Xeon E5503 vs Core i7-820QM

Xeon E5503

2 Cores2 Thrd80 WWMax: 2 GHz2010

Core i7-820QM

4 Cores8 Thrd45 WWMax: 3.06 GHz2009

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Xeon E5503

2 / 2

1,815

0.0%

1,819

+0.2%

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 E5503 is positioned at rank 895 and the Core i7-820QM is on rank 1231, so the Xeon E5503 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 E5503

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

22888%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

4321%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

3839%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

2966%

#503

Xeon W-3275M

MSRP: $4449|Avg: $4449

100%

#504

Xeon E5-2660 v3

MSRP: $1445|Avg: $150

99%

#505

Xeon E5-2679 v4

MSRP: $2702|Avg: $500

98%

#506

Xeon E5-2680 v3

MSRP: $1745|Avg: $212

94%

#507

Xeon Platinum 8562Y+

MSRP: $5945|Avg: $7000

93%

#508

Xeon E7-8895 v2

MSRP: $6841|Avg: $65

92%

#509

EPYC 9684X

MSRP: $14756|Avg: $14756

91%

#509

EPYC 9754

MSRP: $11900|Avg: $10631

91%

#895

Xeon E5503

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#898

Xeon W-2225

MSRP: $1166|Avg: $150

98%

#900

Xeon E5-2650L v3

MSRP: $1329|Avg: N/A

98%

#906

Xeon E5405

MSRP: $209|Avg: $15

92%

#907

Xeon E5-2440

MSRP: $728|Avg: $249

92%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-820QM

#1219

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

8811%

#1220

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

8682%

#1221

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

7970%

#1222

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

7934%

#1223

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

7861%

#1225

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

7592%

#1226

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

7279%

#1227

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

7267%

#1228

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

7072%

#1231

Core i7-820QM

MSRP: $546|Avg: N/A

100%

#1233

Core Duo T2700

MSRP: $663|Avg: N/A

84%

#1235

Pentium SU4100

MSRP: $289|Avg: $15

71%

#1236

Core Solo T1400

MSRP: $200|Avg: $5

64%

#1237

Core i7-940XM

MSRP: $1096|Avg: N/A

62%

#1238

Core Solo T1350

MSRP: $200|Avg: $70

61%

#1240

Core Solo T1300

MSRP: $209|Avg: $10

55%

#1241

Core Solo T1200

MSRP: $209|Avg: $10

51%

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 E5503 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Xeon E5503	Core i7-820QM
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($546)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Gainestown (2009−2010) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Clarksfield (2009−2010) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-820QM ($546), 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 ($546 less, Infinity% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Xeon E5503	Core i7-820QM
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($546)

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 E5503 Benchmark Check

Core i7-820QM Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E5503 and Core i7-820QM

Xeon E5503

The Xeon E5503 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 16 March 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Gainestown (2009−2010) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 2 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1366. Thermal design power (TDP): 80 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,815 points. Launch price was $287.

Core i7-820QM

The Core i7-820QM is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 23 September 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Clarksfield (2009−2010) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 1.73 GHz, with boost up to 3.06 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: PGA988. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-1066, DDR3-1333. Passmark benchmark score: 1,819 points. Launch price was $546.

⚡

Processing Power

The Xeon E5503 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Core i7-820QM offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Core i7-820QM has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2 GHz on the Xeon E5503 versus 3.06 GHz on the Core i7-820QM — a 41.9% clock advantage for the Core i7-820QM (base: 2 GHz vs 1.73 GHz). The Xeon E5503 uses the Gainestown (2009−2010) architecture (45 nm), while the Core i7-820QM uses Clarksfield (2009−2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5503 scores 1,815 against the Core i7-820QM's 1,819 — a 0.2% lead for the Core i7-820QM. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Xeon E5503 vs 8 MB (total) on the Core i7-820QM.

Feature	Xeon E5503	Core i7-820QM
Cores / Threads	2 / 2	4 / 8+100%
Boost Clock	2 GHz	3.06 GHz+53%
Base Clock	2 GHz+16%	1.73 GHz
L3 Cache	4 MB (total)	8 MB (total)+100%
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	256 kB (per core)
Process	45 nm	45 nm
Architecture	Gainestown (2009−2010)	Clarksfield (2009−2010)
PassMark	1,815	1,819

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon E5503 uses the LGA1366 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i7-820QM uses PGA988 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.