CPU
GPU
Xeon L5420
Athlon II X4 631
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 L5420 is positioned at rank 847 and the Athlon II X4 631 is on rank 651, so the Athlon II X4 631 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Xeon L5420
Performance Per Dollar Athlon II X4 631
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Xeon L5420 | Athlon II X4 631 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Harpertown (2007−2008) / 45 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Llano (2011−2012) / 32 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Xeon L5420 | Athlon II X4 631 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($15) |
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 L5420 and Athlon II X4 631
Xeon L5420
The Xeon L5420 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 25 March 2008 (17 years ago). It is based on the Harpertown (2007−2008) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 2.5 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 6 MB (total). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA771. Thermal design power (TDP): 50 Watt. Memory support: DDR2, DDR3 Depends on motherboard. Passmark benchmark score: 2,143 points. Launch price was $380.
Athlon II X4 631
The Athlon II X4 631 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Llano (2011−2012) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 2.6 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: FM1. Thermal design power (TDP): 100 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,118 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
Both the Xeon L5420 and Athlon II X4 631 share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.5 GHz on the Xeon L5420 versus 2.6 GHz on the Athlon II X4 631 — a 3.9% clock advantage for the Athlon II X4 631 (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2.6 GHz). The Xeon L5420 uses the Harpertown (2007−2008) architecture (45 nm), while the Athlon II X4 631 uses Llano (2011−2012) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon L5420 scores 2,143 against the Athlon II X4 631's 2,118 — a 1.2% lead for the Xeon L5420. L3 cache: 12 MB L2 Cache on the Xeon L5420 vs 0 kB on the Athlon II X4 631.
| Feature | Xeon L5420 | Athlon II X4 631 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4 | 4 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 2.5 GHz | 2.6 GHz+4% |
| Base Clock | 2.5 GHz | 2.6 GHz+4% |
| L3 Cache | 12 MB L2 Cache | 0 kB |
| L2 Cache | 6 MB (total)+500% | 1 MB (per core) |
| Process | 45 nm | 32 nm-29% |
| Architecture | Harpertown (2007−2008) | Llano (2011−2012) |
| PassMark | 2,143+1% | 2,118 |
Memory & Platform
The Xeon L5420 uses the LGA771 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Athlon II X4 631 uses FM1 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Xeon L5420 | Athlon II X4 631 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA771 | FM1 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR3-1866 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 64 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 16 |
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