Xeon L5335
VS
Core i5-520M

Xeon L5335 vs Core i5-520M

Intel

Xeon L5335

4 Cores4 Thrd50 WWMax: 2 GHz2007
VS
Intel

Core i5-520M

2 Cores4 Thrd35 WWMax: 2.93 GHz2010

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 L5335 is positioned at rank 995 and the Core i5-520M is on rank 1139, so the Xeon L5335 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 L5335

#1
Xeon Platinum 8454H
MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A
45475%
#6
Xeon Gold 6240R
MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A
8586%
#10
Xeon 6337P
MSRP: $60|Avg: $5
7628%
#15
EPYC 9174F
MSRP: $194|Avg: $30
5893%
#537
Xeon Platinum 8180
MSRP: $10009|Avg: $2363
84%
#538
Xeon Platinum 8280M
MSRP: $10009|Avg: $6223
82%
#539
Xeon Platinum 8280
MSRP: $10009|Avg: $2940
81%
#994
Xeon E5-4627 v2
MSRP: $2061|Avg: $70
100%
#995
Xeon L5335
MSRP: $380|Avg: $18
100%
#996
Xeon E-2144G
MSRP: $2090|Avg: $389
98%
#997
Xeon X5675
MSRP: $1440|Avg: $22
98%
#998
Xeon Phi 7210
MSRP: $1881|Avg: $150
85%
#999
Xeon D-1567
MSRP: $2702|Avg: $230
85%
#1000
Xeon E-2126G
MSRP: $2702|Avg: $230
84%
#1003
Xeon D-1531
MSRP: $2057|Avg: $250
82%
#1004
Xeon 5130
MSRP: $316|Avg: $10
81%
#1006
Xeon E5-4640 v3
MSRP: $2859|Avg: $300
79%
#1007
Xeon E5440
MSRP: $690|Avg: $37
75%
#1008
Xeon E5-2643
MSRP: $1552|Avg: $50
74%
#1009
Xeon E5-2637
MSRP: $885|Avg: $40
74%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i5-520M

#1127
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
3820%
#1128
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
3764%
#1129
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
3456%
#1130
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
3440%
#1131
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
3409%
#1133
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
3292%
#1134
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
3156%
#1135
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
3151%
#1136
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
3066%
#1139
Core i5-520M
MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A
100%
#1141
Celeron 807
MSRP: $70|Avg: $10
99%
#1142
Pentium B950
MSRP: $134|Avg: $35
99%
#1143
Celeron 220
MSRP: $42|Avg: $42
99%
#1144
Pentium B960
MSRP: $134|Avg: $15
99%
#1146
Pentium 957
MSRP: $134|Avg: $10
99%
#1147
Core 2 Duo SL9400
MSRP: $284|Avg: N/A
98%
#1149
Pentium N3540
MSRP: $161|Avg: $161
98%
#1150
Core i7-3555LE
MSRP: $300|Avg: $280
97%
#1151
Core i3-2377M
MSRP: $250|Avg: N/A
96%
#1152
Core 2 Duo E8435
MSRP: $150|Avg: $74
96%
#1153
Celeron M 723
MSRP: $161|Avg: $161
95%
#1154
Core i7-3517UE
MSRP: $330|Avg: $35
94%
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 ($18) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon L5335 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.
InsightXeon L5335Core i5-520M
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Better multi-core power
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price
More affordable ($18)
⚠️ Higher cost ($225)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Clovertown (2006−2007) / 65 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Arrandale (2010−2011) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i5-520M ($225), 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 ($207 less, 1150% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.
InsightXeon L5335Core i5-520M
Cost Efficiency
Better overall value (+1157%)
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
More affordable ($18)
⚠️ Higher cost ($225)

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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon L5335 and Core i5-520M

Intel

Xeon L5335

The Xeon L5335 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 13 August 2007 (18 years ago). It is based on the Clovertown (2006−2007) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 2 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 4 MB (total). Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: LGA771. Thermal design power (TDP): 50 Watt. Memory support: DDR2, DDR3 Depends on motherboard. Passmark benchmark score: 1,737 points. Launch price was $380.

Intel

Core i5-520M

The Core i5-520M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 7 January 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Arrandale (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 2.93 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: PGA988. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-800, DDR3-1066. Passmark benchmark score: 1,727 points. Launch price was $225.

Processing Power

The Xeon L5335 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Core i5-520M offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the Xeon L5335 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2 GHz on the Xeon L5335 versus 2.93 GHz on the Core i5-520M — a 37.7% clock advantage for the Core i5-520M (base: 2 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Xeon L5335 uses the Clovertown (2006−2007) architecture (65 nm), while the Core i5-520M uses Arrandale (2010−2011) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon L5335 scores 1,737 against the Core i5-520M's 1,727 — a 0.6% lead for the Xeon L5335. L3 cache: 8 MB L2 Cache on the Xeon L5335 vs 3 MB on the Core i5-520M.

FeatureXeon L5335Core i5-520M
Cores / Threads
4 / 4+100%
2 / 4
Boost Clock
2 GHz
2.93 GHz+47%
Base Clock
2 GHz
2.4 GHz+20%
L3 Cache
8 MB L2 Cache+167%
3 MB
L2 Cache
4 MB (total)+700%
512 kB
Process
65 nm
32 nm-51%
Architecture
Clovertown (2006−2007)
Arrandale (2010−2011)
PassMark
1,737
1,727
Geekbench 6 Single
360
Geekbench 6 Multi
695
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon L5335 uses the LGA771 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i5-520M uses PGA988 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureXeon L5335Core i5-520M
Socket
LGA771
PGA988
PCIe Generation
PCIe 2.0
PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed
1066
Max RAM Capacity
8
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
16
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Xeon L5335) / true (Core i5-520M). The Core i5-520M includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics (Ironlake)), while the Xeon L5335 requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Core i5-520M rivals AMD Turion II Ultra M660.

FeatureXeon L5335Core i5-520M
Integrated GPU
Yes
IGPU Model
Intel HD Graphics (Ironlake)
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
true
💰

Value Analysis

The Xeon L5335 launched at $380 MSRP, while the Core i5-520M debuted at $225.

FeatureXeon L5335Core i5-520M
MSRP
$380
$225-41%
Avg Price (30d)
$18
Release Date
2007
2010