Core i5-3450S 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 i5-3450S is positioned at rank 685 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 i5-3450S

#1

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

12330%

#2

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

11651%

#3

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

8460%

#4

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

2549%

#5

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

2019%

#6

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

1766%

#7

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

1011%

#8

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

998%

#9

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

909%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

909%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

899%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

874%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

862%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

859%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

851%

#685

Core i5-3450S

MSRP: $174|Avg: $20

100%

#686

Core i7-5820K

MSRP: $389|Avg: $103

100%

#687

Core i3-4330

MSRP: $138|Avg: $60

100%

#689

Core i7-7700T

MSRP: $303|Avg: $75

98%

#690

Core i3-4150T

MSRP: $117|Avg: $30

98%

#691

Core i7-6800K

MSRP: $434|Avg: $120

98%

#692

Core i7-3770S

MSRP: $250|Avg: $250

98%

#693

Core i5-4670S

MSRP: $213|Avg: $30

98%

#694

Core i5-3550

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

97%

#695

Core i3-7300

MSRP: $184|Avg: $46

97%

#696

FX-4300

MSRP: $122|Avg: $25

97%

#697

Core i5-3450

MSRP: $184|Avg: $95

97%

#698

Celeron G550

MSRP: $52|Avg: $15

97%

#700

Core i3-4370T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $138

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 i5-3450S	Xeon E5-1603 v4
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 (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Legacy / Standard Node)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i5-3450S ($20), 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 ($20 less, Infinity% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Core i5-3450S	Xeon E5-1603 v4
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($20)	✅ 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 i5-3450S Benchmark Check

Xeon E5-1603 v4 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-3450S and Xeon E5-1603 v4

Core i5-3450S

The Core i5-3450S is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 29 April 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 6144 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 4,399 points. Launch price was $150.

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 i5-3450S is built on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. In PassMark, the Core i5-3450S scores 4,399 against the Xeon E5-1603 v4's 4,355 — a 1% lead for the Core i5-3450S.

Feature	Core i5-3450S	Xeon E5-1603 v4
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	—
Boost Clock	3.5 GHz	—
Base Clock	2.8 GHz	—
L3 Cache	6144 kB (total)	—
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	—
Process	22 nm	—
Architecture	Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)	—
PassMark	4,399+1%	4,355