Xeon L5430 vs Core i7-940XM

CPU

GPU

Xeon L5430

4 Cores4 Thrd50 WWMax: 0.67 GHz2008

Core i7-940XM

4 Cores8 Thrd55 WWMax: 3.33 GHz2010

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Xeon L5430

4 / 4

2,260

0.0%

2,269

+0.4%

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 L5430 is positioned at rank 972 and the Core i7-940XM is on rank 1237, so the Xeon L5430 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 L5430

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

35893%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

6777%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

6021%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

4651%

#535

Xeon W-3245M

MSRP: $5002|Avg: $5002

98%

#536

Xeon W-3265M

MSRP: $6300|Avg: $3500

97%

#972

Xeon L5430

MSRP: $390|Avg: $380

100%

#973

Xeon E5-2470

MSRP: $1440|Avg: $125

100%

#974

Xeon E5-2670

MSRP: $1552|Avg: $60

99%

#976

Xeon X3470

MSRP: $589|Avg: $16

98%

#979

Xeon E5-2689

MSRP: $1800|Avg: $18

95%

#980

Xeon E5-2450L

MSRP: $1106|Avg: $78

94%

#981

Xeon X3480

MSRP: $612|Avg: $48

94%

#982

Xeon E5-2687W

MSRP: $1885|Avg: $70

92%

#983

Xeon E5-4610

MSRP: $1219|Avg: $50

92%

#985

Xeon X7550

MSRP: $1500|Avg: $1400

91%

#986

Xeon E7540

MSRP: $1980|Avg: $146

91%

#987

Xeon E7530

MSRP: $1391|Avg: $146

90%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-940XM

#1225

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

14174%

#1226

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

13966%

#1227

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

12821%

#1228

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

12763%

#1229

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

12646%

#1231

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

12213%

#1232

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

11710%

#1233

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

11691%

#1234

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

11377%

#1237

Core i7-940XM

MSRP: $1096|Avg: N/A

100%

#1238

Core Solo T1350

MSRP: $200|Avg: $70

98%

#1240

Core Solo T1300

MSRP: $209|Avg: $10

89%

#1241

Core Solo T1200

MSRP: $209|Avg: $10

82%

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 ($380) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon L5430 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Xeon L5430	Core i7-940XM
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($380)	⚠️ Higher cost ($1,096)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Harpertown (2007−2008) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Clarksfield (2009−2010) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-940XM ($1,096), 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 ($716 less, 188% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Xeon L5430	Core i7-940XM
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+187%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($380)	⚠️ Higher cost ($1,096)

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 L5430 Benchmark Check

Core i7-940XM Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

No prediction data available

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon L5430 and Core i7-940XM

Xeon L5430

The Xeon L5430 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 8 September 2008 (17 years ago). It is based on the Harpertown (2007−2008) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.66 GHz, with boost up to 0.67 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: 2,260 points. Launch price was $562.

Core i7-940XM

The Core i7-940XM is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 20 June 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Clarksfield (2009−2010) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.13 GHz, with boost up to 3.33 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: PGA988. Thermal design power (TDP): 55 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-1066, DDR3-1333. Passmark benchmark score: 2,269 points. Launch price was $1,096.

⚡

Processing Power

The Xeon L5430 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, matching the Core i7-940XM's 4 cores. Boost clocks reach 0.67 GHz on the Xeon L5430 versus 3.33 GHz on the Core i7-940XM — a 133% clock advantage for the Core i7-940XM (base: 2.66 GHz vs 2.13 GHz). The Xeon L5430 uses the Harpertown (2007−2008) architecture (45 nm), while the Core i7-940XM uses Clarksfield (2009−2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon L5430 scores 2,260 against the Core i7-940XM's 2,269 — a 0.4% lead for the Core i7-940XM. L3 cache: 12 MB L2 Cache on the Xeon L5430 vs 8 MB (total) on the Core i7-940XM.

Feature	Xeon L5430	Core i7-940XM
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	4 / 8
Boost Clock	0.67 GHz	3.33 GHz+397%
Base Clock	2.66 GHz+25%	2.13 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB L2 Cache+50%	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	6 MB (total)+2300%	256 kB (per core)
Process	45 nm	45 nm
Architecture	Harpertown (2007−2008)	Clarksfield (2009−2010)
PassMark	2,260	2,269

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon L5430 uses the LGA771 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i7-940XM uses PGA988 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.