Xeon W3540 vs Opteron X3418
Xeon W3540
Opteron X3418
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 Opteron X3418 is on rank 115, so the Opteron X3418 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Xeon W3540
Performance Per Dollar Opteron X3418
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Xeon W3540 | Opteron X3418 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | Balanced gaming performance | Balanced 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) | ✨ Modern (Excavator (2017−2018) / 28 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Xeon W3540 | Opteron X3418 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($10) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
Performance Check
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 Opteron X3418
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.
Opteron X3418
The Opteron X3418 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Excavator (2017−2018) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L2 cache: 2 MB (total). Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: FP4. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 3,043 points. Launch price was $800.
Processing Power
The Xeon W3540 packs 4 cores / 8 threads, matching the Opteron X3418's 4 cores. Boost clocks reach 3.2 GHz on the Xeon W3540 versus 3.2 GHz on the Opteron X3418 — identical boost frequencies (base: 2.93 GHz vs 1.8 GHz). The Xeon W3540 uses the Bloomfield (2008−2010) architecture (45 nm), while the Opteron X3418 uses Excavator (2017−2018) (28 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon W3540 scores 3,075 against the Opteron X3418's 3,043 — a 1% lead for the Xeon W3540.
| Feature | Xeon W3540 | Opteron X3418 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 8 | 4 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 3.2 GHz | 3.2 GHz |
| Base Clock | 2.93 GHz+63% | 1.8 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 8 MB (total) | — |
| L2 Cache | 256 kB (per core) | 2 MB (total)+700% |
| Process | 45 nm | 28 nm-38% |
| Architecture | Bloomfield (2008−2010) | Excavator (2017−2018) |
| PassMark | 3,075+1% | 3,043 |
Memory & Platform
The Xeon W3540 uses the LGA1366 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Opteron X3418 uses FP4 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Xeon W3540 | Opteron X3418 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1366 | FP4 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 3.0+50% |
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The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
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