Core i3-6006U
VS
Xeon E3-1220L

Core i3-6006U vs Xeon E3-1220L

Intel

Core i3-6006U

2 Cores4 Thrd15 WWMax: 2 GHz2016
VS
Intel

Xeon E3-1220L

2 Cores4 Thrd20 WWMax: 3.4 GHz2011

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 Core i3-6006U is positioned at rank 370 and the Xeon E3-1220L is on rank 812, so the Core i3-6006U offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Core i3-6006U

#358
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
516%
#359
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
509%
#360
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
467%
#361
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
465%
#362
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
461%
#364
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
445%
#365
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
427%
#366
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
426%
#367
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
414%
#370
Core i3-6006U
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#375
Pentium Dual Core T3200
MSRP: $64|Avg: $5
99%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E3-1220L

#1
Xeon Platinum 8454H
MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A
17362%
#6
Xeon Gold 6240R
MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A
3278%
#10
Xeon 6337P
MSRP: $60|Avg: $5
2912%
#15
EPYC 9174F
MSRP: $194|Avg: $30
2250%
#464
Xeon W-3375
MSRP: $4951|Avg: $6000
100%
#466
Xeon Platinum 8358
MSRP: $4607|Avg: $3145
99%
#467
EPYC 7662
MSRP: $6150|Avg: $1266
98%
#467
EPYC 7713
MSRP: $7060|Avg: $1299
98%
#812
Xeon E3-1220L
MSRP: $189|Avg: $27
100%
#813
Xeon X3450
MSRP: $241|Avg: $39
100%
#817
Xeon W3680
MSRP: $594|Avg: $26
99%
#819
Xeon E5-2640 v3
MSRP: $939|Avg: $189
98%
#824
Xeon E5-1660 v3
MSRP: $1080|Avg: $198
97%
#827
Xeon W3565
MSRP: $294|Avg: $69
96%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Use Case Distinction: This is a comparison between a Professional Workstation processor ($27) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon E3-1220L is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.
InsightCore i3-6006UXeon E3-1220L
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Better multi-core power
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($27)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Skylake (2015−2016) / 14 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i3-6006U ($0), however, is optimized for mixed workloads and gaming. For most users, it offers superior single-thread performance and responsiveness at a fraction of the cost ($27 less, 100% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.
InsightCore i3-6006UXeon E3-1220L
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($27)

Performance Check

Paired with RTX 4090

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 Core i3-6006U and Xeon E3-1220L

Intel

Core i3-6006U

The Core i3-6006U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 10 November 2016 (9 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 2 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1356. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 2,273 points. Launch price was $281.

Intel

Xeon E3-1220L

The Xeon E3-1220L is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 20 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,263 points. Launch price was $800.

Processing Power

Both the Core i3-6006U and Xeon E3-1220L share an identical 2-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2 GHz on the Core i3-6006U versus 3.4 GHz on the Xeon E3-1220L — a 51.9% clock advantage for the Xeon E3-1220L (base: 2 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Core i3-6006U uses the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon E3-1220L uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Core i3-6006U scores 2,273 against the Xeon E3-1220L's 2,263 — a 0.4% lead for the Core i3-6006U. L3 cache: 3 MB on the Core i3-6006U vs 3 MB (total) on the Xeon E3-1220L.

FeatureCore i3-6006UXeon E3-1220L
Cores / Threads
2 / 4
2 / 4
Boost Clock
2 GHz
3.4 GHz+70%
Base Clock
2 GHz
2.2 GHz+10%
L3 Cache
3 MB
3 MB (total)
L2 Cache
512 kB+100%
256 kB (per core)
Process
14 nm-56%
32 nm
Architecture
Skylake (2015−2016)
Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
PassMark
2,273
2,263
Cinebench R23 Multi
2,200
Geekbench 6 Single
630
Geekbench 6 Multi
1,313
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i3-6006U uses the BGA1356 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E3-1220L uses LGA1155 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureCore i3-6006UXeon E3-1220L
Socket
BGA1356
LGA1155
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0+50%
PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed
DDR4-2133
Max RAM Capacity
32 GB
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
12
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: Yes (Core i3-6006U) / not specified (Xeon E3-1220L). The Core i3-6006U includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 520), while the Xeon E3-1220L requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i3-6006U targets Mobile.

FeatureCore i3-6006UXeon E3-1220L
Integrated GPU
Yes
IGPU Model
HD Graphics 520
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
Yes
Target Use
Mobile