Xeon E5540 vs Celeron G6900TE
Xeon E5540
Celeron G6900TE
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. The Xeon E5540 is positioned at rank #745 in our cost-efficiency ranking, representing a Lower cost-benefit for your build. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5540
Performance Per Dollar Celeron G6900TE
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Xeon E5540 | Celeron G6900TE |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($64) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Gainestown (2009−2010) / 45 nm) | ✨ Modern (Alder Lake-S (2022) / 10 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Xeon E5540 | Celeron G6900TE |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($64) |
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 E5540 and Celeron G6900TE
Xeon E5540
The Xeon E5540 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 2.53 GHz, with boost up to 2.8 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: 2,805 points. Launch price was $30.
Celeron G6900TE
The Celeron G6900TE is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 2.4 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 2,782 points. Launch price was $69.
Processing Power
The Xeon E5540 packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Celeron G6900TE offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the Xeon E5540 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.8 GHz on the Xeon E5540 versus 2.4 GHz on the Celeron G6900TE — a 15.4% clock advantage for the Xeon E5540 (base: 2.53 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Xeon E5540 uses the Gainestown (2009−2010) architecture (45 nm), while the Celeron G6900TE uses Alder Lake-S (2022) (10 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5540 scores 2,805 against the Celeron G6900TE's 2,782 — a 0.8% lead for the Xeon E5540. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Xeon E5540 vs 4 MB (total) on the Celeron G6900TE.
| Feature | Xeon E5540 | Celeron G6900TE |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 8+100% | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 2.8 GHz+17% | 2.4 GHz |
| Base Clock | 2.53 GHz+5% | 2.4 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 8 MB (total)+100% | 4 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 256 kB (per core) | 1.25 MB (per core)+400% |
| Process | 45 nm | 10 nm-78% |
| Architecture | Gainestown (2009−2010) | Alder Lake-S (2022) |
| PassMark | 2,805 | 2,782 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 1,400 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | — | 2,457 |
Memory & Platform
The Xeon E5540 uses the LGA1366 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Celeron G6900TE uses LGA1700 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Xeon E5540 | Celeron G6900TE |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1366 | LGA1700 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 5.0+150% |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR5-4800 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 128 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 20 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Xeon E5540) / VT-x (Celeron G6900TE). The Celeron G6900TE includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 710), while the Xeon E5540 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Celeron G6900TE targets Budget. Direct competitor: Celeron G6900TE rivals Pentium Gold G7400T.
| Feature | Xeon E5540 | Celeron G6900TE |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | Yes |
| IGPU Model | — | UHD Graphics 710 |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | VT-x |
| Target Use | — | Budget |
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