Core i5-7300HQ
VS
Xeon Platinum 8260L

Core i5-7300HQ vs Xeon Platinum 8260L

Intel

Core i5-7300HQ

4 Cores4 Thrd45 WWMax: 3.5 GHz2017
VS
Intel

Xeon Platinum 8260L

24 Cores48 Thrd165 WWMax: 3.9 GHz2019

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 i5-7300HQ is positioned at rank 698 and the Xeon Platinum 8260L is on rank 1030, so the Core i5-7300HQ 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 i5-7300HQ

#686
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
983%
#687
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
968%
#688
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
889%
#689
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
885%
#690
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
877%
#692
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
847%
#693
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
812%
#694
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
810%
#695
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
789%
#698
Core i5-7300HQ
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#699
Athlon Silver 3050e
MSRP: $100|Avg: $60
100%
#705
C-60
MSRP: $50|Avg: $20
99%
#712
Core i7-10850H
MSRP: $395|Avg: N/A
98%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon Platinum 8260L

#1
Xeon Platinum 8454H
MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A
305622%
#6
Xeon Gold 6240R
MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A
57704%
#10
Xeon 6337P
MSRP: $60|Avg: $5
51268%
#15
EPYC 9174F
MSRP: $194|Avg: $30
39606%
#1030
Xeon Platinum 8260L
MSRP: $7500|Avg: $750
100%
#1031
Xeon 3.20
MSRP: $851|Avg: $10
100%
#1032
Xeon X5355
MSRP: $4491|Avg: $4000
66%
#1033
Xeon E5420
MSRP: $7214|Avg: $6500
41%
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 ($750) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon Platinum 8260L is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.
InsightCore i5-7300HQXeon Platinum 8260L
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($750)
Longevity
✨ Modern (Kaby Lake-H (2017) / 14 nm)
✨ Modern (Cascade Lake (2019−2020) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i5-7300HQ ($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 ($750 less, 100% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.
InsightCore i5-7300HQXeon Platinum 8260L
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($750)

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 i5-7300HQ and Xeon Platinum 8260L

Intel

Core i5-7300HQ

The Core i5-7300HQ is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 January 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Kaby Lake-H (2017) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1440. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 5,077 points. Launch price was $250.

Intel

Xeon Platinum 8260L

The Xeon Platinum 8260L is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 April 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Cascade Lake (2019−2020) architecture. It features 24 cores and 48 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 35.75 MB. L2 cache: 24 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 165 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 5,103 points. Launch price was $12,599.

Processing Power

The Core i5-7300HQ packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Xeon Platinum 8260L offers 24 cores / 48 threads — the Xeon Platinum 8260L has 20 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.5 GHz on the Core i5-7300HQ versus 3.9 GHz on the Xeon Platinum 8260L — a 10.8% clock advantage for the Xeon Platinum 8260L (base: 2.5 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Core i5-7300HQ uses the Kaby Lake-H (2017) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon Platinum 8260L uses Cascade Lake (2019−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-7300HQ scores 5,077 against the Xeon Platinum 8260L's 5,103 — a 0.5% lead for the Xeon Platinum 8260L. L3 cache: 6 MB (total) on the Core i5-7300HQ vs 35.75 MB on the Xeon Platinum 8260L.

FeatureCore i5-7300HQXeon Platinum 8260L
Cores / Threads
4 / 4
24 / 48+500%
Boost Clock
3.5 GHz
3.9 GHz+11%
Base Clock
2.5 GHz+4%
2.4 GHz
L3 Cache
6 MB (total)
35.75 MB+496%
L2 Cache
256K (per core)
24 MB+9500%
Process
14 nm
14 nm
Architecture
Kaby Lake-H (2017)
Cascade Lake (2019−2020)
PassMark
5,077
5,103
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-7300HQ uses the BGA1440 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon Platinum 8260L uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2400 on the Core i5-7300HQ versus 2933 on the Xeon Platinum 8260L — the Xeon Platinum 8260L supports 199.5% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon Platinum 8260L supports up to 4608 of RAM compared to 64 GB 194.5% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i5-7300HQ) vs 6 (Xeon Platinum 8260L). PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i5-7300HQ) vs 48 (Xeon Platinum 8260L) — the Xeon Platinum 8260L offers 32 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

FeatureCore i5-7300HQXeon Platinum 8260L
Socket
BGA1440
LGA3647
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0
PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed
DDR4-2400
2933+73225%
Max RAM Capacity
64 GB+1456256%
4608
RAM Channels
2
6+200%
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
16
48+200%
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-7300HQ) vs true (Xeon Platinum 8260L). The Core i5-7300HQ includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 630), while the Xeon Platinum 8260L requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-7300HQ targets Mobile.

FeatureCore i5-7300HQXeon Platinum 8260L
Integrated GPU
Yes
No
IGPU Model
HD Graphics 630
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
VT-x, VT-d
true
Target Use
Mobile