Xeon W3520 vs Pentium Gold 6500Y

Xeon W3520

4 Cores8 Thrd130 WWMax: 2.93 GHz2009

Pentium Gold 6500Y

2 Cores4 Thrd512 WWMax: 3.4 GHz2021

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Xeon W3520

4 / 8

2,940

0.0%

2,966

+0.9%

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 Pentium Gold 6500Y is on rank 346, so the Pentium Gold 6500Y 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 Pentium Gold 6500Y

#101

Core i5-1350P

MSRP: $320|Avg: $250

99%

#102

Core i3-1220P

MSRP: $250|Avg: $150

98%

#334

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

495%

#335

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

487%

#336

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

447%

#337

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

445%

#338

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

441%

#340

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

426%

#341

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

409%

#342

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

408%

#343

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

397%

#346

Pentium Gold 6500Y

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

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 Pentium Gold 6500Y (2021) utilizes 14 nm technology and DDR3, providing a fundamental performance advantage.

Insight	Xeon W3520	Pentium Gold 6500Y
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($15)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Bloomfield (2008−2010) / 45 nm)	✨ Modern (Amber Lake-Y (2018−2021) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Xeon W3520 (2009) relies on 45 nm technology and DDR3, placing it in a different performance category relative to modern standards.

Insight	Xeon W3520	Pentium Gold 6500Y
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

Pentium Gold 6500Y Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon W3520 and Pentium Gold 6500Y

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.

Pentium Gold 6500Y

The Pentium Gold 6500Y is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2007-01-01. It is based on the Amber Lake-Y (2018−2021) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1515. Thermal design power (TDP): 5 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,966 points. Launch price was $69.

⚡

Processing Power

The Xeon W3520 packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Pentium Gold 6500Y offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the Xeon W3520 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.93 GHz on the Xeon W3520 versus 3.4 GHz on the Pentium Gold 6500Y — a 14.8% clock advantage for the Pentium Gold 6500Y (base: 2.66 GHz vs 1.1 GHz). The Xeon W3520 uses the Bloomfield (2008−2010) architecture (45 nm), while the Pentium Gold 6500Y uses Amber Lake-Y (2018−2021) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon W3520 scores 2,940 against the Pentium Gold 6500Y's 2,966 — a 0.9% lead for the Pentium Gold 6500Y. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Xeon W3520 vs 4 MB on the Pentium Gold 6500Y.

Feature	Xeon W3520	Pentium Gold 6500Y
Cores / Threads	4 / 8+100%	2 / 4
Boost Clock	2.93 GHz	3.4 GHz+16%
Base Clock	2.66 GHz+142%	1.1 GHz
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)+100%	4 MB
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	512 kB+100%
Process	45 nm	14 nm-69%
Architecture	Bloomfield (2008−2010)	Amber Lake-Y (2018−2021)
PassMark	2,940	2,966

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon W3520 uses the LGA1366 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium Gold 6500Y uses FCBGA1515 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.