Xeon W5580 vs Athlon X4 860K
Xeon W5580
Athlon X4 860K
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 W5580 is positioned at rank 657 and the Athlon X4 860K is on rank 480, so the Athlon X4 860K offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Xeon W5580
Performance Per Dollar Athlon X4 860K
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Xeon W5580 | Athlon X4 860K |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($20) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Gainestown (2009−2010) / 45 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Kaveri (2014−2015) / 28 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Xeon W5580 | Athlon X4 860K |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($20) |
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 W5580 and Athlon X4 860K
Xeon W5580
The Xeon W5580 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 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.46 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: 3,459 points. Launch price was $102.
Athlon X4 860K
The Athlon X4 860K is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Kaveri (2014−2015) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L2 cache: 4 MB. Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: FM2+. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-2133. Passmark benchmark score: 3,425 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
The Xeon W5580 packs 4 cores / 8 threads, matching the Athlon X4 860K's 4 cores. Boost clocks reach 3.46 GHz on the Xeon W5580 versus 4 GHz on the Athlon X4 860K — a 14.5% clock advantage for the Athlon X4 860K (base: 3.2 GHz vs 3.7 GHz). The Xeon W5580 uses the Gainestown (2009−2010) architecture (45 nm), while the Athlon X4 860K uses Kaveri (2014−2015) (28 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon W5580 scores 3,459 against the Athlon X4 860K's 3,425 — a 1% lead for the Xeon W5580.
| Feature | Xeon W5580 | Athlon X4 860K |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 8 | 4 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 3.46 GHz | 4 GHz+16% |
| Base Clock | 3.2 GHz | 3.7 GHz+16% |
| L3 Cache | 8 MB (total) | — |
| L2 Cache | 256 kB (per core) | 4 MB+1500% |
| Process | 45 nm | 28 nm-38% |
| Architecture | Gainestown (2009−2010) | Kaveri (2014−2015) |
| PassMark | 3,459 | 3,425 |
Memory & Platform
The Xeon W5580 uses the LGA1366 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Athlon X4 860K uses FM2+ (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Xeon W5580 | Athlon X4 860K |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1366 | FM2+ |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 3.0+50% |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR3-2133 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 64 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 16 |
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