Athlon Gold 3150U vs Xeon E3-1220

Athlon Gold 3150U vs Xeon E3-1220 Performance Spectrum

Athlon Gold 3150U

2 / 4

3,923

+1.7%

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Xeon E3-1220

4 / 4

3,859

0.0%

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.

Athlon Gold 3150U vs Xeon E3-1220 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Athlon Gold 3150U vs Xeon E3-1220: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Athlon Gold 3150U

2020

Why buy it

✅+1.7% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 15W instead of 80W, a 65W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (8 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with AMD Radeon Vega 3, while Xeon E3-1220 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 8 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E3-1220, which brings 4 cores / 4 threads.

Xeon E3-1220

2011

Why buy it

✅+100% larger total L3 cache (8 MB vs 4 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 4 cores / 4 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (3,859 vs 3,923).
❌433.3% higher power demand at 80W vs 15W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Athlon Gold 3150U can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon Gold 3150U better than Xeon E3-1220?

Not really, because they are built for different jobs. Xeon E3-1220 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Athlon Gold 3150U is the more practical desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and everyday use.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Athlon Gold 3150U is the stronger fit. You are getting 1.7% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 4 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Athlon Gold 3150U still makes the most sense overall. Athlon Gold 3150U comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you 1.7% better PassMark.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Athlon Gold 3150U makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2011) and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 4 threads instead of 4/4. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Athlon Gold 3150U vs Xeon E3-1220 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Athlon Gold 3150U

The Athlon Gold 3150U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Dali (Zen) (2020) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.3 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 3,923 points. Launch price was $149.

Xeon E3-1220

The Xeon E3-1220 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 April 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 80 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,859 points. Launch price was $395.

⚡

Processing Power

The Athlon Gold 3150U packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Xeon E3-1220 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Xeon E3-1220 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.3 GHz on the Athlon Gold 3150U versus 3.4 GHz on the Xeon E3-1220 — a 3% clock advantage for the Xeon E3-1220 (base: 2.4 GHz vs 3.1 GHz). The Athlon Gold 3150U uses the Dali (Zen) (2020) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon E3-1220 uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon Gold 3150U scores 3,923 against the Xeon E3-1220's 3,859 — a 1.6% lead for the Athlon Gold 3150U. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Athlon Gold 3150U vs 8 MB (total) on the Xeon E3-1220.

Feature	Athlon Gold 3150U	Xeon E3-1220
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	3.3 GHz	3.4 GHz+3%
Base Clock	2.4 GHz	3.1 GHz+29%
L3 Cache	4 MB (total)	8 MB (total)+100%
L2 Cache	512 kB (per core)+100%	256 kB (per core)
Process	14 nm-56%	32 nm
Architecture	Dali (Zen) (2020)	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
PassMark	3,923+2%	3,859

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Athlon Gold 3150U uses the FP5 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E3-1220 uses LGA1155 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.