Core i7-3612QE
VS
Xeon E5-1607 v3

Core i7-3612QE vs Xeon E5-1607 v3

Intel

Core i7-3612QE

4 Cores8 Thrd35 WWMax: 3.1 GHz2012
VS
Intel

Xeon E5-1607 v3

4 Cores4 Thrd140 WWMax: 3.1 GHz2014

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 i7-3612QE is positioned at rank 1042 and the Xeon E5-1607 v3 is on rank 561, so the Xeon E5-1607 v3 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 i7-3612QE

#1029
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
2536%
#1030
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
2499%
#1031
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
2294%
#1032
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
2283%
#1033
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
2263%
#1035
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
2185%
#1036
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
2095%
#1037
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
2092%
#1038
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
2035%
#1041
A10-7300
MSRP: $150|Avg: $50
100%
#1042
Core i7-3612QE
MSRP: $426|Avg: $50
100%
#1043
Pentium Dual Core T4200
MSRP: $100|Avg: $10
99%
#1044
A6 Micro-6500T
MSRP: $100|Avg: $15
99%
#1045
Pentium N3520
MSRP: $100|Avg: $10
99%
#1046
E2-3800
MSRP: $100|Avg: $20
98%
#1047
Athlon X2 QL-66
MSRP: $150|Avg: $5
98%
#1048
Athlon II Neo K145
MSRP: $50|Avg: $10
98%
#1049
Celeron P4600
MSRP: $86|Avg: $15
97%
#1050
Core 2 Duo U7500
MSRP: $100|Avg: $10
96%
#1051
Pentium 987
MSRP: $134|Avg: $20
96%
#1052
Core i7-4910MQ
MSRP: $570|Avg: $570
96%
#1053
Pentium T4400
MSRP: $107|Avg: $5
95%
#1055
Athlon X2 QL-65
MSRP: $150|Avg: $22
94%
#1056
Pentium J2850
MSRP: $94|Avg: $94
93%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5-1607 v3

#1
Xeon Platinum 8454H
MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A
8428%
#6
Xeon Gold 6240R
MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A
1591%
#10
Xeon 6337P
MSRP: $60|Avg: $5
1414%
#15
EPYC 9174F
MSRP: $194|Avg: $30
1092%
#339
Xeon w7-3555
MSRP: $2749|Avg: $2199
100%
#340
Xeon w7-3445
MSRP: $1989|Avg: $2596
100%
#341
EPYC 9275F
MSRP: $3439|Avg: $3439
100%
#342
Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7975WX
MSRP: $3899|Avg: $3971.7
100%
#343
EPYC 7543P
MSRP: $2730|Avg: $115
99%
#344
EPYC 9455P
MSRP: $4819|Avg: $4366
98%
#345
EPYC 9274F
MSRP: $3060|Avg: $2490
98%
#346
Xeon Gold 6438Y+
MSRP: $2607|Avg: $389
97%
#561
Xeon E5-1607 v3
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#573
Xeon E7450
MSRP: $417|Avg: $80
97%
#575
Xeon E3-1225 v3
MSRP: $224|Avg: $29
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 E5-1607 v3 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.
InsightCore i7-3612QEXeon E5-1607 v3
Gaming
Superior gaming performance
Lower gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
⚠️ Higher cost ($50)
More affordable ($0)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Haswell-EP (2014−2015) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-3612QE ($50), 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 ($50 less, Infinity% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.
InsightCore i7-3612QEXeon E5-1607 v3
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
⚠️ Higher cost ($50)
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 i7-3612QE and Xeon E5-1607 v3

Intel

Core i7-3612QE

The Core i7-3612QE is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 29 April 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.1 GHz. L3 cache: 6144 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1023. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: unknown Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 4,929 points. Launch price was $69.

Intel

Xeon E5-1607 v3

The Xeon E5-1607 v3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.1 GHz. L3 cache: 10 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011-3. Thermal design power (TDP): 140 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1333, DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866. Passmark benchmark score: 4,932 points. Launch price was $800.

Processing Power

The Core i7-3612QE packs 4 cores / 8 threads, matching the Xeon E5-1607 v3's 4 cores. Boost clocks reach 3.1 GHz on the Core i7-3612QE versus 3.1 GHz on the Xeon E5-1607 v3 — identical boost frequencies (base: 2.1 GHz vs 3.1 GHz). The Core i7-3612QE uses the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture (22 nm), while the Xeon E5-1607 v3 uses Haswell-EP (2014−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-3612QE scores 4,929 against the Xeon E5-1607 v3's 4,932 — a 0.1% lead for the Xeon E5-1607 v3. L3 cache: 6144 kB (total) on the Core i7-3612QE vs 10 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-1607 v3.

FeatureCore i7-3612QEXeon E5-1607 v3
Cores / Threads
4 / 8
4 / 4
Boost Clock
3.1 GHz
3.1 GHz
Base Clock
2.1 GHz
3.1 GHz+48%
L3 Cache
6144 kB (total)
10 MB (total)+67%
L2 Cache
256 kB (per core)
256K (per core)
Process
22 nm
22 nm
Architecture
Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)
Haswell-EP (2014−2015)
PassMark
4,929
4,932
Geekbench 6 Single
640
Geekbench 6 Multi
2,200
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-3612QE uses the BGA1023 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E5-1607 v3 uses LGA2011-3 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureCore i7-3612QEXeon E5-1607 v3
Socket
BGA1023
LGA2011-3
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0
PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed
DDR3-1600
Max RAM Capacity
16 GB
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
16
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-3612QE) / not specified (Xeon E5-1607 v3). The Core i7-3612QE includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics 4000), while the Xeon E5-1607 v3 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-3612QE targets Industrial/Embedded.

FeatureCore i7-3612QEXeon E5-1607 v3
Integrated GPU
Yes
IGPU Model
Intel HD Graphics 4000
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
VT-x, VT-d
Target Use
Industrial/Embedded