Intel Core i5-750 vs Intel Xeon X5460 Comparison

# Intel Xeon X5460 vs Intel Core i5-750: Benchmark Breakdown

The Intel Xeon X5460 and the Intel Core i5-750 come from different design philosophies, and the benchmark data reflects that clearly. The Xeon is a server-grade part built on the older Core 2 architecture, while the Core i5 uses the newer Nehalem design. Despite the architectural generation gap, the Xeon holds a narrow but consistent lead across all recorded Cinebench tests. In the database, the Xeon X5460 wins all five head-to-head benchmark comparisons, with scores ranging from 0.8% to 1.0% higher than the Core i5-750. This is not a dramatic margin, but it is a uniform one, which points to the Xeon's higher base clock and its dual-die design providing a consistent advantage in threaded workloads.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded benchmark data shows a clear pattern: the Intel Xeon X5460 outperforms the Intel Core i5-750 in every single test, though the margins are tight. The largest win for the Xeon is in the Cinebench R23 multi-core test, where it scores 2191 against the Core i5's 2172, a 0.9% advantage. The single-core R23 test shows the Xeon at 309 versus 306 for the Core i5, a 1.0% lead. In the older Cinebench R15 multi-core test, the Xeon posts 220 against the Core i5's 218, a 0.9% edge. The R20 multi-core test shows a similar story: 920 for the Xeon, 912 for the Core i5, a 0.9% difference. The R20 single-core test is the closest race, with the Xeon at 129 and the Core i5 at 128, a 0.8% margin. Across all tests, the Xeon X5460's average benchmark score is 754, while the Core i5-750 averages 747. The Xeon's wins are consistent but small, indicating that in most real-world applications, users would be hard-pressed to feel the difference without a stopwatch.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two CPUs is significant and explains their benchmark behavior. The Xeon X5460 is built on the older Core 2 architecture, using a 45 nm process. It packs four cores with four threads, running at a base clock of 3.17 GHz with no boost clock. The chip is a dual-die design: two dies of 107 mm² each, housing a total of 820 million transistors. The cache layout is distinct, too. It carries 64 KB of L1 cache per core, and a massive 6 MB L2 cache per die. It does not have L3 cache. Its socket is Intel Socket 771, and it uses dual-channel DDR2 or DDR3 memory, depending on the motherboard. The Xeon also supports ECC memory, a feature absent on the consumer desktop chip. Its memory bus is dual-channel.

The Core i5-750 is a Nehalem-family chip, fabricated on a newer 45 nm node. It also packs four cores and four threads. Its base clock is 2.67 GHz with a boost clock of 3.20 GHz, a higher top speed than the Xeon. It is a single monolithic die of 296 mm², with 774 million transistors. The cache hierarchy is different: 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and a shared 8 MB L3 cache. The L3 cache is a notable advantage for the Core i5 in workloads where data is shared across cores. It runs on DDR3 memory only, also dual-channel. It does not support ECC. Its PCIe interface is Gen 2, with 16 lanes for the CPU, while the Xeon also runs Gen 2 but the lane count depends on the motherboard.

The process node and cache layout explain the benchmark results. The Core i5 has a smaller L2 per core, but the shared L3 cache can reduce latency when caching shared data. The Xeon has a larger L2 cache per die, which is always a benefit for high core-count workloads. The Xeon's two-die layout also gives each half of the CPU its own L2 controller, which can be a plus under heavy multi-threaded load.

The Verdict

From the data alone, the Intel Xeon X5460 is the pick if you need the last few percentage points of performance in threaded benchmarks. It wins every head-to-head test, even if only by 1% or less. The consistency is the story: the Xeon's higher base clock and larger L2 cache give it a slight but stable edge in both single and multi-core tests. The Core i5-750 is not far behind, however, and it brings a newer architecture with a larger L3 cache, which can be used in mixed workloads. The Core i5 also has a much higher boost clock, which can help lightly threaded tasks. But strictly per these benchmarks, the Xeon X5460 is the winner. For a pure throughput in threaded applications, choose the Xeon. For a platform that is more flexible in its memory support and has a newer architecture, the Core i5 is the better choice. The data shows the Xeon is the better in the absolute multi-core tests, but the Core i5's L3 cache and newer design could be a decisive factor in many generic workloads. The performance difference is small enough that most users will not see a difference in real use, so the decision comes down to platform features: a socket, ECC memory, and a server chip vs a desktop chip.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in several key specifications. The Xeon X5460 uses the older Core 2 architecture, built on a 45 nm process. It has 4 cores and 4 threads, with a base clock of 3.17 GHz. It does not have a boost clock. It is a dual-die chip, with two dies of 107 mm² each, with 820 million transistors. Its cache is 64 KB L1 per core, 6 MB L2 per die, and no L3. Its memory support is DDR2 and DDR3, a dual-channel memory bus, and it supports ECC memory. Its PCIe is Gen 2. It uses the Intel Socket 771, and its market segment is Server/Workstation.

The Core i5-750 is a Nehalem chip, built on the 45 nm node. It has 4 cores and 4 threads. The base clock is 2.67 GHz and the boost clock is 3.20 GHz. It is a single die of 296 mm², with 774 million transistors. The cache is 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 8 MB shared L3. It supports DDR3 only, with a dual-channel memory bus. It does not support ECC. It has Gen 2 PCIe, with 16 lanes for the CPU. It uses Intel Socket 1156, and its market segment is Desktop. It is listed as End-of-life.

The practical implications of these differences are clear. The Xeon's dual-die design and its larger per-die L2 cache are beneficial for workloads that are heavy on multi-threading and reuse the same data. The Core i5's shared L3 cache is a newer design that can help when data sharing across cores and with lower access latency, but the total L3 is 8 MB, which is larger than the Xeon's L2 per die. The Xeon also brings ECC memory support and a server socket, which are not available on the Core i5.

FAQ

Q: Which chip is faster in multi-core benchmarks?

A: The Intel Xeon X5460 wins in all recorded multi-core benchmarks. In the Cinebench R23 multi-core test, it scores 2191 versus 2172 for the Core i5-750, a 0.9% lead. The older R15 test shows a 220 to 218 result, a 0.9% advantage. This is a consistent lead, even if it is a small one.

Q: Is the Core i5-750 ever faster?

A: No. The Xeon wins all five recorded head-to-head benchmarks. The smallest lead is in the R20 single-core test, where the Xeon leads 129 to 128, a 0.8% margin. The Xeon's higher base clock (3.17 GHz vs 2.67 GHz) likely contributes to its single-core lead, while its larger per-die L2 cache helps in the multi-core tests.

Q: What is the difference in cache?

A: The Xeon has 64 KB of L1 cache per core, and 6 MB of L2 per die. The Core i5-750 has 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and an additional 8 MB of shared L3. The shared L3 is a newer design and is useful for shared data workloads. The Xeon's larger L2 per die is useful for workloads that fit in one die.

Q: Which CPU supports ECC memory?

A: The Intel Xeon X5460 supports ECC memory. The Intel Core i5-750 does not. ECC memory is a feature for server workloads that need to prevent data corruption, and the Xeon's socket makes it suitable for a server platform.

Q: Which chip has a higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core i5-750 has a boost clock of 3.20 GHz, while the Intel Xeon X5460 has no boost clock listed. However, the Xeon's base clock is 3.17 GHz, which is higher than the Core i5's base clock of 2.67 GHz. The Core i5's boost clock is still higher than the Xeon's base clock.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark splits are narrow, but they all point to the same chip: the Intel Xeon X5460 wins every multi-core test and every single-core test, although by a small margin. Its best results are in the multi-core tests with more than one die, where it has 0.9% to 1.0% wins. The Core i5-750 wins in nothing in the recorded tests. But the Core i5 does catch up in the L3 cache and the more modern architecture, which are not reflected in these tests. If you have a workload that is mostly single-threaded and memory-latency sensitive, the Core i5's L3 cache may help, though single-core tests show the Xeon still wins. For a server board with ECC memory and Socket 771, the Xeon X5460 is the only choice from the data. For a desktop board with Socket 1156, the Core i5-750 is the only choice. The Xeon is a server CPU, and the Core i5 is a desktop CPU, and the benchmark data shows the Xeon is marginally better in all tests, so it is the pick for a threaded workstation workload. If you have a desktop workload, the Core i5 is the one to use. The benchmark data does not show an advantage in the other direction, so the Core i5 is not a pick for the data. The Xeon wins all head-to-head tests, which is a strong statement. If you are building a machine for a known threaded workload, the Xeon is a safer pick given the data.