Xeon E5520 vs Phenom II X4 965 BE (125W)
Xeon E5520
Phenom II X4 965 BE (125W)
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 Phenom II X4 965 BE (125W) is on rank 240, so the Phenom II X4 965 BE (125W) offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5520
Performance Per Dollar Phenom II X4 965 BE (125W)
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Xeon E5520 | Phenom II X4 965 BE (125W) |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior 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 (Deneb (2009−2011) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Xeon E5520 | Phenom II X4 965 BE (125W) |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
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 E5520 and Phenom II X4 965 BE (125W)
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.
Phenom II X4 965 BE (125W)
The Phenom II X4 965 BE (125W) is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Deneb (2009−2011) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,544 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
The Xeon E5520 packs 4 cores / 8 threads, matching the Phenom II X4 965 BE (125W)'s 4 cores. Boost clocks reach 2.53 GHz on the Xeon E5520 versus 3.4 GHz on the Phenom II X4 965 BE (125W) — a 29.3% clock advantage for the Phenom II X4 965 BE (125W) (base: 2.26 GHz vs 3.4 GHz). The Xeon E5520 uses the Gainestown (2009−2010) architecture (45 nm), while the Phenom II X4 965 BE (125W) uses Deneb (2009−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5520 scores 2,541 against the Phenom II X4 965 BE (125W)'s 2,544 — a 0.1% lead for the Phenom II X4 965 BE (125W). L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Xeon E5520 vs 6 MB (total) on the Phenom II X4 965 BE (125W).
| Feature | Xeon E5520 | Phenom II X4 965 BE (125W) |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 8 | 4 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 2.53 GHz | 3.4 GHz+34% |
| Base Clock | 2.26 GHz | 3.4 GHz+50% |
| L3 Cache | 8 MB (total)+33% | 6 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 256 kB (per core) | 512 kB (per core)+100% |
| Process | 45 nm | 45 nm |
| Architecture | Gainestown (2009−2010) | Deneb (2009−2011) |
| PassMark | 2,541 | 2,544 |
Memory & Platform
The Xeon E5520 uses the LGA1366 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Phenom II X4 965 BE (125W) uses AM3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Xeon E5520 | Phenom II X4 965 BE (125W) |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1366 | AM3 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 2.0 |
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