CPU
GPU
Xeon X5698
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 X5698 is positioned at rank 659 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 X5698
Performance Per Dollar Athlon X4 860K
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Xeon X5698 | Athlon X4 860K |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($20) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Westmere-EP (2010−2011) / 32 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Kaveri (2014−2015) / 28 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Xeon X5698 | 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 X5698 and Athlon X4 860K
Xeon X5698
The Xeon X5698 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Westmere-EP (2010−2011) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 4.4 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 12288 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1366. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,447 points. Launch price was $800.
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 X5698 packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Athlon X4 860K offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Athlon X4 860K has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Xeon X5698 versus 4 GHz on the Athlon X4 860K — a 9.5% clock advantage for the Xeon X5698 (base: 4.4 GHz vs 3.7 GHz). The Xeon X5698 uses the Westmere-EP (2010−2011) architecture (32 nm), while the Athlon X4 860K uses Kaveri (2014−2015) (28 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon X5698 scores 3,447 against the Athlon X4 860K's 3,425 — a 0.6% lead for the Xeon X5698.
| Feature | Xeon X5698 | Athlon X4 860K |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 4 | 4 / 4+100% |
| Boost Clock | 4.4 GHz+10% | 4 GHz |
| Base Clock | 4.4 GHz+19% | 3.7 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 12288 kB (total) | — |
| L2 Cache | 256 kB (per core) | 4 MB+1500% |
| Process | 32 nm | 28 nm-13% |
| Architecture | Westmere-EP (2010−2011) | Kaveri (2014−2015) |
| PassMark | 3,447 | 3,425 |
Memory & Platform
The Xeon X5698 uses the LGA1366 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Athlon X4 860K uses FM2+ (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR3-1333 memory speed. Memory channels: 3 (Xeon X5698) vs 2 (Athlon X4 860K). Chipset compatibility: Intel X58,Intel 5520 (Xeon X5698) and AMD FM2+ (Athlon X4 860K).
| Feature | Xeon X5698 | Athlon X4 860K |
|---|---|---|
| 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 X5698) / not specified (Athlon X4 860K). Primary use case: Xeon X5698 targets Workstation. Direct competitor: Xeon X5698 rivals Core i7-980X.
| Feature | Xeon X5698 | Athlon X4 860K |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | No |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | VT-x, VT-d, EPT | — |
| Target Use | Workstation | — |
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