Xeon W3550 vs Xeon X5560

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 W3550 is positioned at rank 837 and the Xeon X5560 is on rank 687, so the Xeon X5560 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 W3550

#1

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

18791%

#6

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

3548%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

3152%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

2435%

#474

EPYC 9654P

MSRP: $10625|Avg: $5345

99%

#475

EPYC 9965

MSRP: $14813|Avg: $10000

98%

#476

EPYC 9745

MSRP: $12141|Avg: $10588

97%

#477

EPYC 7J13

MSRP: $7890|Avg: $150

97%

#478

EPYC 7702

MSRP: $6450|Avg: $2035

97%

#479

EPYC 7763

MSRP: $7890|Avg: $1513

97%

#480

EPYC 9734

MSRP: $9600|Avg: $6598

96%

#837

Xeon W3550

MSRP: $294|Avg: $30

100%

#839

Xeon E5-2450

MSRP: $694|Avg: $795

98%

#841

Xeon E5-2630L v2

MSRP: $612|Avg: $149

98%

#842

Xeon E3-1246 v3

MSRP: $667|Avg: $215

98%

#843

Xeon W3540

MSRP: $284|Avg: $10

98%

#844

Xeon E-2124G

MSRP: $667|Avg: $462

98%

#852

Xeon E5-2407

MSRP: $250|Avg: $25

96%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon X5560

#1

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

12860%

#6

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

2428%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

2157%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

1667%

#402

EPYC 9475F

MSRP: $7592|Avg: $7592

100%

#403

Xeon Gold 6554S

MSRP: $3157|Avg: $2836

100%

#405

Xeon 6737P

MSRP: $4995|Avg: $4995

99%

#406

Xeon Gold 6342

MSRP: $2977|Avg: $3000

98%

#407

Xeon Gold 6438N

MSRP: $3351|Avg: $3351

97%

#408

Xeon 6747P

MSRP: $6497|Avg: $6497

97%

#410

Xeon W-3175X

MSRP: $2999|Avg: $2999

95%

#687

Xeon X5560

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#691

Xeon E5-1650 v2

MSRP: $583|Avg: $60

99%

#697

Xeon E3-1275 v2

MSRP: $426|Avg: $426

97%

#699

Xeon E5-2658

MSRP: $400|Avg: $400

96%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Xeon W3550 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Xeon X5560 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.6% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Xeon W3550	Xeon X5560
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($30)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Bloomfield (2008−2010) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Gainestown (2009−2010) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Xeon W3550	Xeon X5560
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($30)	✅ 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 W3550 Benchmark Check

Xeon X5560 Benchmark Check

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Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon W3550 and Xeon X5560

Xeon W3550

The Xeon W3550 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 9 August 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Bloomfield (2008−2010) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.06 GHz, with boost up to 3.33 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: 3,251 points. Launch price was $235.

Xeon X5560

The Xeon X5560 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 30 March 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Gainestown (2009−2010) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 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): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,231 points. Launch price was $44.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Xeon W3550 and Xeon X5560 share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.33 GHz on the Xeon W3550 versus 3.2 GHz on the Xeon X5560 — a 4% clock advantage for the Xeon W3550 (base: 3.06 GHz vs 2.8 GHz). The Xeon W3550 uses the Bloomfield (2008−2010) architecture (45 nm), while the Xeon X5560 uses Gainestown (2009−2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon W3550 scores 3,251 against the Xeon X5560's 3,231 — a 0.6% lead for the Xeon W3550. Both processors carry 8 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Xeon W3550	Xeon X5560
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 8
Boost Clock	3.33 GHz+4%	3.2 GHz
Base Clock	3.06 GHz+9%	2.8 GHz
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)	Gainestown (2009−2010)
PassMark	3,251	3,231

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the LGA1366 socket with PCIe 2.0.

Feature	Xeon W3550	Xeon X5560
Socket	LGA1366	LGA1366
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR3-1333
RAM Channels	—	3
ECC Support	—	✅

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Xeon W3550) / VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Xeon X5560). Primary use case: Xeon X5560 targets Workstation. Direct competitor: Xeon X5560 rivals Core i3-2100.