Xeon E5603 vs Athlon II P360
Xeon E5603
Athlon II P360
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 E5603 is positioned at rank 863 and the Athlon II P360 is on rank 662, so the Athlon II P360 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5603
Performance Per Dollar Athlon II P360
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Xeon E5603 | Athlon II P360 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($188) | ✅ More affordable ($10) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Westmere-EP (2010−2011) / 32 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Champlain (2010−2011) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Xeon E5603 | Athlon II P360 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ✅ Better overall value (+1791%) |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($188) | ✅ More affordable ($10) |
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 E5603 and Athlon II P360
Xeon E5603
The Xeon E5603 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 14 February 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Westmere-EP (2010−2011) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.6 GHz, with boost up to 1.6 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1366. Thermal design power (TDP): 80 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,935 points. Launch price was $286.
Athlon II P360
The Athlon II P360 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Max frequency: 2.3 GHz. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: S1g4. Thermal design power (TDP): 1 MB. Passmark benchmark score: 1,946 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
The Xeon E5603 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Athlon II P360 offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the Xeon E5603 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 1.6 GHz on the Xeon E5603 versus 2.3 GHz on the Athlon II P360 — a 35.9% clock advantage for the Athlon II P360. The Xeon E5603 uses the Westmere-EP (2010−2011) architecture (32 nm), while the Athlon II P360 uses Champlain (2010−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5603 scores 1,935 against the Athlon II P360's 1,946 — a 0.6% lead for the Athlon II P360.
| Feature | Xeon E5603 | Athlon II P360 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4+100% | 2 / 2 |
| Boost Clock | 1.6 GHz | 2.3 GHz+44% |
| Base Clock | 1.6 GHz | — |
| L3 Cache | 4 MB (total) | — |
| L2 Cache | 256 kB (per core) | 1 MB+300% |
| Process | 32 nm-29% | 45 nm |
| Architecture | Westmere-EP (2010−2011) | Champlain (2010−2011) |
| PassMark | 1,935 | 1,946 |
Memory & Platform
The Xeon E5603 uses the LGA1366 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Athlon II P360 uses S1g4 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR3-1066 on the Xeon E5603 versus 1066 on the Athlon II P360 — the Athlon II P360 supports 198.9% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon E5603 supports up to 288 GB of RAM compared to 8 — 189.2% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 3 (Xeon E5603) vs 2 (Athlon II P360). PCIe lanes: 32 (Xeon E5603) vs 0 (Athlon II P360) — the Xeon E5603 offers 32 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.
| Feature | Xeon E5603 | Athlon II P360 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1366 | S1g4 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3-1066 | 1066+35433% |
| Max RAM Capacity | 288 GB+3774873500% | 8 |
| RAM Channels | 3+50% | 2 |
| ECC Support | ✅ | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | 32 | 0 |
Advanced Features
Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Xeon E5603) vs true (Athlon II P360). Primary use case: Xeon E5603 targets Server. Direct competitor: Athlon II P360 rivals Pentium P6000.
| Feature | Xeon E5603 | Athlon II P360 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | No |
| IGPU Model | — | None |
| Unlocked | No | No |
| AVX-512 | No | No |
| Virtualization | VT-x, VT-d | true |
| Target Use | Server | — |
Value Analysis
The Xeon E5603 launched at $188 MSRP, while the Athlon II P360 debuted at $60.
| Feature | Xeon E5603 | Athlon II P360 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $188 | $60-68% |
| Avg Price (30d) | — | $10 |
| Release Date | 2011 | 2010 |
Top Performing CPUs
The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
You May Also Compare
Similar CPU comparisons based on Xeon E5603 and Athlon II P360
