Xeon E5520 vs Core 2 Duo T7700

Xeon E5520

4 Cores8 Thrd80 WWMax: 2.53 GHz2009

Core 2 Duo T7700

2 Cores2 Thrd4 WWMax: 2.4 GHz2007

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Xeon E5520

4 / 8

2,541

0.0%

2,554

+0.5%

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 E5520 is positioned at rank 788 and the Core 2 Duo T7700 is on rank 484, so the Core 2 Duo T7700 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 E5520

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

16351%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

3087%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

2743%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

2119%

#456

EPYC 9575F

MSRP: $11791|Avg: $9238

99%

#457

EPYC 7642

MSRP: $4775|Avg: $850

98%

#458

EPYC 7573X

MSRP: $5590|Avg: $3580

98%

#459

Xeon Platinum 8568Y+

MSRP: $6497|Avg: $6497

96%

#788

Xeon E5520

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#796

Xeon E-2276M

MSRP: $939|Avg: $124

98%

#797

Xeon W3580

MSRP: $294|Avg: $30

97%

#798

Xeon W3690

MSRP: $583|Avg: $140

97%

#800

Xeon E5-2428L

MSRP: $692|Avg: $42

97%

#803

Opteron 6380

MSRP: $551|Avg: $111

96%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core 2 Duo T7700

#153

Core i7-1370P

MSRP: $438|Avg: $280

98%

#472

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

632%

#473

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

623%

#474

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

571%

#475

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

569%

#476

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

564%

#478

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

544%

#479

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

522%

#480

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

521%

#481

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

507%

#484

Core 2 Duo T7700

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#488

Processor U300

MSRP: $193|Avg: $180

99%

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 E5520 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Xeon E5520	Core 2 Duo T7700
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Gainestown (2009−2010) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Merom (2006−2008) / 65 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core 2 Duo T7700 ($0), 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 ($0 less, NaN% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Xeon E5520	Core 2 Duo T7700
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing

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 E5520 Benchmark Check

Core 2 Duo T7700 Benchmark Check

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E5520 and Core 2 Duo T7700

Xeon E5520

The Xeon E5520 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 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.26 GHz, with boost up to 2.53 GHz. L3 cache: 8 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: 2,541 points. Launch price was $19.

Core 2 Duo T7700

The Core 2 Duo T7700 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 September 2007 (18 years ago). It is based on the Merom (2006−2008) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 2.4 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 4 MB. Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: PGA478. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 2,554 points. Launch price was $307.

⚡

Processing Power

The Xeon E5520 packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Core 2 Duo T7700 offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the Xeon E5520 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.53 GHz on the Xeon E5520 versus 2.4 GHz on the Core 2 Duo T7700 — a 5.3% clock advantage for the Xeon E5520 (base: 2.26 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Xeon E5520 uses the Gainestown (2009−2010) architecture (45 nm), while the Core 2 Duo T7700 uses Merom (2006−2008) (65 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5520 scores 2,541 against the Core 2 Duo T7700's 2,554 — a 0.5% lead for the Core 2 Duo T7700. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Xeon E5520 vs 0 kB on the Core 2 Duo T7700.

Feature	Xeon E5520	Core 2 Duo T7700
Cores / Threads	4 / 8+100%	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.53 GHz+5%	2.4 GHz
Base Clock	2.26 GHz	2.4 GHz+6%
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)	0 kB
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	4 MB+1500%
Process	45 nm-31%	65 nm
Architecture	Gainestown (2009−2010)	Merom (2006−2008)
PassMark	2,541	2,554
Geekbench 6 Single	—	254

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon E5520 uses the LGA1366 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core 2 Duo T7700 uses PGA478 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Xeon E5520	Core 2 Duo T7700
Socket	LGA1366	PGA478
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0+82%	PCIe 1.1
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR2-667
Max RAM Capacity	—	4 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Xeon E5520) / VT-x (Core 2 Duo T7700). Primary use case: Core 2 Duo T7700 targets Budget. Direct competitor: Core 2 Duo T7700 rivals Athlon 64 X2 5000+.