Athlon PRO 300U vs Xeon E3-1260L
Athlon PRO 300U
Xeon E3-1260L
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 Athlon PRO 300U is positioned at rank 1006 and the Xeon E3-1260L is on rank 750, so the Xeon E3-1260L offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Athlon PRO 300U
Performance Per Dollar Xeon E3-1260L
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon PRO 300U | Xeon E3-1260L |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | Balanced gaming performance | Balanced gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($270) |
| Longevity | ✨ Modern (Raven Ridge 2 (2019) / 14 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon PRO 300U | Xeon E3-1260L |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($270) |
Performance Check
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 Athlon PRO 300U and Xeon E3-1260L
Athlon PRO 300U
The Athlon PRO 300U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Raven Ridge 2 (2019) 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: 512K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 4,080 points. Launch price was $149.
Xeon E3-1260L
The Xeon E3-1260L 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 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.3 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 4,076 points. Launch price was $150.
Processing Power
The Athlon PRO 300U packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Xeon E3-1260L offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Xeon E3-1260L has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.3 GHz on the Athlon PRO 300U versus 3.3 GHz on the Xeon E3-1260L — identical boost frequencies (base: 2.4 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Athlon PRO 300U uses the Raven Ridge 2 (2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon E3-1260L uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon PRO 300U scores 4,080 against the Xeon E3-1260L's 4,076 — a 0.1% lead for the Athlon PRO 300U. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Athlon PRO 300U vs 8 MB (total) on the Xeon E3-1260L.
| Feature | Athlon PRO 300U | Xeon E3-1260L |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 4 | 4 / 8+100% |
| Boost Clock | 3.3 GHz | 3.3 GHz |
| Base Clock | 2.4 GHz | 2.4 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 4 MB (total) | 8 MB (total)+100% |
| L2 Cache | 512K (per core)+100% | 256 kB (per core) |
| Process | 14 nm-56% | 32 nm |
| Architecture | Raven Ridge 2 (2019) | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) |
| PassMark | 4,080 | 4,076 |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon PRO 300U uses the FP5 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E3-1260L uses LGA1155 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Athlon PRO 300U | Xeon E3-1260L |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | FP5 | LGA1155 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0+50% | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR4-2400 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 32 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | ✅ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 8 | — |
Advanced Features
The Athlon PRO 300U includes integrated graphics (AMD Radeon Vega 3), while the Xeon E3-1260L requires a dedicated GPU.
| Feature | Athlon PRO 300U | Xeon E3-1260L |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | — |
| IGPU Model | AMD Radeon Vega 3 | — |
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