Core i5-6440HQ
VS
Xeon E3-1235L v5

Core i5-6440HQ vs Xeon E3-1235L v5

Intel

Core i5-6440HQ

4 Cores4 Thrd45 WWMax: 3.5 GHz2015
VS
Intel

Xeon E3-1235L v5

4 Cores4 Thrd25 WWMax: 3 GHz2015

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 i5-6440HQ is positioned at rank 879 and the Xeon E3-1235L v5 is on rank 555, so the Xeon E3-1235L v5 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 i5-6440HQ

#867
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
1461%
#868
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
1440%
#869
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
1322%
#870
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
1316%
#871
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
1304%
#873
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
1259%
#874
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
1207%
#875
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
1205%
#876
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
1173%
#879
Core i5-6440HQ
MSRP: $250|Avg: N/A
100%
#882
Celeron Dual-Core T1600
MSRP: $150|Avg: $150
100%
#884
Athlon II N330
MSRP: $100|Avg: $50
100%
#889
Core i7-7820EQ
MSRP: $378|Avg: $378
98%
#890
Celeron 7305
MSRP: $128|Avg: $107
98%
#891
E-300
MSRP: $60|Avg: $20
98%
#892
Core i7-7820HK
MSRP: $378|Avg: N/A
97%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E3-1235L v5

#1
Xeon Platinum 8454H
MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A
8290%
#6
Xeon Gold 6240R
MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A
1565%
#10
Xeon 6337P
MSRP: $60|Avg: $5
1391%
#15
EPYC 9174F
MSRP: $194|Avg: $30
1074%
#335
Xeon Gold 6430
MSRP: $2128|Avg: $1850
99%
#336
Xeon Gold 6421N
MSRP: $2368|Avg: $2427
99%
#337
EPYC 7F72
MSRP: $2131|Avg: $2131
99%
#338
Xeon W-2265
MSRP: $1039|Avg: $663
99%
#339
Xeon w7-3555
MSRP: $2749|Avg: $2199
98%
#340
Xeon w7-3445
MSRP: $1989|Avg: $2596
98%
#341
EPYC 9275F
MSRP: $3439|Avg: $3439
98%
#342
Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7975WX
MSRP: $3899|Avg: $3971.7
98%
#343
EPYC 7543P
MSRP: $2730|Avg: $115
97%
#344
EPYC 9455P
MSRP: $4819|Avg: $4366
97%
#345
EPYC 9274F
MSRP: $3060|Avg: $2490
96%
#346
Xeon Gold 6438Y+
MSRP: $2607|Avg: $389
96%
#555
Xeon E3-1235L v5
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
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 E3-1235L v5 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.
InsightCore i5-6440HQXeon E3-1235L v5
Gaming
Superior gaming performance
Lower gaming performance
Workstation
Better multi-core power
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price
⚠️ Higher cost ($250)
More affordable ($0)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Skylake (2015−2016) / 14 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Skylake-DT (2015) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i5-6440HQ ($250), 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 ($250 less, Infinity% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.
InsightCore i5-6440HQXeon E3-1235L v5
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
⚠️ Higher cost ($250)
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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-6440HQ and Xeon E3-1235L v5

Intel

Core i5-6440HQ

The Core i5-6440HQ 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 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1440. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 5,021 points. Launch price was $250.

Intel

Xeon E3-1235L v5

The Xeon E3-1235L v5 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 19 October 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Skylake-DT (2015) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 25 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1866/2133, DDR3L-1333/1600. Passmark benchmark score: 5,013 points. Launch price was $250.

Processing Power

Both the Core i5-6440HQ and Xeon E3-1235L v5 share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.5 GHz on the Core i5-6440HQ versus 3 GHz on the Xeon E3-1235L v5 — a 15.4% clock advantage for the Core i5-6440HQ (base: 2.6 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Core i5-6440HQ uses the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon E3-1235L v5 uses Skylake-DT (2015) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-6440HQ scores 5,021 against the Xeon E3-1235L v5's 5,013 — a 0.2% lead for the Core i5-6440HQ. L3 cache: 6 MB on the Core i5-6440HQ vs 8 MB (total) on the Xeon E3-1235L v5.

FeatureCore i5-6440HQXeon E3-1235L v5
Cores / Threads
4 / 4
4 / 4
Boost Clock
3.5 GHz+17%
3 GHz
Base Clock
2.6 GHz+30%
2 GHz
L3 Cache
6 MB
8 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache
1 MB+300%
256 kB (per core)
Process
14 nm
14 nm
Architecture
Skylake (2015−2016)
Skylake-DT (2015)
PassMark
5,021
5,013
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-6440HQ uses the BGA1440 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E3-1235L v5 uses LGA1151 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureCore i5-6440HQXeon E3-1235L v5
Socket
BGA1440
LGA1151
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0
PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed
DDR4-2133
Max RAM Capacity
64 GB
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
16
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-6440HQ) / not specified (Xeon E3-1235L v5). The Core i5-6440HQ includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 530), while the Xeon E3-1235L v5 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-6440HQ targets Mobile.

FeatureCore i5-6440HQXeon E3-1235L v5
Integrated GPU
Yes
IGPU Model
HD Graphics 530
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
VT-x, VT-d
Target Use
Mobile