CPU
GPU
Xeon E5506
Athlon II X3 460
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 E5506 is positioned at rank 875 and the Athlon II X3 460 is on rank 734, so the Athlon II X3 460 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5506
Performance Per Dollar Athlon II X3 460
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Xeon E5506 | Athlon II X3 460 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Gainestown (2009−2010) / 45 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Rana (2009−2011) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Xeon E5506 | Athlon II X3 460 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) |
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 E5506 and Athlon II X3 460
Xeon E5506
The Xeon E5506 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 30 March 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Gainestown (2009−2010) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.13 GHz, with boost up to 0.13 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: 1,961 points. Launch price was $43.
Athlon II X3 460
The Athlon II X3 460 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 3 May 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Rana (2009−2011) architecture. It features 3 cores and 3 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 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: 1,965 points. Launch price was $50.
Processing Power
The Xeon E5506 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Athlon II X3 460 offers 3 cores / 3 threads — the Xeon E5506 has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 0.13 GHz on the Xeon E5506 versus 3.4 GHz on the Athlon II X3 460 — a 185.3% clock advantage for the Athlon II X3 460 (base: 2.13 GHz vs 3.4 GHz). The Xeon E5506 uses the Gainestown (2009−2010) architecture (45 nm), while the Athlon II X3 460 uses Rana (2009−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5506 scores 1,961 against the Athlon II X3 460's 1,965 — a 0.2% lead for the Athlon II X3 460. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Xeon E5506 vs 0 kB on the Athlon II X3 460.
| Feature | Xeon E5506 | Athlon II X3 460 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4+33% | 3 / 3 |
| Boost Clock | 0.13 GHz | 3.4 GHz+2515% |
| Base Clock | 2.13 GHz | 3.4 GHz+60% |
| L3 Cache | 4 MB (total) | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 256 kB (per core) | 512 kB (per core)+100% |
| Process | 45 nm | 45 nm |
| Architecture | Gainestown (2009−2010) | Rana (2009−2011) |
| PassMark | 1,961 | 1,965 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 384 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | — | 944 |
Memory & Platform
The Xeon E5506 uses the LGA1366 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Athlon II X3 460 uses AM3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Xeon E5506 | Athlon II X3 460 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1366 | 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 | — | 0 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Xeon E5506) / AMD-V (Athlon II X3 460). Primary use case: Athlon II X3 460 targets Budget.
| Feature | Xeon E5506 | Athlon II X3 460 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | No |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | AMD-V |
| Target Use | — | Budget |
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