Xeon W3530 vs Core i7-940

Xeon W3530

4 Cores8 Thrd130 WWMax: 3.06 GHz2010

Core i7-940

4 Cores8 Thrd1 WWMax: 3.2 GHz2008

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Xeon W3530

4 / 8

3,059

+1.0%

3,029

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 W3530 is positioned at rank 859 and the Core i7-940 is on rank 1071, so the Xeon W3530 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 W3530

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

19983%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

3773%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

3352%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

2590%

#484

EPYC 7773X

MSRP: $8800|Avg: $8800

100%

#485

Xeon Gold 6258R

MSRP: $3950|Avg: $1400

98%

#486

EPYC 9175F

MSRP: $4256|Avg: $3703

98%

#488

EPYC 9534

MSRP: $8803|Avg: $2999

97%

#489

EPYC 9654

MSRP: $11805|Avg: $5345

97%

#490

EPYC 7H12

MSRP: $6950|Avg: $1340

96%

#491

EPYC 7742

MSRP: $6950|Avg: $800

96%

#492

Xeon Platinum 8352M

MSRP: $4471|Avg: $4471

95%

#859

Xeon W3530

MSRP: $294|Avg: $10

100%

#861

Xeon W3520

MSRP: $284|Avg: $15

100%

#862

Xeon E3-1271 v3

MSRP: $727|Avg: $831

99%

#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 i7-940

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

57832%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

54646%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

39677%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

11953%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

9468%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

8283%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

4744%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

4682%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

4263%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

4263%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

4215%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

4101%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

4044%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

4028%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

3991%

#1071

Core i7-940

MSRP: $562|Avg: $90

100%

#1072

Celeron 2.40

MSRP: $69|Avg: $13

93%

#1073

Sempron 2800+

MSRP: $65|Avg: $29

91%

#1074

Athlon 64 3100+

MSRP: $100|Avg: $15

88%

#1075

Sempron 3600+

MSRP: $105|Avg: $20

86%

#1076

Celeron 2.80

MSRP: $100|Avg: $15

79%

#1077

Athlon 64 X2 6000+

MSRP: $450|Avg: $20

75%

#1078

Athlon 64 3600+

MSRP: $149|Avg: $15

74%

#1079

Core 2 Quad Q6700

MSRP: $530|Avg: $50

73%

#1080

Athlon 64 2600+

MSRP: $100|Avg: $5

73%

#1081

Celeron 2.20

MSRP: $79|Avg: $15

72%

#1082

Athlon 64 X2 5200+

MSRP: $420|Avg: $15

66%

#1083

Athlon 64 X2 4000+

MSRP: $328|Avg: $10

66%

#1084

Core i7-975

MSRP: $999|Avg: $50

65%

#1085

Athlon XP 2600+

MSRP: $98|Avg: $10

64%

#1086

Core i7-965

MSRP: $1000|Avg: $40

63%

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 ($10) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon W3530 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Xeon W3530	Core i7-940
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	✅ More affordable ($10)	⚠️ Higher cost ($90)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Bloomfield (2008−2010) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Bloomfield (2008−2010) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-940 ($90), 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 ($80 less, 800% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Xeon W3530	Core i7-940
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+809%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($10)	⚠️ Higher cost ($90)

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 W3530 Benchmark Check

Core i7-940 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon W3530 and Core i7-940

Xeon W3530

The Xeon W3530 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 16 March 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Bloomfield (2008−2010) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.06 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: 3,059 points. Launch price was $999.

Core i7-940

The Core i7-940 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in Novembro 2008 (17 years ago). It is based on the Bloomfield (2008−2010) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.93 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 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: 3,029 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Xeon W3530 and Core i7-940 share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.06 GHz on the Xeon W3530 versus 3.2 GHz on the Core i7-940 — a 4.5% clock advantage for the Core i7-940 (base: 2.8 GHz vs 2.93 GHz). Both are built on the Bloomfield (2008−2010) architecture using a 45 nm process. In PassMark, the Xeon W3530 scores 3,059 against the Core i7-940's 3,029 — a 1% lead for the Xeon W3530. Both processors carry 8 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Xeon W3530	Core i7-940
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 8
Boost Clock	3.06 GHz	3.2 GHz+5%
Base Clock	2.8 GHz	2.93 GHz+5%
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	256 kB (per core)
Process	45 nm	45 nm
Architecture	Bloomfield (2008−2010)	Bloomfield (2008−2010)
PassMark	3,059	3,029

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the LGA1366 socket with PCIe 2.0.

Feature	Xeon W3530	Core i7-940
Socket	LGA1366	LGA1366
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR3-1066
Max RAM Capacity	—	24 GB
RAM Channels	—	3
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	36

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Xeon W3530) / VT-x (Core i7-940). Primary use case: Core i7-940 targets Desktop.

Feature	Xeon W3530	Core i7-940
Integrated GPU	—	No
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	VT-x
Target Use	—	Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The Xeon W3530 launched at $294 MSRP, while the Core i7-940 debuted at $562. At current prices ($10 vs $90), the Xeon W3530 is $80 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Xeon W3530 delivers 305.9 pts/$ vs 33.7 pts/$ for the Core i7-940 — making the Xeon W3530 the 160.4% better value option.