Xeon L5420 vs Pentium N4200

CPU

GPU

Xeon L5420

4 Cores4 Thrd50 WWMax: 2.5 GHz2008

Pentium N4200

4 Cores4 Thrd2 WWMax: 2.5 GHz2016

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Xeon L5420

4 / 4

2,143

0.0%

2,158

+0.7%

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 Pentium N4200 is on rank 1012, so the Xeon L5420 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 L5420

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

19386%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

3660%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

3252%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

2512%

#478

EPYC 7702

MSRP: $6450|Avg: $2035

100%

#479

EPYC 7763

MSRP: $7890|Avg: $1513

100%

#480

EPYC 9734

MSRP: $9600|Avg: $6598

99%

#481

Xeon Platinum 8160M

MSRP: $5000|Avg: $350

99%

#482

Xeon 6724P

MSRP: $3622|Avg: $3622

98%

#483

EPYC 9634

MSRP: $10304|Avg: $3949

98%

#484

EPYC 7773X

MSRP: $8800|Avg: $8800

97%

#847

Xeon L5420

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#852

Xeon E5-2407

MSRP: $250|Avg: $25

99%

#857

Xeon 5120

MSRP: $107|Avg: $15

97%

#859

Xeon W3530

MSRP: $294|Avg: $10

97%

#861

Xeon W3520

MSRP: $284|Avg: $15

97%

#862

Xeon E3-1271 v3

MSRP: $727|Avg: $831

96%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Pentium N4200

#1000

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

2190%

#1001

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

2157%

#1002

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

1981%

#1003

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

1972%

#1004

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

1954%

#1006

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

1887%

#1007

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

1809%

#1008

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

1806%

#1009

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

1757%

#1012

Pentium N4200

MSRP: $161|Avg: $30.89

100%

#1013

Pentium J2900

MSRP: $94|Avg: $20

100%

#1014

Celeron T1700

MSRP: $80|Avg: $5

99%

#1015

Celeron T3500

MSRP: $80|Avg: $10

98%

#1016

A12-9720P

MSRP: $200|Avg: $25

98%

#1017

Core i5-4300M

MSRP: $227|Avg: N/A

97%

#1018

Celeron 1005M

MSRP: $86|Avg: N/A

97%

#1019

Athlon 64 X2 TK-42

MSRP: $60|Avg: $10

96%

#1020

Athlon Neo MV-40

MSRP: $100|Avg: $5

95%

#1021

Core i7-4860EQ

MSRP: $434|Avg: $80

95%

#1022

Pentium SU2700

MSRP: $100|Avg: $10

95%

#1023

A4-1250

MSRP: $100|Avg: $30

94%

#1025

Core i5-4200M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

93%

#1026

Celeron 1000M

MSRP: $86|Avg: N/A

93%

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 Pentium N4200 (2016) utilizes 14 nm technology and DDR3, DDR3, DDR4, providing a fundamental performance advantage.

Insight	Xeon L5420	Pentium N4200
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($30.89)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Harpertown (2007−2008) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Apollo Lake (2014−2016) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Xeon L5420 (2008) relies on 45 nm technology and **DDR2, DDR3 Depends on motherboard**, placing it in a different performance category relative to modern standards.

Insight	Xeon L5420	Pentium N4200
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($30.89)

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 L5420 Benchmark Check

Pentium N4200 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon L5420 and Pentium N4200

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.

Pentium N4200

The Pentium N4200 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2016 (9 years ago). It is based on the Apollo Lake (2014−2016) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.1 GHz, with boost up to 2.5 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1296. Thermal design power (TDP): 6 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 2,158 points. Launch price was $161.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Xeon L5420 and Pentium N4200 share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.5 GHz on the Xeon L5420 versus 2.5 GHz on the Pentium N4200 — identical boost frequencies (base: 2.5 GHz vs 1.1 GHz). The Xeon L5420 uses the Harpertown (2007−2008) architecture (45 nm), while the Pentium N4200 uses Apollo Lake (2014−2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon L5420 scores 2,143 against the Pentium N4200's 2,158 — a 0.7% lead for the Pentium N4200. L3 cache: 12 MB L2 Cache on the Xeon L5420 vs 2 MB L2 Cache on the Pentium N4200.

Feature	Xeon L5420	Pentium N4200
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	4 / 4
Boost Clock	2.5 GHz	2.5 GHz
Base Clock	2.5 GHz+127%	1.1 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB L2 Cache+500%	2 MB L2 Cache
L2 Cache	6 MB (total)+200%	2 MB
Process	45 nm	14 nm-69%
Architecture	Harpertown (2007−2008)	Apollo Lake (2014−2016)
PassMark	2,143	2,158

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon L5420 uses the LGA771 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium N4200 uses FCBGA1296 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.