Xeon X3440 vs Core 2 Duo P8700

Xeon X3440

4 Cores8 Thrd95 WWMax: 2.93 GHz2009

Core 2 Duo P8700

2 Cores2 Thrd3 WWMax: 2.53 GHz2009

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Xeon X3440

4 / 8

2,769

0.0%

2,805

+1.3%

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 X3440 is positioned at rank 782 and the Core 2 Duo P8700 is on rank 140, so the Core 2 Duo P8700 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 X3440

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

16135%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

3047%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

2707%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

2091%

#452

EPYC 9755

MSRP: $12984|Avg: $10931

99%

#454

Xeon Platinum 8368

MSRP: $7214|Avg: $429

99%

#456

EPYC 9575F

MSRP: $11791|Avg: $9238

97%

#457

EPYC 7642

MSRP: $4775|Avg: $850

97%

#458

EPYC 7573X

MSRP: $5590|Avg: $3580

96%

#782

Xeon X3440

MSRP: $215|Avg: $16

100%

#796

Xeon E-2276M

MSRP: $939|Avg: $124

96%

#797

Xeon W3580

MSRP: $294|Avg: $30

96%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core 2 Duo P8700

#36

Core i5-11500B

MSRP: $185|Avg: $185

99%

#128

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

314%

#129

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

309%

#130

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

284%

#131

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

283%

#132

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

280%

#134

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

270%

#135

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

259%

#136

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

259%

#137

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

252%

#140

Core 2 Duo P8700

MSRP: $241|Avg: $85

100%

#147

Atom N2800

MSRP: $47|Avg: $3

98%

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 ($16) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon X3440 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Xeon X3440	Core 2 Duo P8700
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($16)	⚠️ Higher cost ($85)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Lynnfield (2009−2010) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Penryn (2008−2011) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core 2 Duo P8700 ($85), 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 ($69 less, 431% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Xeon X3440	Core 2 Duo P8700
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+424%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($16)	⚠️ Higher cost ($85)

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 X3440 Benchmark Check

Core 2 Duo P8700 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon X3440 and Core 2 Duo P8700

Xeon X3440

The Xeon X3440 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 8 September 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Lynnfield (2009−2010) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.53 GHz, with boost up to 2.93 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1156. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-800, DDR3-1066, DDR3-1333. Passmark benchmark score: 2,769 points. Launch price was $215.

Core 2 Duo P8700

The Core 2 Duo P8700 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 January 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Penryn (2008−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 2.53 GHz, with boost up to 2.53 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 3 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: PGA478. Thermal design power (TDP): 25 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 2,805 points. Launch price was $209.

⚡

Processing Power

The Xeon X3440 packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Core 2 Duo P8700 offers 2 cores / 2 threads — the Xeon X3440 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.93 GHz on the Xeon X3440 versus 2.53 GHz on the Core 2 Duo P8700 — a 14.7% clock advantage for the Xeon X3440 (base: 2.53 GHz vs 2.53 GHz). The Xeon X3440 uses the Lynnfield (2009−2010) architecture (45 nm), while the Core 2 Duo P8700 uses Penryn (2008−2011) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon X3440 scores 2,769 against the Core 2 Duo P8700's 2,805 — a 1.3% lead for the Core 2 Duo P8700. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Xeon X3440 vs 3 MB L2 Cache on the Core 2 Duo P8700.

Feature	Xeon X3440	Core 2 Duo P8700
Cores / Threads	4 / 8+100%	2 / 2
Boost Clock	2.93 GHz+16%	2.53 GHz
Base Clock	2.53 GHz	2.53 GHz
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)+167%	3 MB L2 Cache
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	3 MB+1100%
Process	45 nm	45 nm
Architecture	Lynnfield (2009−2010)	Penryn (2008−2011)
PassMark	2,769	2,805+1%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon X3440 uses the LGA1156 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core 2 Duo P8700 uses PGA478 (PCIe 1.1) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Xeon X3440	Core 2 Duo P8700
Socket	LGA1156	PGA478
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0+82%	PCIe 1.1
Max RAM Speed	—	1066
Max RAM Capacity	—	8
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	0

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Xeon X3440) / true (Core 2 Duo P8700). Direct competitor: Core 2 Duo P8700 rivals Turion II Ultra M600.

Feature	Xeon X3440	Core 2 Duo P8700
Integrated GPU	—	No
IGPU Model	—	None
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	true

💰

Value Analysis

The Xeon X3440 launched at $215 MSRP, while the Core 2 Duo P8700 debuted at $241. At current prices ($16 vs $85), the Xeon X3440 is $69 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Xeon X3440 delivers 173.1 pts/$ vs 33.0 pts/$ for the Core 2 Duo P8700 — making the Xeon X3440 the 135.9% better value option.