Xeon W3520
VS
Core 2 Duo P8800

Xeon W3520 vs Core 2 Duo P8800

Intel

Xeon W3520

4 Cores8 Thrd130 WWMax: 2.93 GHz2009
VS
Intel

Core 2 Duo P8800

2 Cores2 Thrd3 WWMax: 2.66 GHz2009

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 W3520 is positioned at rank 861 and the Core 2 Duo P8800 is on rank 128, so the Core 2 Duo P8800 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 W3520

#1
Xeon Platinum 8454H
MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A
20080%
#6
Xeon Gold 6240R
MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A
3791%
#10
Xeon 6337P
MSRP: $60|Avg: $5
3368%
#15
EPYC 9174F
MSRP: $194|Avg: $30
2602%
#485
Xeon Gold 6258R
MSRP: $3950|Avg: $1400
99%
#486
EPYC 9175F
MSRP: $4256|Avg: $3703
99%
#488
EPYC 9534
MSRP: $8803|Avg: $2999
98%
#489
EPYC 9654
MSRP: $11805|Avg: $5345
98%
#490
EPYC 7H12
MSRP: $6950|Avg: $1340
97%
#491
EPYC 7742
MSRP: $6950|Avg: $800
97%
#492
Xeon Platinum 8352M
MSRP: $4471|Avg: $4471
96%
#493
Xeon Platinum 8570
MSRP: $9595|Avg: $9595
94%
#861
Xeon W3520
MSRP: $284|Avg: $15
100%
#862
Xeon E3-1271 v3
MSRP: $727|Avg: $831
100%
#863
Xeon E5603
MSRP: $188|Avg: N/A
99%
#871
Xeon 6315P
MSRP: $1166|Avg: $160
97%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core 2 Duo P8800

#116
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
300%
#117
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
296%
#118
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
272%
#119
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
270%
#120
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
268%
#122
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
259%
#123
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
248%
#124
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
248%
#125
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
241%
#128
Core 2 Duo P8800
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#137
N200
MSRP: $193|Avg: N/A
97%
#138
Core 2 Duo SP9600
MSRP: $316|Avg: N/A
97%
#140
Core 2 Duo P8700
MSRP: $241|Avg: $85
96%
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 ($15) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon W3520 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.
InsightXeon W3520Core 2 Duo P8800
Gaming
Superior gaming performance
Lower gaming performance
Workstation
Better multi-core power
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price
⚠️ Higher cost ($15)
More affordable ($0)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Bloomfield (2008−2010) / 45 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core 2 Duo P8800 ($0), 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 ($15 less, 100% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.
InsightXeon W3520Core 2 Duo P8800
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
⚠️ Higher cost ($15)
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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon W3520 and Core 2 Duo P8800

Intel

Xeon W3520

The Xeon W3520 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 30 March 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Bloomfield (2008−2010) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.66 GHz, with boost up to 2.93 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1366. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,940 points. Launch price was $404.

Intel

Core 2 Duo P8800

The Core 2 Duo P8800 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 April 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.66 GHz, with boost up to 2.66 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 3 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: PGA478. Thermal design power (TDP): 25 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 2,932 points. Launch price was $241.

Processing Power

The Xeon W3520 packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Core 2 Duo P8800 offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the Xeon W3520 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.93 GHz on the Xeon W3520 versus 2.66 GHz on the Core 2 Duo P8800 — a 9.7% clock advantage for the Xeon W3520 (base: 2.66 GHz vs 2.66 GHz). The Xeon W3520 uses the Bloomfield (2008−2010) architecture (45 nm), while the Core 2 Duo P8800 uses Penryn (2008−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon W3520 scores 2,940 against the Core 2 Duo P8800's 2,932 — a 0.3% lead for the Xeon W3520. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Xeon W3520 vs 3 MB L2 Cache on the Core 2 Duo P8800.

FeatureXeon W3520Core 2 Duo P8800
Cores / Threads
4 / 8+100%
2 / 2
Boost Clock
2.93 GHz+10%
2.66 GHz
Base Clock
2.66 GHz
2.66 GHz
L3 Cache
8 MB (total)+167%
3 MB L2 Cache
L2 Cache
256 kB (per core)
3 MB+1100%
Process
45 nm
45 nm
Architecture
Bloomfield (2008−2010)
Penryn (2008−2011)
PassMark
2,940
2,932
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon W3520 uses the LGA1366 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core 2 Duo P8800 uses PGA478 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureXeon W3520Core 2 Duo P8800
Socket
LGA1366
PGA478
PCIe Generation
PCIe 2.0+82%
PCIe 1.1