Intel Xeon E5504

The Intel Xeon E5504 is a 4-core, 4-thread server/workstation CPU from Intel’s Nehalem generation, code-named Gainestown, on the Intel Socket 1366 platform. It runs at a fixed 2.00 GHz with no boost clock, carries an 80 W TDP, and supports DDR3 triple-channel memory with ECC. Its average benchmark score is 435, which places it at the 6th percentile of all CPUs in the database.

Who Should Consider It

The E5504 is not a processor for a new high-performance system. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 1265 and single-core score of 178 place it near the bottom of the database, and the 6th percentile ranking is a clear warning for any workload that expects modern throughput. The market segment field says Server/Workstation, so the intended environment is a legacy server board, not a desktop gaming rig. A gaming system depends heavily on single-thread responsiveness; the R20 single-core score of 74 and the complete absence of a boost clock mean the CPU will struggle in games that rely on one or two threads. It also has no integrated graphics, so any display output requires a separate graphics card, which further reduces its appeal for casual desktop use.

For content creation, the available Cinebench results show only a small amount of rendering capacity. The R15 multi-core score is 127, and the R20 multi-core score is 531. Those numbers are far below what a modern multi-core workstation would produce. An office workload that is mostly text-based may run, but the low single-core scores mean the processor is not a comfortable daily driver in modern applications. The realistic audience is a user who already owns a Socket 1366 server/workstation motherboard and needs a drop-in CPU for a narrowly defined task: four threads, 4 MB of shared L3 cache, and a 2.00 GHz clock. The production status is end-of-life, so this should be considered a maintenance part, not a platform to build around.

Platform and Compatibility

The E5504 fits Intel Socket 1366. It belongs to the Nehalem architecture, with the codename Gainestown and the generation designation Xeon (Gainestown). Intel built it on a 45 nm process with 731 million transistors on a 263 mm² die. The cache layout is 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 4 MB of shared L3. Memory support is DDR3 over a triple-channel bus, and ECC memory is enabled. There is no integrated graphics, so every visual output must come from a discrete adapter. The platform provides PCIe Gen 2. The multiplier is locked, so the 2.00 GHz base clock cannot be raised by multiplier adjustment. The part number is SLBF9.

Because the production status is end-of-life and the release date is 2009-03-29, the platform ecosystem is fixed in the DDR3 and PCIe Gen 2 era. The data does not identify a compatible follow-up processor, so any future move upward means leaving this socket and memory generation behind. Within an existing system, the main compatibility constraints are the Socket 1366 interface, DDR3 triple-channel memory, and the need for a separate graphics solution.

Power and Thermals

With a TDP of 80 W, the E5504 sits in a modest power class. The underlying process is 45 nm, and the die contains 731 million transistors across 263 mm². Those facts together imply a cooling requirement that is well within the reach of standard active heatsinks for Socket 1366 systems. There is no boost clock, which matters for thermals: the CPU cannot momentarily jump above 2.00 GHz, so sustained load stays at the base frequency. The four cores and 4 MB of shared L3 cache are the main sources of load.

In a dense server chassis, the 80 W figure means the CPU should coexist with other components as long as airflow is reasonable. For a workstation tower, a conventional cooler designed for an 80 W-class socket is enough; there is no need for an exotic cooling loop. The absence of integrated graphics also means the CPU has no on-die display engine adding heat, since all graphics work is done by a separate card.

How It Compares

Intel Core i5-2467M: The database lists this rival with an average score of 435, which is exactly the same as the E5504’s 435. The deltaPct is 0. Overall, the two CPUs are equal in the aggregate benchmark. The E5504’s performance level is indistinguishable from this rival in the database.

AMD A10-4655M: The A10-4655M has an average score of 434, and the deltaPct is 0.2 in the E5504’s favor. The gap is tiny. The E5504 is ahead by a negligible margin, so the two processors land in the same performance neighborhood.

Intel Core i3-2370M: The i3-2370M has an average score of 437, and the E5504 has a deltaPct of -0.5. This is the only rival in the list that sits above the E5504 in aggregate score. The difference remains small, but the direction of the delta is clear.

AMD Athlon II X3 415e: The Athlon II X3 415e has an average score of 433, and the E5504 leads it by 0.6 according to the deltaPct. That is the largest positive delta of the four comparisons, but it is still a thin lead. The E5504’s aggregate position is therefore defined by a cluster of rivals separated by deltas of 0, 0.2, -0.5, and 0.6.

Single-Thread vs Multi-Thread Behavior

Because the E5504 has four cores and four threads, it can handle exactly four simultaneous threads without any logical-thread sharing. The Cinebench R20 results are 74 for single-core and 531 for multi-core. The R23 results are 178 for single-core and 1265 for multi-core. The pattern is a large gap between the single-core figure and the multi-core figure. That gap is the expected result of running a four-thread workload on four physical cores.

This split explains why the E5504 will feel acceptable for some batch tasks and weak for anything interactive. Interactive applications often depend on one dominant thread, and the single-core scores are low. The absence of a boost clock leaves the CPU at a hard 2.00 GHz ceiling for that dominant thread. Multi-threaded workloads can use all four cores and the shared 4 MB L3 cache, which is why the multi-core totals reach 531 in R20 and 1265 in R23. In the older Cinebench R15, the same pattern appears in the multi-core score of 127. The practical conclusion is to match the workload to the core count: four independent threads get the full benefit of the chip, while one thread gets only a single 2.00 GHz Nehalem core.

FAQ

Q: Does the Intel Xeon E5504 include integrated graphics?

A: No. The integrated graphics field is null, so a separate graphics adapter is needed for display output.

Q: What kind of memory does it support?

A: It supports DDR3 triple-channel memory, and ECC memory is enabled.

Q: Is the E5504 overclockable?

A: No. The multiplier is locked, and the multiplierUnlocked field is false.

Q: What socket does the E5504 use?

A: It uses Intel Socket 1366.

Q: Is the processor still in production?

A: No. The production status is end-of-life, and the release date is 2009-03-29.

Q: Does the E5504 have a boost clock?

A: No. The boost clock field is null, so its operating frequency is the base clock of 2.00 GHz.

Benchmark Performance

The aggregate benchmark score for the E5504 is 435. The database places it at the 6th percentile of all CPUs, which puts it among the lowest-scoring processors. The Cinebench results are consistent with that ranking: R15 multi-core 127, R20 multi-core 531, R20 single-core 74, R23 multi-core 1265, and R23 single-core 178. These scores describe a 45 nm quad-core part with no boost clock and a 2.00 GHz ceiling.

Against the nearest rivals, the aggregate deltas are as follows. The Intel Core i5-2467M matches the E5504’s average score of 435, with a deltaPct of 0. The AMD A10-4655M has an average score of 434, and the E5504 is 0.2% ahead. The Intel Core i3-2370M has an average score of 437, and the E5504 is 0.5% behind. The AMD Athlon II X3 415e has an average score of 433, and the E5504 is 0.6% ahead. These deltas are all small, so the average benchmark score does not separate the E5504 from its immediate rivals by a meaningful margin.

The more meaningful separation is in workload shape. The E5504’s four cores and four threads limit peak throughput, while the lack of a boost clock limits single-thread speed. The multi-core totals in R20 and R23 are far above the single-core totals, indicating that threaded workloads are the only place where the CPU can show its full complement of cores. In aggregate, the E5504 sits in a tight performance band with its nearest rivals, but the individual Cinebench scores reveal a processor whose best path to usefulness is multi-threaded batch work on a legacy 1366 platform.