Intel Xeon E5-2420 v2 vs Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 (105W)

Comparative analysis of Intel Xeon E5-2420 v2 and Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 (105W) processors for all known characteristics in the following categories: Essentials, Performance, Memory, Compatibility, Peripherals, Security & Reliability, Advanced Technologies, Virtualization. Benchmark processor performance analysis: PassMark - Single thread mark, PassMark - CPU mark, Geekbench 4 - Single Core, Geekbench 4 - Multi-Core, 3DMark Fire Strike - Physics Score, CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Face Detection (mPixels/s), CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Ocean Surface Simulation (Frames/s), CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - T-Rex (Frames/s), CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Video Composition (Frames/s), CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Bitcoin Mining (mHash/s).

Intel Xeon E5-2420 v2

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 (105W)

Differences

Reasons to consider the Intel Xeon E5-2420 v2

CPU is newer: launch date 6 year(s) 7 month(s) later
2 more cores, run more applications at once: 6 vs 4
Around 13% higher clock speed: 2.70 GHz vs 2.4 GHz
A newer manufacturing process allows for a more powerful, yet cooler running processor: 22 nm vs 65 nm
Around 50% more L1 cache; more data can be stored in the L1 cache for quick access later
Around 31% lower typical power consumption: 80 Watt vs 105 Watt
Around 70% better performance in Geekbench 4 - Single Core: 561 vs 330
3.2x better performance in Geekbench 4 - Multi-Core: 3249 vs 1019

Specifications (specs)
Launch date	September 2013 vs January 2007
Number of cores	6 vs 4
Maximum frequency	2.70 GHz vs 2.4 GHz
Manufacturing process technology	22 nm vs 65 nm
L1 cache	64 KB (per core) vs 256 KB
Max number of CPUs in a configuration	2 vs 1
Thermal Design Power (TDP)	80 Watt vs 105 Watt
Benchmarks
Geekbench 4 - Single Core	561 vs 330
Geekbench 4 - Multi-Core	3249 vs 1019

Reasons to consider the Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 (105W)

5.3x more L2 cache, more data can be stored in the L2 cache for quick access later

L2 cache	8192 KB vs 256 KB (per core)

Compare benchmarks

CPU 1: Intel Xeon E5-2420 v2
CPU 2: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 (105W)

Geekbench 4 - Single Core

CPU 1

CPU 2

561

330

Geekbench 4 - Multi-Core

CPU 1

CPU 2

3249

1019

Name	Intel Xeon E5-2420 v2	Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 (105W)
PassMark - Single thread mark	1352
PassMark - CPU mark	11745
Geekbench 4 - Single Core	561	330
Geekbench 4 - Multi-Core	3249	1019
3DMark Fire Strike - Physics Score		0
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Face Detection (mPixels/s)		0.522
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Ocean Surface Simulation (Frames/s)		24.255
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - T-Rex (Frames/s)		0.138
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Video Composition (Frames/s)		0.748
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Bitcoin Mining (mHash/s)		3.829

Compare specifications (specs)

	Intel Xeon E5-2420 v2	Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 (105W)
Essentials
Architecture codename	Ivy Bridge EN	Kentsfield
Launch date	September 2013	January 2007
Launch price (MSRP)	$480
Place in performance rating	1992	3288
Price now	$579.95
Processor Number	E5-2420V2	Q6600
Series	Intel® Xeon® Processor E5 v2 Family	Legacy Intel® Core™ Processors
Status	Launched	Discontinued
Value for money (0-100)	4.38
Vertical segment	Server	Desktop
Performance
64 bit support
Base frequency	2.20 GHz	2.40 GHz
Bus Speed	7.2 GT/s QPI	1066 MHz FSB
Die size	160 mm	286 mm2
L1 cache	64 KB (per core)	256 KB
L2 cache	256 KB (per core)	8192 KB
L3 cache	15360 KB (shared)
Manufacturing process technology	22 nm	65 nm
Maximum core temperature	76°C	B3=62.2°C; G0=71°C
Maximum frequency	2.70 GHz	2.4 GHz
Number of cores	6	4
Number of QPI Links	1
Number of threads	12
Transistor count	1400 million	582 million
VID voltage range	0.65-1.30V	0.8500V-1.500V
Maximum case temperature (TCase)		71 °C
Memory
ECC memory support
Max memory channels	3
Maximum memory bandwidth	38.4 GB/s
Maximum memory size	384 GB
Supported memory types	DDR3 800/1066/1333/1600	DDR1, DDR2, DDR3
Compatibility
Low Halogen Options Available
Max number of CPUs in a configuration	2	1
Package Size	45mm x 42.5mm	37.5mm x 37.5mm
Sockets supported	FCLGA1356	LGA775
Thermal Design Power (TDP)	80 Watt	105 Watt
Peripherals
Max number of PCIe lanes	24
PCI Express revision	3.0
PCIe configurations	x4, x8, x16
Scalability	2S Only
Security & Reliability
Execute Disable Bit (EDB)
Intel® Identity Protection technology
Intel® OS Guard
Intel® Secure Key technology
Intel® Trusted Execution technology (TXT)
Advanced Technologies
Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® technology
Idle States
Instruction set extensions	Intel® AVX
Intel 64
Intel® Advanced Vector Extensions (AVX)
Intel® AES New Instructions
Intel® Demand Based Switching
Intel® Flex Memory Access
Intel® Hyper-Threading technology
Intel® TSX-NI
Intel® Turbo Boost technology
Physical Address Extensions (PAE)	46-bit
Thermal Monitoring
FSB parity
Virtualization
Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x)
Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d)
Intel® VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT)