Xeon L5640 vs Core i7-3612QM

CPU

GPU

Xeon L5640

6 Cores12 Thrd60 WWMax: 2.8 GHz2010

Core i7-3612QM

4 Cores8 Thrd35 WWMax: 3.1 GHz2012

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Xeon L5640

6 / 12

4,659

0.0%

4,661

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 L5640 is positioned at rank 994 and the Core i7-3612QM is on rank 1030, so the Xeon L5640 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 L5640

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

44407%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

8384%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

7449%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

5755%

#537

Xeon Platinum 8180

MSRP: $10009|Avg: $2363

82%

#538

Xeon Platinum 8280M

MSRP: $10009|Avg: $6223

80%

#539

Xeon Platinum 8280

MSRP: $10009|Avg: $2940

79%

#994

Xeon L5640

MSRP: $996|Avg: N/A

100%

#995

Xeon E5-4627 v2

MSRP: $2061|Avg: $70

98%

#996

Xeon L5335

MSRP: $380|Avg: $18

98%

#997

Xeon E-2144G

MSRP: $2090|Avg: $389

96%

#998

Xeon X5675

MSRP: $1440|Avg: $22

95%

#999

Xeon Phi 7210

MSRP: $1881|Avg: $150

83%

#1000

Xeon D-1567

MSRP: $2702|Avg: $230

83%

#1001

Xeon E-2126G

MSRP: $2702|Avg: $230

82%

#1004

Xeon D-1531

MSRP: $2057|Avg: $250

80%

#1005

Xeon 5130

MSRP: $316|Avg: $10

79%

#1007

Xeon E5-4640 v3

MSRP: $2859|Avg: $300

78%

#1008

Xeon E5440

MSRP: $690|Avg: $37

73%

#1009

Xeon E5-2643

MSRP: $1552|Avg: $50

72%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-3612QM

#1018

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

2380%

#1019

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

2345%

#1020

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

2152%

#1021

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

2143%

#1022

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

2123%

#1024

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

2050%

#1025

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

1966%

#1026

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

1963%

#1027

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

1910%

#1030

Core i7-3612QM

MSRP: $378|Avg: N/A

100%

#1031

Pentium 967

MSRP: $134|Avg: $10

99%

#1033

Core i5-4400E

MSRP: $266|Avg: $50

99%

#1034

Pentium Dual Core T4400

MSRP: $107|Avg: $5

97%

#1037

Core i7-8665UE

MSRP: $409|Avg: $409

96%

#1038

Celeron T3300

MSRP: $86|Avg: $15

95%

#1039

Celeron Dual-Core T3300

MSRP: $86|Avg: $30

95%

#1042

Core i7-3612QE

MSRP: $426|Avg: $50

94%

#1043

A10-7300

MSRP: $150|Avg: $50

94%

#1044

Pentium Dual Core T4200

MSRP: $100|Avg: $10

93%

#1045

A6 Micro-6500T

MSRP: $100|Avg: $15

93%

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 ($996) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon L5640 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Xeon L5640	Core i7-3612QM
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($996)	✅ More affordable ($378)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Westmere-EP (2010−2011) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-3612QM ($378), 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 ($618 less, 62% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Xeon L5640	Core i7-3612QM
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+164%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($996)	✅ More affordable ($378)

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 L5640 Benchmark Check

Core i7-3612QM Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon L5640 and Core i7-3612QM

Xeon L5640

The Xeon L5640 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 16 March 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Westmere-EP (2010−2011) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.26 GHz, with boost up to 2.8 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1366. Thermal design power (TDP): 60 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 4,659 points. Launch price was $200.

Core i7-3612QM

The Core i7-3612QM is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 29 April 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.1 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1224. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 4,661 points. Launch price was $69.

⚡

Processing Power

The Xeon L5640 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Core i7-3612QM offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Xeon L5640 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.8 GHz on the Xeon L5640 versus 3.1 GHz on the Core i7-3612QM — a 10.2% clock advantage for the Core i7-3612QM (base: 2.26 GHz vs 2.1 GHz). The Xeon L5640 uses the Westmere-EP (2010−2011) architecture (32 nm), while the Core i7-3612QM uses Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon L5640 scores 4,659 against the Core i7-3612QM's 4,661 — a 0% lead for the Core i7-3612QM. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Xeon L5640 vs 6 MB (total) on the Core i7-3612QM.

Feature	Xeon L5640	Core i7-3612QM
Cores / Threads	6 / 12+50%	4 / 8
Boost Clock	2.8 GHz	3.1 GHz+11%
Base Clock	2.26 GHz+8%	2.1 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)+100%	6 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	32 nm	22 nm-31%
Architecture	Westmere-EP (2010−2011)	Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)
PassMark	4,659	4,661
Geekbench 6 Single	—	600
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	2,600

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon L5640 uses the LGA1366 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Core i7-3612QM uses FCBGA1224 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR3 1333 MHz on the Xeon L5640 versus DDR3-1600 on the Core i7-3612QM — the Xeon L5640 supports 200% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon L5640 supports up to 288 GB of RAM compared to 32 GB — 160% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 3 (Xeon L5640) vs 2 (Core i7-3612QM). PCIe lanes: 0 (Xeon L5640) vs 16 (Core i7-3612QM) — the Core i7-3612QM offers 16 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel 5520,Intel X58 (Xeon L5640) and HM75,HM76,HM77,QM77 (Core i7-3612QM).

Feature	Xeon L5640	Core i7-3612QM
Socket	LGA1366	FCBGA1224
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+67%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR3 1333 MHz	DDR3-1600
Max RAM Capacity	288 GB+800%	32 GB
RAM Channels	3+50%	2
ECC Support	✅	❌
PCIe Lanes	0	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: true (Xeon L5640) vs VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i7-3612QM). The Core i7-3612QM includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics 4000), while the Xeon L5640 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Xeon L5640 targets Server Low Power, Core i7-3612QM targets Mainstream Laptop. Direct competitor: Core i7-3612QM rivals AMD A10-5750M.

Feature	Xeon L5640	Core i7-3612QM
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	Intel HD Graphics 4000
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	true	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	Server Low Power	Mainstream Laptop