Xeon W3520 vs Core i5-3380M

Xeon W3520

4 Cores8 Thrd130 WWMax: 2.93 GHz2009

Core i5-3380M

2 Cores4 Thrd512 WWMax: 3.6 GHz2013

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Xeon W3520

4 / 8

2,940

+0.1%

2,938

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 W3520 is positioned at rank 861 and the Core i5-3380M is on rank 127, so the Core i5-3380M 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

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

20080%

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 i5-3380M

#115

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

300%

#116

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

295%

#117

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

271%

#118

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

270%

#119

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

267%

#121

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

258%

#122

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

248%

#123

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

247%

#124

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

240%

#127

Core i5-3380M

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

95%

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.

Insight	Xeon W3520	Core i5-3380M
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior 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 (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i5-3380M ($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.

Insight	Xeon W3520	Core i5-3380M
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.

Xeon W3520 Benchmark Check

Core i5-3380M Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon W3520 and Core i5-3380M

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.

Core i5-3380M

The Core i5-3380M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 January 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: PGA988. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,938 points. Launch price was $69.

⚡

Processing Power

The Xeon W3520 packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Core i5-3380M offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the Xeon W3520 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.93 GHz on the Xeon W3520 versus 3.6 GHz on the Core i5-3380M — a 20.5% clock advantage for the Core i5-3380M (base: 2.66 GHz vs 2.9 GHz). The Xeon W3520 uses the Bloomfield (2008−2010) architecture (45 nm), while the Core i5-3380M uses Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon W3520 scores 2,940 against the Core i5-3380M's 2,938 — a 0.1% lead for the Xeon W3520. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Xeon W3520 vs 3 MB (total) on the Core i5-3380M.

Feature	Xeon W3520	Core i5-3380M
Cores / Threads	4 / 8+100%	2 / 4
Boost Clock	2.93 GHz	3.6 GHz+23%
Base Clock	2.66 GHz	2.9 GHz+9%
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)+167%	3 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	45 nm	22 nm-51%
Architecture	Bloomfield (2008−2010)	Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)
PassMark	2,940	2,938
Geekbench 6 Single	—	700
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	1,600

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon W3520 uses the LGA1366 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i5-3380M uses PGA988 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Xeon W3520	Core i5-3380M
Socket	LGA1366	PGA988
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR3-1600
Max RAM Capacity	—	32 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Xeon W3520) / VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-3380M). The Core i5-3380M includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics 4000), while the Xeon W3520 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-3380M targets Business Laptop. Direct competitor: Core i5-3380M rivals AMD A10-4600M.