Xeon L3406 vs Core 2 Duo E4400

Xeon L3406

2 Cores4 Thrd30 WWMax: 2.53 GHz2010

Core 2 Duo E4400

2 Cores2 Thrd65 WWMax: 2 GHz2007

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Xeon L3406

1,104

+0.8%

1,095

0.0%

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 L3406 is positioned at rank 969 and the Core 2 Duo E4400 is on rank 1001, so the Xeon L3406 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 L3406

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

35586%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

6719%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

5970%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

4612%

#535

Xeon W-3245M

MSRP: $5002|Avg: $5002

98%

#536

Xeon W-3265M

MSRP: $6300|Avg: $3500

97%

#969

Xeon L3406

MSRP: $189|Avg: $30

100%

#970

Xeon E5-2687W v2

MSRP: $2112|Avg: $62

100%

#972

Xeon L5430

MSRP: $390|Avg: $380

99%

#973

Xeon E5-2470

MSRP: $1440|Avg: $125

99%

#974

Xeon E5-2670

MSRP: $1552|Avg: $60

98%

#976

Xeon X3470

MSRP: $589|Avg: $16

97%

#979

Xeon E5-2689

MSRP: $1800|Avg: $18

94%

#980

Xeon E5-2450L

MSRP: $1106|Avg: $78

94%

#981

Xeon X3480

MSRP: $612|Avg: $48

93%

#982

Xeon E5-2687W

MSRP: $1885|Avg: $70

91%

#983

Xeon E5-4610

MSRP: $1219|Avg: $50

91%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core 2 Duo E4400

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

32169%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

30396%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

22070%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

6649%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

5267%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

4607%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

2639%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

2604%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

2371%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

2371%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

2345%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

2281%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

2249%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

2240%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

2220%

#1001

Core 2 Duo E4400

MSRP: $113|Avg: $20

100%

#1002

Pentium D 915

MSRP: $74|Avg: $10

98%

#1003

Core 2 Quad Q9400

MSRP: $229|Avg: $25

97%

#1004

Core i5-655K

MSRP: $216|Avg: $55

96%

#1005

Celeron 450

MSRP: $53|Avg: $5

96%

#1006

Core 2 Duo E4600

MSRP: $133|Avg: $9.6

96%

#1008

Core i7-870S

MSRP: $300|Avg: $80

95%

#1009

Core 2 Duo E6540

MSRP: $163|Avg: $15

95%

#1010

Celeron 430

MSRP: $49|Avg: $10

94%

#1011

Athlon X2 BE-2300

MSRP: $100|Avg: $80

93%

#1012

Core i7-875K

MSRP: $353|Avg: $175

93%

#1013

Core i5-670

MSRP: $284|Avg: $100

93%

#1014

Core i5-680

MSRP: $294|Avg: $10

92%

#1015

Core 2 Duo E4300

MSRP: $113|Avg: $5

92%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Use Case Distinction: This is a comparison between a Professional Workstation processor ($30) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon L3406 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Xeon L3406	Core 2 Duo E4400
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($30)	✅ More affordable ($20)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Legacy / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Allendale (2006−2009) / 65 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core 2 Duo E4400 ($20), however, is optimized for mixed workloads and gaming. For most users, it offers superior single-thread performance and responsiveness at a fraction of the cost ($10 less, 33% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Xeon L3406	Core 2 Duo E4400
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+49%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($30)	✅ More affordable ($20)

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 L3406 Benchmark Check

Core 2 Duo E4400 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon L3406 and Core 2 Duo E4400

Xeon L3406

The Xeon L3406 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.26 GHz, with boost up to 2.53 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB Intel® Smart Cache. Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1156. Thermal design power (TDP): 30 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-1066. Passmark benchmark score: 1,104 points. Launch price was $800.

Core 2 Duo E4400

The Core 2 Duo E4400 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2008-01-01. It is based on the Allendale (2006−2009) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 2 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: LGA775. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR1, DDR2, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,095 points. Launch price was $249.

⚡

Processing Power

The Xeon L3406 packs 2 cores / 4 threads, matching the Core 2 Duo E4400's 2 cores. Boost clocks reach 2.53 GHz on the Xeon L3406 versus 2 GHz on the Core 2 Duo E4400 — a 23.4% clock advantage for the Xeon L3406 (base: 2.26 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Core 2 Duo E4400 is built on the Allendale (2006−2009) architecture. In PassMark, the Xeon L3406 scores 1,104 against the Core 2 Duo E4400's 1,095 — a 0.8% lead for the Xeon L3406. L3 cache: 4 MB Intel® Smart Cache on the Xeon L3406 vs 0 kB on the Core 2 Duo E4400.

Feature	Xeon L3406	Core 2 Duo E4400
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.53 GHz+26%	2 GHz
Base Clock	2.26 GHz+13%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	4 MB Intel® Smart Cache	0 kB
L2 Cache	—	2 MB
Process	32 nm-51%	65 nm
Architecture	—	Allendale (2006−2009)
PassMark	1,104	1,095
Geekbench 6 Single	—	208

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon L3406 uses the LGA1156 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core 2 Duo E4400 uses LGA775 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Xeon L3406	Core 2 Duo E4400
Socket	LGA1156	LGA775
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0+82%	PCIe 1.1
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR2-1066
Max RAM Capacity	—	16 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	0

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Xeon L3406) / None (Core 2 Duo E4400). Primary use case: Core 2 Duo E4400 targets Budget. Direct competitor: Core 2 Duo E4400 rivals Athlon II X2 240.

Feature	Xeon L3406	Core 2 Duo E4400
Integrated GPU	—	No
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	None
Target Use	—	Budget

💰

Value Analysis

The Xeon L3406 launched at $189 MSRP, while the Core 2 Duo E4400 debuted at $113. At current prices ($30 vs $20), the Core 2 Duo E4400 is $10 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Xeon L3406 delivers 36.8 pts/$ vs 54.8 pts/$ for the Core 2 Duo E4400 — making the Core 2 Duo E4400 the 39.2% better value option.