Xeon E5520
VS
Core i5-750

Xeon E5520 vs Core i5-750

Intel

Xeon E5520

4 Cores8 Thrd80 WWMax: 2.53 GHz2009
VS
Intel

Core i5-750

4 Cores4 Thrd95 WWMax: 3.2 GHz2009

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 E5520 is positioned at rank 788 and the Core i5-750 is on rank 960, so the Xeon E5520 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

#1
Xeon Platinum 8454H
MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A
16351%
#6
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 i5-750

#1
Ryzen 9 7950X
MSRP: $194|Avg: $20
25719%
#2
Core i9-10900T
MSRP: $120|Avg: $5
24302%
#3
Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE
MSRP: $423|Avg: $5
17645%
#4
Ryzen Threadripper 3960X
MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85
5316%
#5
Ryzen 9 9950X
MSRP: $649|Avg: $129
4211%
#6
Ryzen 5 8400F
MSRP: $303|Avg: $55
3683%
#7
Ryzen 7 PRO 2700
MSRP: $299|Avg: $60
2110%
#8
Ryzen 5 2600X
MSRP: $229|Avg: $55
2082%
#9
Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G
MSRP: $150|Avg: $60
1896%
#10
Core Ultra 5 245KF
MSRP: $294|Avg: $189
1896%
#11
Ryzen 5 5500
MSRP: $159|Avg: $85
1875%
#12
Ryzen 5 3600
MSRP: $199|Avg: $80
1824%
#13
Core i3-9100E
MSRP: $202|Avg: $30
1798%
#14
Core Ultra 5 245K
MSRP: $319|Avg: $200
1791%
#15
Core i3-8300T
MSRP: $138|Avg: $25
1775%
#959
Core i3-4150
MSRP: $281|Avg: $70
100%
#960
Core i5-750
MSRP: $210|Avg: $30
100%
#961
Core i3-2100T
MSRP: $127|Avg: $127
100%
#962
Pentium E2210
MSRP: $84|Avg: $15
99%
#963
Core i3-560
MSRP: $138|Avg: $10
98%
#964
Core i3-550
MSRP: $138|Avg: $5
98%
#965
Core i7-980
MSRP: $583|Avg: $50
98%
#966
Pentium G3250
MSRP: $171|Avg: $25
97%
#967
Pentium E2200
MSRP: $84|Avg: $5
97%
#968
Core 2 Duo E7300
MSRP: $133|Avg: $133
96%
#969
Core i3-540
MSRP: $133|Avg: $5
96%
#971
Phenom II X3 700e
MSRP: $125|Avg: $40
96%
#972
Core i5-760
MSRP: $230|Avg: $61
96%
#973
Core i3-7102E
MSRP: $225|Avg: $80
95%
#974
Core 2 Quad Q8400
MSRP: $183|Avg: $128
94%
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.
InsightXeon E5520Core i5-750
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($30)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Gainestown (2009−2010) / 45 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Lynnfield (2009−2010) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i5-750 ($30), 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 ($30 less, Infinity% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.
InsightXeon E5520Core i5-750
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($30)

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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E5520 and Core i5-750

Intel

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.

Intel

Core i5-750

The Core i5-750 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 8 September 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Lynnfield (2009−2010) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.66 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1156. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,546 points. Launch price was $150.

Processing Power

The Xeon E5520 packs 4 cores / 8 threads, matching the Core i5-750's 4 cores. Boost clocks reach 2.53 GHz on the Xeon E5520 versus 3.2 GHz on the Core i5-750 — a 23.4% clock advantage for the Core i5-750 (base: 2.26 GHz vs 2.66 GHz). The Xeon E5520 uses the Gainestown (2009−2010) architecture (45 nm), while the Core i5-750 uses Lynnfield (2009−2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5520 scores 2,541 against the Core i5-750's 2,546 — a 0.2% lead for the Core i5-750. Both processors carry 8 MB (total) of L3 cache.

FeatureXeon E5520Core i5-750
Cores / Threads
4 / 8
4 / 4
Boost Clock
2.53 GHz
3.2 GHz+26%
Base Clock
2.26 GHz
2.66 GHz+18%
L3 Cache
8 MB (total)
8 MB (total)
L2 Cache
256 kB (per core)
256 kB (per core)
Process
45 nm
45 nm
Architecture
Gainestown (2009−2010)
Lynnfield (2009−2010)
PassMark
2,541
2,546
Geekbench 6 Single
424
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon E5520 uses the LGA1366 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i5-750 uses LGA1156 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureXeon E5520Core i5-750
Socket
LGA1366
LGA1156
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 E5520) / VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-750). Primary use case: Core i5-750 targets Legacy Desktop. Direct competitor: Core i5-750 rivals Phenom II X4 965.

FeatureXeon E5520Core i5-750
Integrated GPU
No
IGPU Model
None
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use
Legacy Desktop