Xeon W3540
VS
Core i5-4200H

Xeon W3540 vs Core i5-4200H

Intel

Xeon W3540

4 Cores8 Thrd130 WWMax: 3.2 GHz2009
VS
Intel

Core i5-4200H

2 Cores4 Thrd512 WWMax: 3.4 GHz2013

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 W3540 is positioned at rank 843 and the Core i5-4200H is on rank 221, so the Core i5-4200H 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 W3540

#1
Xeon Platinum 8454H
MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A
19190%
#6
Xeon Gold 6240R
MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A
3623%
#10
Xeon 6337P
MSRP: $60|Avg: $5
3219%
#15
EPYC 9174F
MSRP: $194|Avg: $30
2487%
#476
EPYC 9745
MSRP: $12141|Avg: $10588
99%
#477
EPYC 7J13
MSRP: $7890|Avg: $150
99%
#478
EPYC 7702
MSRP: $6450|Avg: $2035
99%
#479
EPYC 7763
MSRP: $7890|Avg: $1513
99%
#480
EPYC 9734
MSRP: $9600|Avg: $6598
98%
#481
Xeon Platinum 8160M
MSRP: $5000|Avg: $350
98%
#482
Xeon 6724P
MSRP: $3622|Avg: $3622
97%
#483
EPYC 9634
MSRP: $10304|Avg: $3949
97%
#843
Xeon W3540
MSRP: $284|Avg: $10
100%
#844
Xeon E-2124G
MSRP: $667|Avg: $462
100%
#852
Xeon E5-2407
MSRP: $250|Avg: $25
98%
#857
Xeon 5120
MSRP: $107|Avg: $15
96%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i5-4200H

#57
Ryzen AI 9 365
MSRP: $400|Avg: $400
99%
#209
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
387%
#210
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
381%
#211
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
350%
#212
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
348%
#213
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
345%
#215
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
333%
#216
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
319%
#217
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
319%
#218
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
310%
#221
Core i5-4200H
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
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 W3540 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.
InsightXeon W3540Core i5-4200H
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Better multi-core power
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price
⚠️ Higher cost ($10)
More affordable ($0)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Bloomfield (2008−2010) / 45 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i5-4200H ($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 ($10 less, 100% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.
InsightXeon W3540Core i5-4200H
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
⚠️ Higher cost ($10)
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 W3540 and Core i5-4200H

Intel

Xeon W3540

The Xeon W3540 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 2.93 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: 3,075 points. Launch price was $699.

Intel

Core i5-4200H

The Core i5-4200H is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 October 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1364. Thermal design power (TDP): 47 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,036 points. Launch price was $257.

Processing Power

The Xeon W3540 packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Core i5-4200H offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the Xeon W3540 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.2 GHz on the Xeon W3540 versus 3.4 GHz on the Core i5-4200H — a 6.1% clock advantage for the Core i5-4200H (base: 2.93 GHz vs 2.8 GHz). The Xeon W3540 uses the Bloomfield (2008−2010) architecture (45 nm), while the Core i5-4200H uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon W3540 scores 3,075 against the Core i5-4200H's 3,036 — a 1.3% lead for the Xeon W3540. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Xeon W3540 vs 3 MB on the Core i5-4200H.

FeatureXeon W3540Core i5-4200H
Cores / Threads
4 / 8+100%
2 / 4
Boost Clock
3.2 GHz
3.4 GHz+6%
Base Clock
2.93 GHz+5%
2.8 GHz
L3 Cache
8 MB (total)+167%
3 MB
L2 Cache
256 kB (per core)
512 kB+100%
Process
45 nm
22 nm-51%
Architecture
Bloomfield (2008−2010)
Haswell (2013−2015)
PassMark
3,075+1%
3,036
Geekbench 6 Single
990
Geekbench 6 Multi
1,927
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon W3540 uses the LGA1366 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i5-4200H uses BGA1364 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureXeon W3540Core i5-4200H
Socket
LGA1366
BGA1364
PCIe Generation
PCIe 2.0
PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed
DDR3L-1600
Max RAM Capacity
32 GB
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
16
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Xeon W3540) / VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-4200H). The Core i5-4200H includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 4600), while the Xeon W3540 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-4200H targets Productivity. Direct competitor: Core i5-4200H rivals Core i7-4500U.

FeatureXeon W3540Core i5-4200H
Integrated GPU
Yes
IGPU Model
HD Graphics 4600
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use
Productivity