Athlon X4 850 vs Xeon E5-2603 v2
Athlon X4 850
Xeon E5-2603 v2
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 X4 850 is positioned at rank 539 and the Xeon E5-2603 v2 is on rank 757, so the Athlon X4 850 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Athlon X4 850
Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5-2603 v2
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Athlon X4 850 | Xeon E5-2603 v2 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($20) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Godaveri (2014−2016) / 28 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge-EP (2013) / 22 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Athlon X4 850 | Xeon E5-2603 v2 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($20) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
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 X4 850 and Xeon E5-2603 v2
Athlon X4 850
The Athlon X4 850 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Godaveri (2014−2016) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L2 cache: 4 MB. Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: FM2+. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-2133. Passmark benchmark score: 2,756 points. Launch price was $149.
Xeon E5-2603 v2
The Xeon E5-2603 v2 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge-EP (2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.8 GHz, with boost up to 1.8 GHz. L3 cache: 10 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 80 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,735 points. Launch price was $240.
Processing Power
Both the Athlon X4 850 and Xeon E5-2603 v2 share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.9 GHz on the Athlon X4 850 versus 1.8 GHz on the Xeon E5-2603 v2 — a 73.7% clock advantage for the Athlon X4 850 (base: 3.2 GHz vs 1.8 GHz). The Athlon X4 850 uses the Godaveri (2014−2016) architecture (28 nm), while the Xeon E5-2603 v2 uses Ivy Bridge-EP (2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Athlon X4 850 scores 2,756 against the Xeon E5-2603 v2's 2,735 — a 0.8% lead for the Athlon X4 850.
| Feature | Athlon X4 850 | Xeon E5-2603 v2 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4 | 4 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 3.9 GHz+117% | 1.8 GHz |
| Base Clock | 3.2 GHz+78% | 1.8 GHz |
| L3 Cache | — | 10 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 4 MB+1500% | 256 kB (per core) |
| Process | 28 nm | 22 nm-21% |
| Architecture | Godaveri (2014−2016) | Ivy Bridge-EP (2013) |
| PassMark | 2,756 | 2,735 |
Memory & Platform
The Athlon X4 850 uses the FM2+ socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E5-2603 v2 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Athlon X4 850 | Xeon E5-2603 v2 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | FM2+ | LGA2011 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 3.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3-2133 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 64 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | ❌ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 16 | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: AMD-V (Athlon X4 850) / not specified (Xeon E5-2603 v2). Primary use case: Athlon X4 850 targets Desktop.
| Feature | Athlon X4 850 | Xeon E5-2603 v2 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | — |
| Unlocked | Yes | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | AMD-V | — |
| Target Use | Desktop | — |
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