Core i5-4210U vs Xeon E5-2603

Core i5-4210U

2 Cores4 Thrd512 WWMax: 2.7 GHz2014

Xeon E5-2603

4 Cores4 Thrd80 WWMax: 1.8 GHz2012

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i5-4210U

2 / 4

2,316

0.0%

2,325

+0.4%

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 i5-4210U is positioned at rank 214 and the Xeon E5-2603 is on rank 825, so the Core i5-4210U 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 i5-4210U

#57

Ryzen AI 9 365

MSRP: $400|Avg: $400

98%

#202

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

380%

#203

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

374%

#204

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

344%

#205

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

342%

#206

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

339%

#208

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

327%

#209

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

314%

#210

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

313%

#211

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

305%

#214

Core i5-4210U

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5-2603

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

17870%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

3374%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

2998%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

2316%

#469

EPYC 9554

MSRP: $9087|Avg: $2795

99%

#470

Xeon Gold 6338T

MSRP: $3139|Avg: $1795

98%

#471

Xeon E5-2650 v4

MSRP: $1166|Avg: $45

98%

#472

EPYC 9845

MSRP: $13564|Avg: $8670

97%

#473

EPYC 7F32

MSRP: $2100|Avg: $179

95%

#474

EPYC 9654P

MSRP: $10625|Avg: $5345

94%

#475

EPYC 9965

MSRP: $14813|Avg: $10000

93%

#825

Xeon E5-2603

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#827

Xeon W3565

MSRP: $294|Avg: $69

99%

#837

Xeon W3550

MSRP: $294|Avg: $30

95%

#839

Xeon E5-2450

MSRP: $694|Avg: $795

93%

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 E5-2603 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Core i5-4210U	Xeon E5-2603
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge-EP (2012) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i5-4210U ($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 ($0 less, NaN% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Core i5-4210U	Xeon E5-2603
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing

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 i5-4210U Benchmark Check

Xeon E5-2603 Benchmark Check

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-4210U and Xeon E5-2603

Core i5-4210U

The Core i5-4210U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 14 April 2014 (11 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.7 GHz, with boost up to 2.7 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1168. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,316 points. Launch price was $281.

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 Core i5-4210U packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Xeon E5-2603 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Xeon E5-2603 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.7 GHz on the Core i5-4210U versus 1.8 GHz on the Xeon E5-2603 — a 40% clock advantage for the Core i5-4210U (base: 1.7 GHz vs 1.8 GHz). The Core i5-4210U uses the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Xeon E5-2603 uses Sandy Bridge-EP (2012) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-4210U scores 2,316 against the Xeon E5-2603's 2,325 — a 0.4% lead for the Xeon E5-2603. L3 cache: 3 MB (total) on the Core i5-4210U vs 10240 kB (total) on the Xeon E5-2603.

Feature	Core i5-4210U	Xeon E5-2603
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	2.7 GHz+50%	1.8 GHz
Base Clock	1.7 GHz	1.8 GHz+6%
L3 Cache	3 MB (total)	10240 kB (total)+233%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256 kB (per core)
Process	22 nm-31%	32 nm
Architecture	Haswell (2013−2015)	Sandy Bridge-EP (2012)
PassMark	2,316	2,325
Geekbench 6 Single	763	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-4210U uses the FCBGA1168 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E5-2603 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i5-4210U	Xeon E5-2603
Socket	FCBGA1168	LGA2011
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0+50%	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR3L-1600	—
Max RAM Capacity	16 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	❌	—
PCIe Lanes	12	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, EPT (Core i5-4210U) / not specified (Xeon E5-2603). The Core i5-4210U includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 4400), while the Xeon E5-2603 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-4210U targets Thin & Light Laptop. Direct competitor: Core i5-4210U rivals A8-6410.