Xeon E5540
VS
Pentium G4500

Xeon E5540 vs Pentium G4500

Intel

Xeon E5540

4 Cores8 Thrd80 WWMax: 2.8 GHz2009
VS
Intel

Pentium G4500

2 Cores2 Thrd51 WWMax: 3.5 GHz2015

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 E5540 is positioned at rank 745 and the Pentium G4500 is on rank 527, so the Pentium G4500 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 E5540

#1
Xeon Platinum 8454H
MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A
14813%
#6
Xeon Gold 6240R
MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A
2797%
#10
Xeon 6337P
MSRP: $60|Avg: $5
2485%
#15
EPYC 9174F
MSRP: $194|Avg: $30
1920%
#433
Xeon Gold 6346
MSRP: $2708|Avg: $2195
99%
#434
Xeon W-3225
MSRP: $1319|Avg: $850
99%
#435
Xeon Gold 6354
MSRP: $2878|Avg: $2898
98%
#436
Xeon Gold 5218T
MSRP: $1572|Avg: $1349
97%
#437
Xeon 6960P
MSRP: $9625|Avg: $9625
97%
#745
Xeon E5540
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#747
Xeon E5-2403 v2
MSRP: $192|Avg: $61
99%
#748
Xeon E3-1285 v4
MSRP: $556|Avg: $200
99%
#750
Xeon E3-1260L
MSRP: $294|Avg: $270
99%
#758
Xeon E3-1281 v3
MSRP: $555|Avg: $636
97%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Pentium G4500

#1
Ryzen 9 7950X
MSRP: $194|Avg: $20
8350%
#2
Core i9-10900T
MSRP: $120|Avg: $5
7890%
#3
Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE
MSRP: $423|Avg: $5
5729%
#4
Ryzen Threadripper 3960X
MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85
1726%
#5
Ryzen 9 9950X
MSRP: $649|Avg: $129
1367%
#6
Ryzen 5 8400F
MSRP: $303|Avg: $55
1196%
#7
Ryzen 7 PRO 2700
MSRP: $299|Avg: $60
685%
#8
Ryzen 5 2600X
MSRP: $229|Avg: $55
676%
#9
Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G
MSRP: $150|Avg: $60
616%
#10
Core Ultra 5 245KF
MSRP: $294|Avg: $189
615%
#11
Ryzen 5 5500
MSRP: $159|Avg: $85
609%
#12
Ryzen 5 3600
MSRP: $199|Avg: $80
592%
#13
Core i3-9100E
MSRP: $202|Avg: $30
584%
#14
Core Ultra 5 245K
MSRP: $319|Avg: $200
582%
#15
Core i3-8300T
MSRP: $138|Avg: $25
576%
#374
Core i9-13900TE
MSRP: $554|Avg: $554
100%
#375
Ryzen Embedded V2546
MSRP: $300|Avg: $300
97%
#376
Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7945WX
MSRP: $1399|Avg: $1399
95%
#527
Pentium G4500
MSRP: $75|Avg: $34
100%
#528
Athlon X4 740
MSRP: $71|Avg: $71
100%
#529
Xeon E5-2608L v4
MSRP: $363|Avg: $174
100%
#531
Celeron G1610
MSRP: $42|Avg: $5
99%
#532
Core i3-7100
MSRP: $117|Avg: $40
99%
#533
Celeron G1620T
MSRP: $42|Avg: $15
98%
#536
Pentium G4400T
MSRP: $64|Avg: $75
97%
#539
Athlon X4 850
MSRP: $77|Avg: $20
96%
#541
FX-6350
MSRP: $132|Avg: $55
94%
#542
Celeron G470
MSRP: $35|Avg: $10
94%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Generational Difference: This comparison involves processors from different technological eras. The Pentium G4500 (2015) utilizes 14 nm technology and DDR3, DDR4, providing a fundamental performance advantage.
InsightXeon E5540Pentium G4500
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Better multi-core power
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($34)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Gainestown (2009−2010) / 45 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Skylake (2015−2016) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Xeon E5540 (2009) relies on 45 nm technology and DDR3, placing it in a different performance category relative to modern standards.
InsightXeon E5540Pentium G4500
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($34)

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 E5540 and Pentium G4500

Intel

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.

Intel

Pentium G4500

The Pentium G4500 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 51 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 2,800 points. Launch price was $82.

Processing Power

The Xeon E5540 packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Pentium G4500 offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the Xeon E5540 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.8 GHz on the Xeon E5540 versus 3.5 GHz on the Pentium G4500 — a 22.2% clock advantage for the Pentium G4500 (base: 2.53 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Xeon E5540 uses the Gainestown (2009−2010) architecture (45 nm), while the Pentium G4500 uses Skylake (2015−2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5540 scores 2,805 against the Pentium G4500's 2,800 — a 0.2% lead for the Xeon E5540. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Xeon E5540 vs 4 MB (total) on the Pentium G4500.

FeatureXeon E5540Pentium G4500
Cores / Threads
4 / 8+100%
2 / 2
Boost Clock
2.8 GHz
3.5 GHz+25%
Base Clock
2.53 GHz
3.5 GHz+38%
L3 Cache
8 MB (total)+100%
4 MB (total)
L2 Cache
256 kB (per core)
256K (per core)
Process
45 nm
14 nm-69%
Architecture
Gainestown (2009−2010)
Skylake (2015−2016)
PassMark
2,805
2,800
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon E5540 uses the LGA1366 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium G4500 uses LGA1151 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureXeon E5540Pentium G4500
Socket
LGA1366
LGA1151
PCIe Generation
PCIe 2.0
PCIe 3.0+50%