Core i3-2100 vs Xeon E5420
Aggregate performance score
Xeon E5420 outperforms Core i3-2100 by a small 9% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
Comparing Xeon E5420 and Core i3-2100 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in performance ranking | 2177 | 2256 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | 77 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | 0.24 | 0.28 |
| Market segment | Server | Desktop processor |
| Architecture codename | no data | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) |
| Release date | 1 October 2007 (16 years ago) | 20 February 2011 (13 years ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | no data | $73 |
| Current price | $121 | $82 (1.1x MSRP) |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance per price, higher is better.
i3-2100 has 17% better value for money than Xeon E5420.
Detailed specifications
Xeon E5420 and Core i3-2100 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 | no data | 2 (Dual-core) |
| Threads | no data | 4 |
| Base clock speed | 2.5 GHz | 3.1 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | no data | 3.1 GHz |
| L1 cache | no data | 64 KB (per core) |
| L2 cache | no data | 256 KB (per core) |
| L3 cache | 12 MB L2 Cache | 3 MB (shared) |
| Chip lithography | 45 nm | 32 nm |
| Die size | no data | 131 mm2 |
| Maximum core temperature | 67 °C | 69 °C |
| Number of transistors | no data | 504 million |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | - | - |
| Unlocked multiplier | No | No |
| VID voltage range | 0.85V-1.35V | no data |
Compatibility
Information on Xeon E5420 and Core i3-2100 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 | no data | 1 |
| Socket | LGA771 | FCLGA1155 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 80 Watt | 65 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Xeon E5420 and Core i3-2100. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| Instruction set extensions | no data | Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX |
| AES-NI | no data | - |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | + |
| Turbo Boost Technology | - | - |
| Hyper-Threading Technology | - | + |
| Idle States | + | + |
| Thermal Monitoring | + | + |
| Flex Memory Access | no data | + |
| Demand Based Switching | + | no data |
| FDI | no data | + |
| Fast Memory Access | no data | + |
| FSB parity | + | no data |
| Status | Discontinued | Discontinued |
Security technologies
Xeon E5420 and Core i3-2100 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | - | + |
| EDB | + | + |
| Identity Protection | no data | + |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Xeon E5420 and Core i3-2100 are enumerated here.
| VT-d | no data | - |
| VT-x | + | + |
| EPT | - | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Xeon E5420 and Core i3-2100. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | no data | DDR3 |
| Maximum memory size | no data | 32 GB |
| Max memory channels | no data | 2 |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | no data | 21 GB/s |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | no data | Intel HD Graphics 2000 |
| Quick Sync Video | no data | + |
| Clear Video HD | no data | + |
| Graphics max frequency | no data | 1.1 GHz |
| InTru 3D | no data | + |
Graphics interfaces
Available interfaces and connections of Xeon E5420 and Core i3-2100 integrated GPUs.
| Number of displays supported | no data | 2 |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Xeon E5420 and Core i3-2100.
| PCIe version | no data | 2.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | no data | 16 |
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.
Xeon E5420 outperforms Core i3-2100 by 9% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
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.
Benchmark coverage: 68%
Xeon E5420 outperforms Core i3-2100 by 9% in Passmark.
GeekBench 5 Single-Core
GeekBench 5 Single-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses only a single CPU core.
Benchmark coverage: 42%
Core i3-2100 outperforms Xeon E5420 by 27% in GeekBench 5 Single-Core.
GeekBench 5 Multi-Core
GeekBench 5 Multi-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses all available CPU cores.
Benchmark coverage: 42%
Xeon E5420 outperforms Core i3-2100 by 25% in GeekBench 5 Multi-Core.
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 1.31 | 1.20 |
| Recency | 1 October 2007 | 20 February 2011 |
| Chip lithography | 45 nm | 32 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 80 Watt | 65 Watt |
Given the minimal performance differences, no clear winner can be declared between Xeon E5420 and Core i3-2100.
Be aware that Xeon E5420 is a server/workstation processor while Core i3-2100 is a desktop one.
Should you still have questions on choice between Xeon E5420 and Core i3-2100, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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