CPU
GPU
Xeon X5550
Athlon X4 830
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 X5550 is positioned at rank 712 and the Athlon X4 830 is on rank 476, so the Athlon X4 830 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Xeon X5550
Performance Per Dollar Athlon X4 830
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Xeon X5550 | Athlon X4 830 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($25) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Gainestown (2009−2010) / 45 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Kaveri (2014−2015) / 28 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Xeon X5550 | Athlon X4 830 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($25) |
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 X5550 and Athlon X4 830
Xeon X5550
The Xeon X5550 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 2.66 GHz, with boost up to 3.06 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: 3,036 points. Launch price was $62.
Athlon X4 830
The Athlon X4 830 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 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L2 cache: 4 MB. Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: FM2+. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-2133. Passmark benchmark score: 3,018 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
The Xeon X5550 packs 4 cores / 8 threads, matching the Athlon X4 830's 4 cores. Boost clocks reach 3.06 GHz on the Xeon X5550 versus 3.4 GHz on the Athlon X4 830 — a 10.5% clock advantage for the Athlon X4 830 (base: 2.66 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Xeon X5550 uses the Gainestown (2009−2010) architecture (45 nm), while the Athlon X4 830 uses Kaveri (2014−2015) (28 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon X5550 scores 3,036 against the Athlon X4 830's 3,018 — a 0.6% lead for the Xeon X5550.
| Feature | Xeon X5550 | Athlon X4 830 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 8 | 4 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 3.06 GHz | 3.4 GHz+11% |
| Base Clock | 2.66 GHz | 3 GHz+13% |
| 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 | 3,036 | 3,018 |
Memory & Platform
The Xeon X5550 uses the LGA1366 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Athlon X4 830 uses FM2+ (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR3-1333 memory speed. Memory channels: 3 (Xeon X5550) vs 2 (Athlon X4 830). Chipset compatibility: Intel X58,Intel 5520 (Xeon X5550) and AMD FM2+ (Athlon X4 830).
| Feature | Xeon X5550 | Athlon X4 830 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1366 | FM2+ |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 3.0+50% |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3-1333 | DDR3-2133 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 64 GB |
| RAM Channels | 3+50% | 2 |
| ECC Support | ✅ | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 16 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Xeon X5550) / not specified (Athlon X4 830). Primary use case: Xeon X5550 targets Workstation. Direct competitor: Xeon X5550 rivals Core i3-2100.
| Feature | Xeon X5550 | Athlon X4 830 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | No |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | VT-x, VT-d, EPT | — |
| Target Use | Workstation | — |
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