Core i5-6600 vs Xeon E3-1225 v2

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 i5-6600 is positioned at rank 641 and the Xeon E3-1225 v2 is on rank 480, so the Xeon E3-1225 v2 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 i5-6600

#1

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

11528%

#2

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

10893%

#3

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

7909%

#4

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

2383%

#5

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

1887%

#6

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

1651%

#7

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

946%

#8

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

933%

#9

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

850%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

850%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

840%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

818%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

806%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

803%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

796%

#387

Ryzen Embedded V1807B

MSRP: $300|Avg: $300

99%

#388

Ryzen Embedded R2312

MSRP: $150|Avg: $150

97%

#641

Core i5-6600

MSRP: $224|Avg: $90

100%

#642

Core i5-4460

MSRP: $182|Avg: $40

100%

#645

Core i3-4170T

MSRP: $117|Avg: $17

99%

#646

FX-8370E

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

99%

#647

Core i5-4590S

MSRP: $192|Avg: $45

99%

#648

Pentium G2020

MSRP: $64|Avg: $15

99%

#649

Pentium G3450

MSRP: $82|Avg: $25

98%

#650

Core i7-6700

MSRP: $303|Avg: $143

98%

#651

Athlon II X4 631

MSRP: $80|Avg: $15

98%

#652

Pentium G3240T

MSRP: $64|Avg: $15

98%

#653

Core i3-4160T

MSRP: $117|Avg: $18

98%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E3-1225 v2

#1

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

6909%

#6

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

1304%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

1159%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

895%

#303

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5975WX

MSRP: $2495|Avg: $2495

100%

#304

EPYC 7352

MSRP: $1350|Avg: $725

99%

#305

Xeon w7-2475X

MSRP: $1789|Avg: $2544

99%

#307

Xeon W-3323

MSRP: $949|Avg: $500

97%

#308

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3945WX

MSRP: $1149|Avg: $100

97%

#480

Xeon E3-1225 v2

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#492

Xeon W-2223

MSRP: $294|Avg: $330

97%

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 E3-1225 v2 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Core i5-6600	Xeon E3-1225 v2
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($90)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Skylake (2015−2016) / 14 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Legacy / Standard Node)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i5-6600 ($90), 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 ($90 less, Infinity% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Core i5-6600	Xeon E3-1225 v2
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($90)	✅ 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 i5-6600 Benchmark Check

Xeon E3-1225 v2 Benchmark Check

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Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-6600 and Xeon E3-1225 v2

Core i5-6600

The Core i5-6600 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 July 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 6,058 points. Launch price was $224.

Xeon E3-1225 v2

The Xeon E3-1225 v2 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. Passmark benchmark score: 6,015 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-6600 is built on the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture. In PassMark, the Core i5-6600 scores 6,058 against the Xeon E3-1225 v2's 6,015 — a 0.7% lead for the Core i5-6600.

Feature	Core i5-6600	Xeon E3-1225 v2
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	—
Boost Clock	3.9 GHz	—
Base Clock	3.3 GHz	—
L3 Cache	6 MB (total)	—
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	—
Process	14 nm	—
Architecture	Skylake (2015−2016)	—
PassMark	6,058	6,015