
Xeon E5606

Pentium Silver N5000
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 E5606 is positioned at rank 802 and the Pentium Silver N5000 is on rank 459, so the Pentium Silver N5000 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5606
Performance Per Dollar Pentium Silver N5000
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Xeon E5606 | Pentium Silver N5000 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Westmere-EP (2010−2011) / 32 nm) | ✨ Modern (Goldmont Plus (2017) / 14 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Xeon E5606 | Pentium Silver N5000 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
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 E5606 and Pentium Silver N5000

Xeon E5606
The Xeon E5606 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 2.13 GHz, with boost up to 0.13 GHz. L3 cache: 8 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: 2,443 points. Launch price was $46.

Pentium Silver N5000
The Pentium Silver N5000 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 December 2017 (7 years ago). It is based on the Goldmont Plus (2017) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.1 GHz, with boost up to 2.7 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB. L2 cache: 4 MB (total). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1090. Thermal design power (TDP): 6 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 2,442 points. Launch price was $161.
Processing Power
Both the Xeon E5606 and Pentium Silver N5000 share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 0.13 GHz on the Xeon E5606 versus 2.7 GHz on the Pentium Silver N5000 — a 181.6% clock advantage for the Pentium Silver N5000 (base: 2.13 GHz vs 1.1 GHz). The Xeon E5606 uses the Westmere-EP (2010−2011) architecture (32 nm), while the Pentium Silver N5000 uses Goldmont Plus (2017) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5606 scores 2,443 against the Pentium Silver N5000's 2,442 — a 0% lead for the Xeon E5606. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Xeon E5606 vs 4 MB on the Pentium Silver N5000.
| Feature | Xeon E5606 | Pentium Silver N5000 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4 | 4 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 0.13 GHz | 2.7 GHz+1977% |
| Base Clock | 2.13 GHz+94% | 1.1 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 8 MB (total)+100% | 4 MB |
| L2 Cache | 256 kB (per core) | 4 MB (total)+1500% |
| Process | 32 nm | 14 nm-56% |
| Architecture | Westmere-EP (2010−2011) | Goldmont Plus (2017) |
| PassMark | 2,443 | 2,442 |
Memory & Platform
The Xeon E5606 uses the LGA1366 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium Silver N5000 uses FCBGA1090 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Xeon E5606 | Pentium Silver N5000 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1366 | FCBGA1090 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 3.0+50% |
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