Core i5-7200U
VS
Xeon E5-4603

Core i5-7200U vs Xeon E5-4603

Intel

Core i5-7200U

2 Cores4 Thrd15 WWMax: 3.1 GHz2016
VS
Intel

Xeon E5-4603

4 Cores8 Thrd95 WWMax: 2 GHz2012

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 i5-7200U is positioned at rank 643 and the Xeon E5-4603 is on rank 670, so the Core i5-7200U 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 i5-7200U

#631
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
871%
#632
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
858%
#633
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
788%
#634
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
784%
#635
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
777%
#637
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
750%
#638
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
720%
#639
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
718%
#640
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
699%
#643
Core i5-7200U
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#650
Core i5-1345UE
MSRP: $312|Avg: $312
98%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5-4603

#1
Xeon Platinum 8454H
MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A
12378%
#6
Xeon Gold 6240R
MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A
2337%
#10
Xeon 6337P
MSRP: $60|Avg: $5
2076%
#15
EPYC 9174F
MSRP: $194|Avg: $30
1604%
#395
Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5945WX
MSRP: $2399|Avg: $1000
100%
#396
Xeon Platinum 8461V
MSRP: $4491|Avg: $4491
99%
#397
Xeon W-3235
MSRP: $1538|Avg: $1538
99%
#398
Xeon w9-3595X
MSRP: $5889|Avg: $6000
99%
#399
Xeon W-3365
MSRP: $3499|Avg: $3499
98%
#400
EPYC 7713P
MSRP: $5010|Avg: $2443
97%
#670
Xeon E5-4603
MSRP: $202|Avg: $80
100%
#671
Xeon X5672
MSRP: $300|Avg: $44
100%
#674
Xeon E3-1265L v4
MSRP: $417|Avg: $80
99%
#677
Xeon E5-1607 v2
MSRP: $250|Avg: $68
99%
#678
Xeon W5590
MSRP: $202|Avg: $30
99%
#683
Xeon E5-1603 v3
MSRP: $273|Avg: $40
97%
#684
Xeon E3-1270
MSRP: $330|Avg: $178
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 ($80) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon E5-4603 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.
InsightCore i5-7200UXeon E5-4603
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($80)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Kaby Lake (2016−2019) / 14 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge-EP (2012) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i5-7200U ($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 ($80 less, 100% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.
InsightCore i5-7200UXeon E5-4603
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($80)

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 i5-7200U and Xeon E5-4603

Intel

Core i5-7200U

The Core i5-7200U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 30 August 2016 (9 years ago). It is based on the Kaby Lake (2016−2019) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.1 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1356. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 3,369 points. Launch price was $281.

Intel

Xeon E5-4603

The Xeon E5-4603 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 14 May 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge-EP (2012) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 2 GHz. L3 cache: 10240 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,391 points. Launch price was $712.

Processing Power

The Core i5-7200U packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Xeon E5-4603 offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Xeon E5-4603 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.1 GHz on the Core i5-7200U versus 2 GHz on the Xeon E5-4603 — a 43.1% clock advantage for the Core i5-7200U (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Core i5-7200U uses the Kaby Lake (2016−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon E5-4603 uses Sandy Bridge-EP (2012) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-7200U scores 3,369 against the Xeon E5-4603's 3,391 — a 0.7% lead for the Xeon E5-4603. L3 cache: 3 MB on the Core i5-7200U vs 10240 kB (total) on the Xeon E5-4603.

FeatureCore i5-7200UXeon E5-4603
Cores / Threads
2 / 4
4 / 8+100%
Boost Clock
3.1 GHz+55%
2 GHz
Base Clock
2.5 GHz+25%
2 GHz
L3 Cache
3 MB
10240 kB (total)+233%
L2 Cache
512 kB+100%
256 kB (per core)
Process
14 nm-56%
32 nm
Architecture
Kaby Lake (2016−2019)
Sandy Bridge-EP (2012)
PassMark
3,369
3,391
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-7200U uses the BGA1356 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E5-4603 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureCore i5-7200UXeon E5-4603
Socket
BGA1356
LGA2011
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0+50%
PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed
DDR4-2133
Max RAM Capacity
32 GB
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
12
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-7200U) / not specified (Xeon E5-4603). The Core i5-7200U includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 620), while the Xeon E5-4603 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-7200U targets Mobile.

FeatureCore i5-7200UXeon E5-4603
Integrated GPU
Yes
IGPU Model
HD Graphics 620
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
VT-x, VT-d
Target Use
Mobile