Xeon E5603 vs Athlon II X3 455
Xeon E5603
Athlon II X3 455
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 X3 455 is on rank 750, so the Athlon II X3 455 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 X3 455
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Xeon E5603 | Athlon II X3 455 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($188) | ✅ More affordable ($15) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Westmere-EP (2010−2011) / 32 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Rana (2009−2011) / 45 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Xeon E5603 | Athlon II X3 455 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ✅ Better overall value (+1155%) |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($188) | ✅ More affordable ($15) |
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 X3 455
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 X3 455
The Athlon II X3 455 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 December 2010 (14 years ago). It is based on the Rana (2009−2011) architecture. It features 3 cores and 3 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.3 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: AM3. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,938 points. Launch price was $88.
Processing Power
The Xeon E5603 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Athlon II X3 455 offers 3 cores / 3 threads — the Xeon E5603 has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 1.6 GHz on the Xeon E5603 versus 3.3 GHz on the Athlon II X3 455 — a 69.4% clock advantage for the Athlon II X3 455 (base: 1.6 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). The Xeon E5603 uses the Westmere-EP (2010−2011) architecture (32 nm), while the Athlon II X3 455 uses Rana (2009−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5603 scores 1,935 against the Athlon II X3 455's 1,938 — a 0.2% lead for the Athlon II X3 455. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Xeon E5603 vs 0 kB on the Athlon II X3 455.
| Feature | Xeon E5603 | Athlon II X3 455 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4+33% | 3 / 3 |
| Boost Clock | 1.6 GHz | 3.3 GHz+106% |
| Base Clock | 1.6 GHz | 3.3 GHz+106% |
| L3 Cache | 4 MB (total) | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 256 kB (per core) | 512 kB (per core)+100% |
| Process | 32 nm-29% | 45 nm |
| Architecture | Westmere-EP (2010−2011) | Rana (2009−2011) |
| PassMark | 1,935 | 1,938 |
Memory & Platform
The Xeon E5603 uses the LGA1366 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Athlon II X3 455 uses AM3 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR3-1066 memory speed. The Xeon E5603 supports up to 288 GB of RAM compared to 32 GB — 160% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 3 (Xeon E5603) vs 2 (Athlon II X3 455). PCIe lanes: 32 (Xeon E5603) vs 0 (Athlon II X3 455) — the Xeon E5603 offers 32 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.
| Feature | Xeon E5603 | Athlon II X3 455 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1366 | AM3 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3-1066 | DDR3-1333 |
| Max RAM Capacity | 288 GB+800% | 32 GB |
| RAM Channels | 3+50% | 2 |
| ECC Support | ✅ | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | 32 | 0 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Xeon E5603) / not specified (Athlon II X3 455). Primary use case: Xeon E5603 targets Server.
| Feature | Xeon E5603 | Athlon II X3 455 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | No |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | VT-x, VT-d | — |
| Target Use | Server | — |
Value Analysis
The Xeon E5603 launched at $188 MSRP, while the Athlon II X3 455 debuted at $88.
| Feature | Xeon E5603 | Athlon II X3 455 |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $188 | $88-53% |
| Avg Price (30d) | — | $15 |
| 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 X3 455
