Xeon E5440 vs Core i5-2540M

Xeon E5440

4 Cores4 Thrd80 WWMax: 0.83 GHz2007

Core i5-2540M

2 Cores4 Thrd35 WWMax: 3.3 GHz2011

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Xeon E5440

4 / 4

2,367

+0.5%

2,356

0.0%

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 Core i5-2540M is on rank 8, so the Core i5-2540M 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 E5440

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

60590%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

11440%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

10164%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

7852%

#540

Xeon E7-8891 v3

MSRP: $6841|Avg: $418

92%

#541

Xeon E5-4669 v4

MSRP: $7007|Avg: $300

73%

#1008

Xeon E5440

MSRP: $690|Avg: $37

100%

#1009

Xeon E5-2643

MSRP: $1552|Avg: $50

98%

#1010

Xeon E5-2637

MSRP: $885|Avg: $40

98%

#1011

Xeon W3570

MSRP: $999|Avg: $15

95%

#1013

Xeon E5-4620

MSRP: $2141|Avg: $400

90%

#1014

Xeon E5-2680

MSRP: $3226|Avg: $40

84%

#1016

Xeon E5-4640

MSRP: $2725|Avg: N/A

75%

#1018

Xeon E5-4650

MSRP: $3616|Avg: $71

69%

#1019

Xeon E5-4655 v4

MSRP: $4616|Avg: N/A

69%

#1020

Xeon E5-4650L

MSRP: $3616|Avg: N/A

69%

#1021

Xeon E-2224

MSRP: $3226|Avg: $195

65%

#1022

Athlon MP 2400+

MSRP: $151|Avg: $20

59%

#1023

Xeon E5-2650L v2

MSRP: $4115|Avg: $1078

54%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i5-2540M

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

112%

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

110%

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

101%

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

101%

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

100%

#10

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

97%

#11

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

93%

#12

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

92%

#13

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

90%

#17

Core i3-350M

MSRP: $130|Avg: $10

83%

#18

Atom x5-E8000

MSRP: $18|Avg: N/A

82%

#19

Core 2 Duo T5900

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $5

81%

#22

Core i3-3130M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

73%

#23

Core 2 Duo T5550

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $5

70%

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 ($37) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon E5440 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Xeon E5440	Core i5-2540M
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($37)	✅ More affordable ($10)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Harpertown (2007−2008) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i5-2540M ($10), 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 ($27 less, 73% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Xeon E5440	Core i5-2540M
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+268%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($37)	✅ More affordable ($10)

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 E5440 Benchmark Check

Core i5-2540M Benchmark Check

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E5440 and Core i5-2540M

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.

Core i5-2540M

The Core i5-2540M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 February 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.3 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: PGA988. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,356 points. Launch price was $266.

⚡

Processing Power

The Xeon E5440 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Core i5-2540M offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the Xeon E5440 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 0.83 GHz on the Xeon E5440 versus 3.3 GHz on the Core i5-2540M — a 119.6% clock advantage for the Core i5-2540M (base: 2.83 GHz vs 2.6 GHz). The Xeon E5440 uses the Harpertown (2007−2008) architecture (45 nm), while the Core i5-2540M uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5440 scores 2,367 against the Core i5-2540M's 2,356 — a 0.5% lead for the Xeon E5440. L3 cache: 12 MB L2 Cache on the Xeon E5440 vs 3 MB (total) on the Core i5-2540M.

Feature	Xeon E5440	Core i5-2540M
Cores / Threads	4 / 4+100%	2 / 4
Boost Clock	0.83 GHz	3.3 GHz+298%
Base Clock	2.83 GHz+9%	2.6 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB L2 Cache+300%	3 MB (total)
L2 Cache	6 MB (total)+2300%	256K (per core)
Process	45 nm	32 nm-29%
Architecture	Harpertown (2007−2008)	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
PassMark	2,367	2,356

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon E5440 uses the LGA771 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i5-2540M uses PGA988 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Xeon E5440	Core i5-2540M
Socket	LGA771	PGA988
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	—	1333
Max RAM Capacity	—	16
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Xeon E5440) / true (Core i5-2540M). The Core i5-2540M includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics 3000), while the Xeon E5440 requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Core i5-2540M rivals Phenom II Black Edition N660.

Feature	Xeon E5440	Core i5-2540M
Integrated GPU	—	Yes
IGPU Model	—	Intel HD Graphics 3000
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	true

💰

Value Analysis

The Xeon E5440 launched at $690 MSRP, while the Core i5-2540M debuted at $266. At current prices ($37 vs $10), the Core i5-2540M is $27 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Xeon E5440 delivers 64.0 pts/$ vs 235.6 pts/$ for the Core i5-2540M — making the Core i5-2540M the 114.6% better value option.