Core i5-4260U
VS
Xeon X3430

Core i5-4260U vs Xeon X3430

Intel

Core i5-4260U

2 Cores4 Thrd512 WWMax: 2.7 GHz2014
VS
Intel

Xeon X3430

4 Cores4 Thrd95 WWMax: 2.8 GHz2009

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 i5-4260U is positioned at rank 296 and the Xeon X3430 is on rank 826, so the Core i5-4260U 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 i5-4260U

#86
Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 370
MSRP: $500|Avg: $500
99%
#284
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
444%
#285
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
438%
#286
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
402%
#287
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
400%
#288
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
396%
#290
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
383%
#291
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
367%
#292
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
367%
#293
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
357%
#296
Core i5-4260U
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon X3430

#1
Xeon Platinum 8454H
MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A
17916%
#6
Xeon Gold 6240R
MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A
3383%
#10
Xeon 6337P
MSRP: $60|Avg: $5
3005%
#15
EPYC 9174F
MSRP: $194|Avg: $30
2322%
#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
94%
#826
Xeon X3430
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
94%
#841
Xeon E5-2630L v2
MSRP: $612|Avg: $149
94%
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 X3430 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.
InsightCore i5-4260UXeon X3430
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 (Lynnfield (2009−2010) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i5-4260U ($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.
InsightCore i5-4260UXeon X3430
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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-4260U and Xeon X3430

Intel

Core i5-4260U

The Core i5-4260U 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 1.4 GHz, with boost up to 2.7 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1168. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,311 points. Launch price was $325.

Intel

Xeon X3430

The Xeon X3430 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 8 September 2009 (16 years ago). It is based on the Lynnfield (2009−2010) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 2.8 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1156. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-800, DDR3-1066, DDR3-1333. Passmark benchmark score: 2,320 points. Launch price was $189.

Processing Power

The Core i5-4260U packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Xeon X3430 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Xeon X3430 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.7 GHz on the Core i5-4260U versus 2.8 GHz on the Xeon X3430 — a 3.6% clock advantage for the Xeon X3430 (base: 1.4 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Core i5-4260U uses the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Xeon X3430 uses Lynnfield (2009−2010) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-4260U scores 2,311 against the Xeon X3430's 2,320 — a 0.4% lead for the Xeon X3430. L3 cache: 3 MB on the Core i5-4260U vs 8 MB (total) on the Xeon X3430.

FeatureCore i5-4260UXeon X3430
Cores / Threads
2 / 4
4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock
2.7 GHz
2.8 GHz+4%
Base Clock
1.4 GHz
2.4 GHz+71%
L3 Cache
3 MB
8 MB (total)+167%
L2 Cache
512 kB+100%
256 kB (per core)
Process
22 nm-51%
45 nm
Architecture
Haswell (2013−2015)
Lynnfield (2009−2010)
PassMark
2,311
2,320
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-4260U uses the FCBGA1168 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon X3430 uses LGA1156 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureCore i5-4260UXeon X3430
Socket
FCBGA1168
LGA1156
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0+50%
PCIe 2.0