Xeon E5603 vs Phenom X4 9850B
Xeon E5603
Phenom X4 9850B
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 Phenom X4 9850B is on rank 331, so the Phenom X4 9850B 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 Phenom X4 9850B
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Xeon E5603 | Phenom X4 9850B |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($188) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Westmere-EP (2010−2011) / 32 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Agena (2007−2008) / 65 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Xeon E5603 | Phenom X4 9850B |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($188) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
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 Phenom X4 9850B
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.
Phenom X4 9850B
The Phenom X4 9850B is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Agena (2007−2008) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Max frequency: 2.5 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: AM2+. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 1,946 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
Both the Xeon E5603 and Phenom X4 9850B share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.6 GHz on the Xeon E5603 versus 2.5 GHz on the Phenom X4 9850B — a 43.9% clock advantage for the Phenom X4 9850B. The Xeon E5603 uses the Westmere-EP (2010−2011) architecture (32 nm), while the Phenom X4 9850B uses Agena (2007−2008) (65 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5603 scores 1,935 against the Phenom X4 9850B's 1,946 — a 0.6% lead for the Phenom X4 9850B. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Xeon E5603 vs 2 MB (total) on the Phenom X4 9850B.
| Feature | Xeon E5603 | Phenom X4 9850B |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4 | 4 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 1.6 GHz | 2.5 GHz+56% |
| Base Clock | 1.6 GHz | — |
| L3 Cache | 4 MB (total)+100% | 2 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 256 kB (per core) | 512 kB (per core)+100% |
| Process | 32 nm-51% | 65 nm |
| Architecture | Westmere-EP (2010−2011) | Agena (2007−2008) |
| PassMark | 1,935 | 1,946 |
Memory & Platform
The Xeon E5603 uses the LGA1366 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Phenom X4 9850B uses AM2+ (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Xeon E5603 | Phenom X4 9850B |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1366 | AM2+ |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3-1066 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 288 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 3 | — |
| ECC Support | ✅ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 32 | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Xeon E5603) / not specified (Phenom X4 9850B). Primary use case: Xeon E5603 targets Server.
| Feature | Xeon E5603 | Phenom X4 9850B |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | — |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | VT-x, VT-d | — |
| Target Use | Server | — |
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