Xeon L5640 vs Core i7-6970HQ

CPU

GPU

Xeon L5640

6 Cores12 Thrd60 WWMax: 2.8 GHz2010

Core i7-6970HQ

4 Cores8 Thrd1 WWMax: 3.7 GHz2016

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Xeon L5640

6 / 12

4,659

+0.6%

4,632

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 i7-6970HQ is on rank 486, so the Core i7-6970HQ 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 i7-6970HQ

#153

Core i7-1370P

MSRP: $438|Avg: $280

99%

#474

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

633%

#475

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

624%

#476

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

573%

#477

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

570%

#478

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

565%

#480

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

546%

#481

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

523%

#482

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

522%

#483

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

508%

#486

Core i7-6970HQ

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#488

Processor U300

MSRP: $193|Avg: $180

100%

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 Core i7-6970HQ (2016) utilizes 14 nm technology and DDR3, DDR4, providing a fundamental performance advantage.

Insight	Xeon L5640	Core i7-6970HQ
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($996)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Westmere-EP (2010−2011) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Skylake (2015−2016) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Xeon L5640 (2010) relies on 32 nm technology and DDR3, placing it in a different performance category relative to modern standards.

Insight	Xeon L5640	Core i7-6970HQ
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($996)	✅ More affordable ($0)

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 i7-6970HQ Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon L5640 and Core i7-6970HQ

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 i7-6970HQ

The Core i7-6970HQ is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 January 2016 (9 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1440. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 4,632 points. Launch price was $623.

⚡

Processing Power

The Xeon L5640 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Core i7-6970HQ offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Xeon L5640 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.8 GHz on the Xeon L5640 versus 3.7 GHz on the Core i7-6970HQ — a 27.7% clock advantage for the Core i7-6970HQ (base: 2.26 GHz vs 2.8 GHz). The Xeon L5640 uses the Westmere-EP (2010−2011) architecture (32 nm), while the Core i7-6970HQ uses Skylake (2015−2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon L5640 scores 4,659 against the Core i7-6970HQ's 4,632 — a 0.6% lead for the Xeon L5640. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Xeon L5640 vs 8 MB on the Core i7-6970HQ.

Feature	Xeon L5640	Core i7-6970HQ
Cores / Threads	6 / 12+50%	4 / 8
Boost Clock	2.8 GHz	3.7 GHz+32%
Base Clock	2.26 GHz	2.8 GHz+24%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)+50%	8 MB
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	1 MB+300%
Process	32 nm	14 nm-56%
Architecture	Westmere-EP (2010−2011)	Skylake (2015−2016)
PassMark	4,659	4,632

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon L5640 uses the LGA1366 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Core i7-6970HQ uses BGA1440 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Xeon L5640	Core i7-6970HQ
Socket	LGA1366	BGA1440
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+67%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR3 1333 MHz	—
Max RAM Capacity	288 GB	—
RAM Channels	3	—
ECC Support	✅	—
PCIe Lanes	0	—