Core i3-6300 vs Xeon E5-1603 v4

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 i3-6300 is positioned at rank 603 and the Xeon E5-1603 v4 is on rank 599, so the Xeon E5-1603 v4 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 i3-6300

#1

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

10581%

#2

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

9998%

#3

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

7259%

#4

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

2187%

#5

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

1732%

#6

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

1515%

#7

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

868%

#8

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

857%

#9

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

780%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

780%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

771%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

750%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

740%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

737%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

730%

#279

Ryzen Threadripper 1920X

MSRP: $799|Avg: $265

98%

#280

Core i7-7820X

MSRP: $599|Avg: $198

97%

#383

Ryzen Threadripper 9980X

MSRP: $4999|Avg: $4999

96%

#603

Core i3-6300

MSRP: $147|Avg: $99

100%

#604

Core i5-6402P

MSRP: $182|Avg: $120

100%

#605

Athlon II X4 620e

MSRP: $99|Avg: $40

100%

#606

Core i5-7600

MSRP: $224|Avg: $114

100%

#608

FX-9590

MSRP: $350|Avg: $100

99%

#611

Athlon X4 750

MSRP: $95|Avg: $95

98%

#613

A6-3600

MSRP: $95|Avg: $25

97%

#614

Core i7-7740X

MSRP: $339|Avg: $150

97%

#615

Core i3-4130

MSRP: $117|Avg: $55

97%

#617

Pentium G3250T

MSRP: $64|Avg: $30

96%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5-1603 v4

#1

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

9542%

#6

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

1802%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

1601%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

1237%

#357

Xeon w9-3575X

MSRP: $3789|Avg: $675

100%

#358

Xeon w7-3465X

MSRP: $2889|Avg: $468

100%

#359

EPYC 9354

MSRP: $3420|Avg: $2498

99%

#359

Xeon Gold 6530

MSRP: $2128|Avg: $1846

99%

#361

Xeon Silver 4114

MSRP: $612|Avg: $30

98%

#362

EPYC 7532

MSRP: $2380|Avg: $225

98%

#363

Xeon W-2191B

MSRP: $1333|Avg: $39

98%

#364

Xeon Gold 5320

MSRP: $1780|Avg: $1834

97%

#365

EPYC 7513

MSRP: $2840|Avg: $389

97%

#599

Xeon E5-1603 v4

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#604

Xeon E3-1270 v3

MSRP: $339|Avg: $410

98%

#606

Xeon E3-1235

MSRP: $240|Avg: $270

98%

#609

Xeon E3-1265L v3

MSRP: $294|Avg: $398

97%

#611

Xeon E3-1280 v2

MSRP: $315|Avg: $50

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 ($0) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon E5-1603 v4 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Core i3-6300	Xeon E5-1603 v4
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($99)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Skylake (2015−2016) / 14 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Legacy / Standard Node)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i3-6300 ($99), 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 ($99 less, Infinity% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Core i3-6300	Xeon E5-1603 v4
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($99)	✅ More affordable ($0)

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.

Core i3-6300 Benchmark Check

Xeon E5-1603 v4 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i3-6300 and Xeon E5-1603 v4

Core i3-6300

The Core i3-6300 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 51 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 4,331 points. Launch price was $147.

Xeon E5-1603 v4

The Xeon E5-1603 v4 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. Passmark benchmark score: 4,355 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i3-6300 is built on the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture. In PassMark, the Core i3-6300 scores 4,331 against the Xeon E5-1603 v4's 4,355 — a 0.6% lead for the Xeon E5-1603 v4.

Feature	Core i3-6300	Xeon E5-1603 v4
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	—
Boost Clock	3.8 GHz	—
Base Clock	3.8 GHz	—
L3 Cache	4 MB (total)	—
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	—
Process	14 nm	—
Architecture	Skylake (2015−2016)	—
PassMark	4,331	4,355