Celeron G3950 vs Xeon E5-2603
Celeron G3950
Xeon E5-2603
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 Celeron G3950 is positioned at rank 457 and the Xeon E5-2603 is on rank 825, so the Celeron G3950 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Celeron G3950
Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5-2603
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Celeron G3950 | Xeon E5-2603 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($30) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | ✨ Modern (Kaby Lake (2016−2019) / 14 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge-EP (2012) / 32 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Celeron G3950 | Xeon E5-2603 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($30) | ✅ 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 Celeron G3950 and Xeon E5-2603
Celeron G3950
The Celeron G3950 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 January 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Kaby Lake (2016−2019) architecture. It features 2 cores and 2 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 2 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 51 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 2133, DDR3L 1333/1600. Passmark benchmark score: 2,336 points. Launch price was $52.
Xeon E5-2603
The Xeon E5-2603 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 6 March 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge-EP (2012) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.8 GHz, with boost up to 1.8 GHz. L3 cache: 10240 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 80 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,325 points. Launch price was $207.
Processing Power
The Celeron G3950 packs 2 cores / 2 threads, while the Xeon E5-2603 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Xeon E5-2603 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3 GHz on the Celeron G3950 versus 1.8 GHz on the Xeon E5-2603 — a 50% clock advantage for the Celeron G3950 (base: 3 GHz vs 1.8 GHz). The Celeron G3950 uses the Kaby Lake (2016−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon E5-2603 uses Sandy Bridge-EP (2012) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Celeron G3950 scores 2,336 against the Xeon E5-2603's 2,325 — a 0.5% lead for the Celeron G3950. L3 cache: 2 MB (total) on the Celeron G3950 vs 10240 kB (total) on the Xeon E5-2603.
| Feature | Celeron G3950 | Xeon E5-2603 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 2 | 4 / 4+100% |
| Boost Clock | 3 GHz+67% | 1.8 GHz |
| Base Clock | 3 GHz+67% | 1.8 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 2 MB (total) | 10240 kB (total)+400% |
| L2 Cache | 256K (per core) | 256 kB (per core) |
| Process | 14 nm-56% | 32 nm |
| Architecture | Kaby Lake (2016−2019) | Sandy Bridge-EP (2012) |
| PassMark | 2,336 | 2,325 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 750 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 1,100 | — |
Memory & Platform
The Celeron G3950 uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E5-2603 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Celeron G3950 | Xeon E5-2603 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1151 | LGA2011 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0+50% | PCIe 2.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR4-2400 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 64 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | ✅ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 16 | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: VT-x (Celeron G3950) / not specified (Xeon E5-2603). The Celeron G3950 includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 610), while the Xeon E5-2603 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Celeron G3950 targets Budget. Direct competitor: Celeron G3950 rivals Pentium G4560.
| Feature | Celeron G3950 | Xeon E5-2603 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | — |
| IGPU Model | HD Graphics 610 | — |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | VT-x | — |
| Target Use | Budget | — |
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