A6-3430MX
VS
Xeon E3-1220L v3

A6-3430MX vs Xeon E3-1220L v3

AMD

A6-3430MX

4 Cores4 Thrd45 WWMax: 2.4 GHz2011
VS
Intel

Xeon E3-1220L v3

2 Cores4 Thrd16 WWMax: 1.5 GHz2013

Performance Spectrum - CPU

About PassMark

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The A6-3430MX is positioned at rank 822 and the Xeon E3-1220L v3 is on rank 939, so the A6-3430MX offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar A6-3430MX

#810
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
1267%
#811
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
1249%
#812
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
1146%
#813
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
1141%
#814
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
1131%
#816
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
1092%
#817
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
1047%
#818
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
1045%
#819
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
1017%
#822
A6-3430MX
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#824
Celeron Dual-Core T3000
MSRP: $80|Avg: $15
97%
#825
Pentium P6100
MSRP: $100|Avg: $16.39
97%
#828
Celeron M 575
MSRP: $86|Avg: $12
96%
#829
Core i7-10710U
MSRP: $415|Avg: N/A
96%
#835
FX-9830P
MSRP: $150|Avg: $45
95%
#836
Celeron M P4600
MSRP: $86|Avg: $15
95%
#837
Celeron 887
MSRP: $86|Avg: $15
94%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E3-1220L v3

#1
Xeon Platinum 8454H
MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A
28508%
#6
Xeon Gold 6240R
MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A
5383%
#10
Xeon 6337P
MSRP: $60|Avg: $5
4782%
#15
EPYC 9174F
MSRP: $194|Avg: $30
3694%
#527
Xeon Platinum 8592+
MSRP: $11600|Avg: $11600
99%
#528
Xeon E5-2687W v3
MSRP: $2141|Avg: $749
93%
#939
Xeon E3-1220L v3
MSRP: $193|Avg: $30
100%
#940
Xeon E5-2670 v2
MSRP: $1556|Avg: $189
100%
#941
Xeon E5-2637 v3
MSRP: $996|Avg: $75
100%
#943
Xeon E5-1680 v2
MSRP: $1723|Avg: $150
99%
#944
Opteron 144
MSRP: $65|Avg: $29
98%
#945
Opteron 4386
MSRP: $459|Avg: $459
98%
#946
Xeon E5-2640
MSRP: $885|Avg: N/A
98%
#947
Xeon E5-2643 v4
MSRP: $1552|Avg: $555
97%
#949
Xeon E5-2630 v2
MSRP: $1069|Avg: $1224
96%
#953
Xeon E5-1620
MSRP: $885|Avg: $70
91%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Use Case Distinction: This is a comparison between a Professional Workstation processor ($30) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon E3-1220L v3 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.
InsightA6-3430MXXeon E3-1220L v3
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($30)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Llano (2011−2012) / 32 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Haswell-WS (2013−2014) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The A6-3430MX ($0), however, is optimized for mixed workloads and gaming. For most users, it offers superior single-thread performance and responsiveness at a fraction of the cost ($30 less, 100% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.
InsightA6-3430MXXeon E3-1220L v3
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($30)

Performance Check

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of A6-3430MX and Xeon E3-1220L v3

AMD

A6-3430MX

The A6-3430MX is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2014-01-01. It is based on the Llano (2011−2012) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.7 GHz, with boost up to 2.4 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB. L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: FS1. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,389 points. Launch price was $70.

Intel

Xeon E3-1220L v3

The Xeon E3-1220L v3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Haswell-WS (2013−2014) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.1 GHz, with boost up to 1.5 GHz. L3 cache: 4096 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1150. Thermal design power (TDP): 13 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 1,407 points. Launch price was $800.

Processing Power

The A6-3430MX packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Xeon E3-1220L v3 offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the A6-3430MX has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.4 GHz on the A6-3430MX versus 1.5 GHz on the Xeon E3-1220L v3 — a 46.2% clock advantage for the A6-3430MX (base: 1.7 GHz vs 1.1 GHz). The A6-3430MX uses the Llano (2011−2012) architecture (32 nm), while the Xeon E3-1220L v3 uses Haswell-WS (2013−2014) (22 nm). In PassMark, the A6-3430MX scores 1,389 against the Xeon E3-1220L v3's 1,407 — a 1.3% lead for the Xeon E3-1220L v3. L3 cache: 0 kB on the A6-3430MX vs 4096 kB (total) on the Xeon E3-1220L v3.

FeatureA6-3430MXXeon E3-1220L v3
Cores / Threads
4 / 4+100%
2 / 4
Boost Clock
2.4 GHz+60%
1.5 GHz
Base Clock
1.7 GHz+55%
1.1 GHz
L3 Cache
0 kB
4096 kB (total)
L2 Cache
1 MB (per core)+300%
256 kB (per core)
Process
32 nm
22 nm-31%
Architecture
Llano (2011−2012)
Haswell-WS (2013−2014)
PassMark
1,389
1,407+1%
Geekbench 6 Single
254
🧠

Memory & Platform

The A6-3430MX uses the FS1 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Xeon E3-1220L v3 uses LGA1150 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR3-1600 memory speed. The Xeon E3-1220L v3 supports up to 32 GB of RAM compared to 8 GB 120% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 16 PCIe lanes.

FeatureA6-3430MXXeon E3-1220L v3
Socket
FS1
LGA1150
PCIe Generation
PCIe 2.0
PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed
DDR3-1600
DDR3-1600
Max RAM Capacity
8 GB
32 GB+300%
RAM Channels
2
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
16
16
🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: AMD-V (A6-3430MX) vs VT-P (Xeon E3-1220L v3). The A6-3430MX includes integrated graphics (Radeon HD 6520G), while the Xeon E3-1220L v3 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: A6-3430MX targets Budget Laptop. Direct competitor: A6-3430MX rivals Core i3-2350M.

FeatureA6-3430MXXeon E3-1220L v3
Integrated GPU
Yes
No
IGPU Model
Radeon HD 6520G
Unlocked
No
No
AVX-512
No
No
Virtualization
AMD-V
VT-P
Target Use
Budget Laptop