Xeon X5355 vs Xeon E5420

Xeon X5355

4 Cores4 Thrd120 WWMax: 0.67 GHz2006

Xeon E5420

4 Cores4 Thrd80 WWMax: 2.5 GHz2007

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Xeon X5355

4 / 4

2,039

0.0%

2,044

+0.2%

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 X5355 is positioned at rank 1032 and the Xeon E5420 is on rank 1033, so the Xeon X5355 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 X5355

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

461829%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

87198%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

77471%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

59849%

#1032

Xeon X5355

MSRP: $4491|Avg: $4000

100%

#1033

Xeon E5420

MSRP: $7214|Avg: $6500

62%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5420

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

742225%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

140139%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

124507%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

96186%

#1033

Xeon E5420

MSRP: $7214|Avg: $6500

100%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Xeon E5420 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Xeon X5355 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.2% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Xeon X5355	Xeon E5420
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($4,000)	⚠️ Higher cost ($6,500)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Clovertown (2006−2007) / 65 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Harpertown (2007−2008) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Value Proposition: While both processors are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Xeon X5355 holds the technical lead in efficiency. Priced at $4,000 (vs $6,500), it costs 38% less. While offering basic entry-level performance, it results in a 62% higher cost efficiency score compared to the Xeon E5420.

Insight	Xeon X5355	Xeon E5420
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+62%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($4,000)	⚠️ Higher cost ($6,500)

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 X5355 Benchmark Check

Xeon E5420 Benchmark Check

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon X5355 and Xeon E5420

Xeon X5355

The Xeon X5355 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 14 November 2006 (19 years ago). It is based on the Clovertown (2006−2007) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.66 GHz, with boost up to 0.67 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 4 MB (total). Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: LGA771. Thermal design power (TDP): 120 Watt. Memory support: DDR2, DDR3 Depends on motherboard. Passmark benchmark score: 2,039 points. Launch price was $1,172.

Xeon E5420

The Xeon E5420 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 November 2007 (18 years ago). It is based on the Harpertown (2007−2008) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 2.5 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 6 MB (total). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA771. Thermal design power (TDP): 80 Watt. Memory support: DDR2, DDR3 Depends on motherboard. Passmark benchmark score: 2,044 points. Launch price was $316.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Xeon X5355 and Xeon E5420 share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 0.67 GHz on the Xeon X5355 versus 2.5 GHz on the Xeon E5420 — a 115.5% clock advantage for the Xeon E5420 (base: 2.66 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Xeon X5355 uses the Clovertown (2006−2007) architecture (65 nm), while the Xeon E5420 uses Harpertown (2007−2008) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon X5355 scores 2,039 against the Xeon E5420's 2,044 — a 0.2% lead for the Xeon E5420. L3 cache: 8 MB L2 Cache on the Xeon X5355 vs 12 MB L2 Cache on the Xeon E5420.

Feature	Xeon X5355	Xeon E5420
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	4 / 4
Boost Clock	0.67 GHz	2.5 GHz+273%
Base Clock	2.66 GHz+6%	2.5 GHz
L3 Cache	8 MB L2 Cache	12 MB L2 Cache+50%
L2 Cache	4 MB (total)	6 MB (total)+50%
Process	65 nm	45 nm-31%
Architecture	Clovertown (2006−2007)	Harpertown (2007−2008)
PassMark	2,039	2,044
Geekbench 6 Single	—	314
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	881

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the LGA771 socket with PCIe 2.0.

Feature	Xeon X5355	Xeon E5420
Socket	LGA771	LGA771
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR2-667
Max RAM Capacity	—	32 GB
RAM Channels	—	4
ECC Support	—	✅
PCIe Lanes	—	32

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Xeon X5355) / Yes (Xeon E5420).

Feature	Xeon X5355	Xeon E5420
Integrated GPU	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	Yes

💰

Value Analysis

The Xeon X5355 launched at $4491 MSRP, while the Xeon E5420 debuted at $7214. At current prices ($4000 vs $6500), the Xeon X5355 is $2500 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Xeon X5355 delivers 0.5 pts/$ vs 0.3 pts/$ for the Xeon E5420 — making the Xeon X5355 the 47.4% better value option.