3.1 GHz). The Xeon E5440 uses the Harpertown (2007−2008) architecture (45 nm), while the Athlon II X4 645 uses Propus (2009−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5440 scores 2,367 against the Athlon II X4 645's 2,375 — a 0.3% lead for the Athlon II X4 645. L3 cache: 12 MB L2 Cache on the Xeon E5440 vs 0 kB on the Athlon II X4 645.
| Feature | Xeon E5440 | Athlon II X4 645 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4 | 4 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 0.83 GHz | 3.1 GHz+273% |
| Base Clock | 2.83 GHz | 3.1 GHz+10% |
| L3 Cache | 12 MB L2 Cache | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 6 MB (total)+1100% | 512 kB (per core) |
| Process | 45 nm | 45 nm |
| Architecture | Harpertown (2007−2008) | Propus (2009−2011) |
| PassMark | 2,367 | 2,375 |
| Cinebench R23 Multi | — | 1,374 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 399 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | — | 1,374 |
Memory & Platform
The Xeon E5440 uses the LGA771 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Athlon II X4 645 uses AM3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Xeon E5440 | Athlon II X4 645 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA771 | AM3 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR3-1333 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 16 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 16 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Xeon E5440) / Yes (Athlon II X4 645). Primary use case: Athlon II X4 645 targets Desktop.
| Feature | Xeon E5440 | Athlon II X4 645 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | Yes |
| Target Use | — | Desktop |
Value Analysis
The Xeon E5440 launched at $690 MSRP, while the Athlon II X4 645 debuted at $126. At current prices ($37 vs $20), the Athlon II X4 645 is $17 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Xeon E5440 delivers 64.0 pts/$ vs 118.8 pts/$ for the Athlon II X4 645 — making the Athlon II X4 645 the 60% better value option.
| Feature | Xeon E5440 | Athlon II X4 645 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $690 | $126-82% |
| Avg Price (30d) | $37 | $20-46% |
| Performance per Dollar | 64.0 | 118.8+86% |
| Release Date | 2007 | 2010 |
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