Xeon X5470 vs Core i7-3520M

CPU

GPU

Xeon X5470

4 Cores4 Thrd120 WWMax: 0.33 GHz2008

Core i7-3520M

2 Cores4 Thrd512 WWMax: 3.6 GHz2012

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Xeon X5470

4 / 4

2,869

+1.0%

Pentium Dual Core T2370

2,842

0.0%

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 X5470 is positioned at rank 739 and the Core i7-3520M is on rank 1127, so the Xeon X5470 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 X5470

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

14482%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

2734%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

2429%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

1877%

#428

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7995WX

MSRP: $9999|Avg: $9879.97

100%

#429

EPYC 7552

MSRP: $4025|Avg: $1650

99%

#431

Xeon Platinum 8360Y

MSRP: $5383|Avg: N/A

99%

#432

Xeon W-3245

MSRP: $2199|Avg: $1200

99%

#433

Xeon Gold 6346

MSRP: $2708|Avg: $2195

97%

#434

Xeon W-3225

MSRP: $1319|Avg: $850

96%

#739

Xeon X5470

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#747

Xeon E5-2403 v2

MSRP: $192|Avg: $61

97%

#748

Xeon E3-1285 v4

MSRP: $556|Avg: $200

97%

#750

Xeon E3-1260L

MSRP: $294|Avg: $270

97%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-3520M

#1113

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

3574%

#1114

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

3521%

#1115

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

3233%

#1116

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

3218%

#1117

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

3189%

#1119

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

3079%

#1120

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

2952%

#1121

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

2948%

#1122

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

2868%

#1125

Pentium Dual Core T4300

MSRP: $150|Avg: $99

100%

#1126

Core i3-4100E

MSRP: $225|Avg: $30

100%

#1127

Core i7-3520M

MSRP: $346|Avg: N/A

100%

#1128

Core i3-2310E

MSRP: $225|Avg: $20

100%

#1129

Core i5-2510E

MSRP: $230|Avg: $30

100%

#1130

Core m5-6Y54

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

99%

#1132

Core i3-2330E

MSRP: $225|Avg: $10

99%

#1133

Core i5-4288U

MSRP: $342|Avg: N/A

95%

#1134

Core m3-6Y30

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

95%

#1135

Core i3-2340UE

MSRP: $200|Avg: $200

94%

#1136

Core i7-2820QM

MSRP: $568|Avg: N/A

94%

#1137

Core i5-520M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

94%

#1139

Celeron 807

MSRP: $70|Avg: $10

93%

#1140

Pentium B950

MSRP: $134|Avg: $35

93%

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 ($0) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon X5470 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Xeon X5470	Core i7-3520M
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($346)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Harpertown (2007−2008) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-3520M ($346), 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 ($346 less, Infinity% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Xeon X5470	Core i7-3520M
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($346)

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 X5470 Benchmark Check

Core i7-3520M Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon X5470 and Core i7-3520M

Xeon X5470

The Xeon X5470 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 8 September 2008 (17 years ago). It is based on the Harpertown (2007−2008) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.33 GHz, with boost up to 0.33 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 6 MB (total). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA771. Thermal design power (TDP): 120 Watt. Memory support: DDR2, DDR3 Depends on motherboard. Passmark benchmark score: 2,869 points. Launch price was $1,386.

Core i7-3520M

The Core i7-3520M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 June 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: PGA988. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,842 points. Launch price was $346.

⚡

Processing Power

The Xeon X5470 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Core i7-3520M offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the Xeon X5470 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 0.33 GHz on the Xeon X5470 versus 3.6 GHz on the Core i7-3520M — a 166.4% clock advantage for the Core i7-3520M (base: 3.33 GHz vs 2.9 GHz). The Xeon X5470 uses the Harpertown (2007−2008) architecture (45 nm), while the Core i7-3520M uses Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon X5470 scores 2,869 against the Core i7-3520M's 2,842 — a 0.9% lead for the Xeon X5470. L3 cache: 12 MB L2 Cache on the Xeon X5470 vs 4 MB (total) on the Core i7-3520M.

Feature	Xeon X5470	Core i7-3520M
Cores / Threads	4 / 4+100%	2 / 4
Boost Clock	0.33 GHz	3.6 GHz+991%
Base Clock	3.33 GHz+15%	2.9 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB L2 Cache+200%	4 MB (total)
L2 Cache	6 MB (total)+2300%	256K (per core)
Process	45 nm	22 nm-51%
Architecture	Harpertown (2007−2008)	Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)
PassMark	2,869	2,842

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon X5470 uses the LGA771 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i7-3520M uses PGA988 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Xeon X5470	Core i7-3520M
Socket	LGA771	PGA988
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed	—	1600
Max RAM Capacity	—	32
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Xeon X5470) / true (Core i7-3520M). The Core i7-3520M includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics 4000), while the Xeon X5470 requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Core i7-3520M rivals AMD A10-5750M.