Xeon E5620 vs Core i7-6660U

CPU

GPU

Xeon E5620

4 Cores8 Thrd80 WWMax: 2.66 GHz2010

Core i7-6660U

2 Cores4 Thrd15 WWMax: 3.4 GHz2016

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Xeon E5620

4 / 8

3,621

0.0%

Pentium Dual Core T3400

3,628

+0.2%

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 E5620 is positioned at rank 649 and the Core i7-6660U is on rank 612, so the Core i7-6660U 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 E5620

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

11476%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

2167%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

1925%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

1487%

#385

EPYC 9375F

MSRP: $5306|Avg: $108

100%

#386

Xeon w9-3475X

MSRP: $3739|Avg: $3930

96%

#388

EPYC 9254

MSRP: $3761|Avg: $1099

94%

#389

Xeon Gold 5220R

MSRP: $1780|Avg: $1015

94%

#390

EPYC 9555P

MSRP: $7983|Avg: $6130

94%

#391

Xeon Gold 5218

MSRP: $1273|Avg: $500

94%

#649

Xeon E5620

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#650

Xeon E3-1275L v3

MSRP: $350|Avg: $29

100%

#652

Xeon E5-1650 v3

MSRP: $583|Avg: N/A

98%

#654

Xeon E3-1225

MSRP: $224|Avg: $205

96%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-6660U

#600

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

809%

#601

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

797%

#602

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

732%

#603

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

728%

#604

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

722%

#606

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

697%

#607

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

668%

#608

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

667%

#609

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

649%

#612

Core i7-6660U

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#622

Athlon II P320

MSRP: $50|Avg: $15

98%

#625

Core 3 N355

MSRP: $300|Avg: $300

96%

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 Core i7-6660U (2016) utilizes 14 nm technology and DDR4-2133, LPDDR3-1866, DDR3L-1600, providing a fundamental performance advantage.

Insight	Xeon E5620	Core i7-6660U
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Westmere-EP (2010−2011) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Skylake (2015−2016) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Xeon E5620 (2010) relies on 32 nm technology and DDR3, placing it in a different performance category relative to modern standards.

Insight	Xeon E5620	Core i7-6660U
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing

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.

Xeon E5620 Benchmark Check

Core i7-6660U Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E5620 and Core i7-6660U

Xeon E5620

The Xeon E5620 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 16 March 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Westmere-EP (2010−2011) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 2.66 GHz. L3 cache: 12 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: 3,621 points. Launch price was $35.

Core i7-6660U

The Core i7-6660U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 20 March 2016 (9 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1356. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2133, LPDDR3-1866, DDR3L-1600. Passmark benchmark score: 3,628 points. Launch price was $415.

⚡

Processing Power

The Xeon E5620 packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Core i7-6660U offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the Xeon E5620 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.66 GHz on the Xeon E5620 versus 3.4 GHz on the Core i7-6660U — a 24.4% clock advantage for the Core i7-6660U (base: 2.4 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Xeon E5620 uses the Westmere-EP (2010−2011) architecture (32 nm), while the Core i7-6660U uses Skylake (2015−2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5620 scores 3,621 against the Core i7-6660U's 3,628 — a 0.2% lead for the Core i7-6660U. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Xeon E5620 vs 4 MB on the Core i7-6660U.

Feature	Xeon E5620	Core i7-6660U
Cores / Threads	4 / 8+100%	2 / 4
Boost Clock	2.66 GHz	3.4 GHz+28%
Base Clock	2.4 GHz	2.4 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)+200%	4 MB
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	512 kB+100%
Process	32 nm	14 nm-56%
Architecture	Westmere-EP (2010−2011)	Skylake (2015−2016)
PassMark	3,621	3,628

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon E5620 uses the LGA1366 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i7-6660U uses BGA1356 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.