Core i7-2657M vs Xeon E5-1603

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 i7-2657M is positioned at rank 268 and the Xeon E5-1603 is on rank 655, so the Core i7-2657M 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 i7-2657M

#73

Core i9-13950HX

MSRP: $590|Avg: $199

100%

#256

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

420%

#257

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

414%

#258

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

380%

#259

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

378%

#260

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

375%

#262

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

362%

#263

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

347%

#264

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

347%

#265

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

337%

#268

Core i7-2657M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#277

Core 2 Extreme X9100

MSRP: $851|Avg: N/A

98%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5-1603

#1

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

11937%

#6

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

2254%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

2002%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

1547%

#386

Xeon w9-3475X

MSRP: $3739|Avg: $3930

100%

#388

EPYC 9254

MSRP: $3761|Avg: $1099

98%

#389

Xeon Gold 5220R

MSRP: $1780|Avg: $1015

98%

#390

EPYC 9555P

MSRP: $7983|Avg: $6130

97%

#391

Xeon Gold 5218

MSRP: $1273|Avg: $500

97%

#392

EPYC 9374F

MSRP: $4850|Avg: $3466

97%

#393

Xeon Gold 6448Y

MSRP: $3583|Avg: N/A

97%

#394

EPYC 9454

MSRP: $5225|Avg: $576

97%

#655

Xeon E5-1603

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#669

Xeon E5645

MSRP: $294|Avg: N/A

97%

#670

Xeon X5672

MSRP: $300|Avg: $44

96%

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 E5-1603 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Core i7-2657M	Xeon E5-1603
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Legacy / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-2657M ($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.

Insight	Core i7-2657M	Xeon E5-1603
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.

Core i7-2657M Benchmark Check

Xeon E5-1603 Benchmark Check

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Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-2657M and Xeon E5-1603

Core i7-2657M

The Core i7-2657M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 January 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.6 GHz, with boost up to 2.7 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1023. Thermal design power (TDP): 17 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-1066, DDR3-1333. Passmark benchmark score: 3,491 points. Launch price was $317.

Xeon E5-1603

The Xeon E5-1603 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency: 2.8 GHz. L3 cache: 10 MB. Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-800, DDR3-1066. Passmark benchmark score: 3,482 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-2657M packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Xeon E5-1603 offers 4 cores / 4 threads — the Xeon E5-1603 has 2 more cores. The Core i7-2657M is built on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. In PassMark, the Core i7-2657M scores 3,491 against the Xeon E5-1603's 3,482 — a 0.3% lead for the Core i7-2657M. L3 cache: 4 MB on the Core i7-2657M vs 10 MB on the Xeon E5-1603.

Feature	Core i7-2657M	Xeon E5-1603
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	4 / 4+100%
Boost Clock	2.7 GHz	—
Base Clock	1.6 GHz	2.8 GHz+75%
L3 Cache	4 MB	10 MB+150%
L2 Cache	512 kB	—
Process	32 nm	32 nm
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	—
PassMark	3,491	3,482
Geekbench 6 Single	535	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-2657M uses the BGA1023 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Xeon E5-1603 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-2657M	Xeon E5-1603
Socket	BGA1023	LGA2011
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1333	—
Max RAM Capacity	8 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	❌	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i7-2657M) / not specified (Xeon E5-1603). The Core i7-2657M includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 3000), while the Xeon E5-1603 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-2657M targets Ultrabook. Direct competitor: Core i7-2657M rivals A6-3420M.