Xeon 5120 vs Core 2 Duo E8500
Aggregate performance score
Core 2 Duo E8500 outperforms Xeon 5120 by an impressive 69% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
Comparing Core 2 Duo E8500 and Xeon 5120 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 2610 | 2912 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Server |
| Power efficiency | 1.18 | 0.70 |
| Architecture codename | Wolfdale (2008−2010) | Woodcrest (2006) |
| Release date | January 2008 (16 years ago) | June 2006 (18 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | no data | $45 |
Detailed specifications
Core 2 Duo E8500 and Xeon 5120 basic parameters such as number of cores, number of threads, base frequency and turbo boost clock, lithography, cache size and multiplier lock state. These parameters indirectly say of CPU speed, though for more precise assessment you have to consider their test results.
| Physical cores | 2 (Dual-core) | 2 (Dual-core) |
| Threads | 2 | 2 |
| Base clock speed | 3.16 GHz | 1.86 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 3.17 GHz | 1.87 GHz |
| Bus rate | 1333 MHz | no data |
| L1 cache | 64 KB | 0 KB |
| L2 cache | 6 MB (shared) | 4 MB |
| L3 cache | 0 KB | 0 KB |
| Chip lithography | 45 nm | 65 nm |
| Die size | 107 mm2 | no data |
| Maximum core temperature | no data | 65 °C |
| Maximum case temperature (TCase) | 72 °C | no data |
| Number of transistors | 410 million | no data |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | - |
| VID voltage range | 0.85V-1.3625V | B2=1.0V-1.5V, G0=.85V-1.5V |
Compatibility
Information on Core 2 Duo E8500 and Xeon 5120 compatibility with other computer components: motherboard (look for socket type), power supply unit (look for power consumption) etc. Useful when planning a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. Note that power consumption of some processors can well exceed their nominal TDP, even without overclocking. Some can even double their declared thermals given that the motherboard allows to tune the CPU power parameters.
| Number of CPUs in a configuration | 1 | 1 |
| Socket | LGA775 | LGA771 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 65 Watt | 65 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core 2 Duo E8500 and Xeon 5120. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | + |
| Turbo Boost Technology | - | - |
| Hyper-Threading Technology | - | - |
| Idle States | + | + |
| Thermal Monitoring | + | + |
| Demand Based Switching | - | - |
| FSB parity | - | + |
Security technologies
Core 2 Duo E8500 and Xeon 5120 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | + | - |
| EDB | + | + |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core 2 Duo E8500 and Xeon 5120 are enumerated here.
| VT-d | + | no data |
| VT-x | + | + |
| EPT | no data | - |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core 2 Duo E8500 and Xeon 5120. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | DDR1, DDR2, DDR3 | DDR2 |
Synthetic benchmark performance
Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.
Combined synthetic benchmark score
This is our combined benchmark performance rating. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.
Passmark
Passmark CPU Mark is a widespread benchmark, consisting of 8 different types of workload, including integer and floating point math, extended instructions, compression, encryption and physics calculation. There is also one separate single-threaded scenario measuring single-core performance.
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 0.81 | 0.48 |
| Chip lithography | 45 nm | 65 nm |
Core 2 Duo E8500 has a 68.8% higher aggregate performance score, and a 44.4% more advanced lithography process.
The Core 2 Duo E8500 is our recommended choice as it beats the Xeon 5120 in performance tests.
Note that Core 2 Duo E8500 is a desktop processor while Xeon 5120 is a server/workstation one.
Should you still have questions on choice between Core 2 Duo E8500 and Xeon 5120, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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