Athlon Silver 3050GE vs Xeon E5-2603 v4

AMD

Athlon Silver 3050GE

2 Cores4 Thrd35 WWMax: 3.4 GHz2020
Similar parts
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VS
Intel

Xeon E5-2603 v4

6 Cores6 Thrd85 WWMax: 1.7 GHz2016
Similar parts
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Athlon Silver 3050GE vs Xeon E5-2603 v4 Performance Spectrum

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 Silver 3050GE vs Xeon E5-2603 v4 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 Silver 3050GE vs Xeon E5-2603 v4: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Athlon Silver 3050GE

2020

Why buy it

  • +0.6% higher PassMark.
  • Draws 35W instead of 85W, a 50W reduction.
  • Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon Vega 3, while Xeon E5-2603 v4 needs a discrete GPU.
  • Includes a boxed cooler (Stock), unlike Xeon E5-2603 v4.

Trade-offs

  • Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E5-2603 v4 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
  • Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 15 MB).
  • Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2603 v4, which brings 6 cores / 6 threads.
  • Launch MSRP is still $75 MSRP, while Xeon E5-2603 v4 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Xeon E5-2603 v4

2016

Why buy it

  • Better for gaming: +6.6% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
  • +275% larger total L3 cache (15 MB vs 4 MB).
  • Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 6 cores / 6 threads.

Trade-offs

  • Lower PassMark (4,517 vs 4,545).
  • 142.9% higher power demand at 85W vs 35W.
  • No integrated graphics, while Athlon Silver 3050GE can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.
  • No boxed cooler included, unlike Athlon Silver 3050GE.

Quick Answers

So, is Athlon Silver 3050GE better than Xeon E5-2603 v4?
Not really, because they are built for different jobs. Xeon E5-2603 v4 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Athlon Silver 3050GE 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 Silver 3050GE is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.6% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 4 threads.
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?
Athlon Silver 3050GE is the better buy right now. Athlon Silver 3050GE comes in at an unclear MSRP at $75 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you 0.6% better PassMark. The compromise is that Xeon E5-2603 v4 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 6.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (60.6 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
Athlon Silver 3050GE makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2016) and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 4 threads instead of 6/6. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Athlon Silver 3050GE vs Xeon E5-2603 v4 Technical Specifications

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

AMD

Athlon Silver 3050GE

The Athlon Silver 3050GE is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Dali (2020−2021) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 4,545 points. Launch price was $149.

Intel

Xeon E5-2603 v4

The Xeon E5-2603 v4 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 20 June 2016 (9 years ago). It is based on the Broadwell (2015−2019) architecture. It features 6 cores and 6 threads. Base frequency is 1.7 GHz, with boost up to 1.7 GHz. L3 cache: 15 MB. L2 cache: 1.5 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 85 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866. Passmark benchmark score: 4,517 points. Launch price was $213.

Processing Power

The Athlon Silver 3050GE packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Xeon E5-2603 v4 offers 6 cores / 6 threads — the Xeon E5-2603 v4 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.4 GHz on the Athlon Silver 3050GE versus 1.7 GHz on the Xeon E5-2603 v4 — a 66.7% clock advantage for the Athlon Silver 3050GE (base: 3.4 GHz vs 1.7 GHz). The Athlon Silver 3050GE uses the Dali (2020−2021) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon E5-2603 v4 uses Broadwell (2015−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon Silver 3050GE scores 4,545 against the Xeon E5-2603 v4's 4,517 — a 0.6% lead for the Athlon Silver 3050GE. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Athlon Silver 3050GE vs 15 MB on the Xeon E5-2603 v4.

FeatureAthlon Silver 3050GEXeon E5-2603 v4
Cores / Threads
2 / 4
6 / 6+200%
Boost Clock
3.4 GHz+100%
1.7 GHz
Base Clock
3.4 GHz+100%
1.7 GHz
L3 Cache
4 MB (total)
15 MB+275%
L2 Cache
512 kB (per core)
1.5 MB+200%
Process
14 nm
14 nm
Architecture
Dali (2020−2021)
Broadwell (2015−2019)
PassMark
4,545
4,517
Cinebench R23 Multi
1,800
Geekbench 6 Single
750
Geekbench 6 Multi
1,800
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Memory & Platform

The Athlon Silver 3050GE uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E5-2603 v4 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureAthlon Silver 3050GEXeon E5-2603 v4
Socket
AM4
LGA2011
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0
PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed
DDR4-2666
Max RAM Capacity
32 GB
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
No
PCIe Lanes
0
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Advanced Features

Virtualization: AMD-V (Athlon Silver 3050GE) / not specified (Xeon E5-2603 v4). The Athlon Silver 3050GE includes integrated graphics (Radeon Vega 3), while the Xeon E5-2603 v4 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Athlon Silver 3050GE targets Desktop.

FeatureAthlon Silver 3050GEXeon E5-2603 v4
Integrated GPU
Yes
IGPU Model
Radeon Vega 3
Unlocked
Yes
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
AMD-V
Target Use
Desktop