Core i7-3630QM vs Xeon E3-1230

Core i7-3630QM

4 Cores8 Thrd45 WWMax: 3.4 GHz2012

Xeon E3-1230

4 Cores8 Thrd80 WWMax: 3.6 GHz2011

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i7-3630QM

4 / 8

5,136

0.0%

5,144

+0.2%

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 i7-3630QM is positioned at rank 1007 and the Xeon E3-1230 is on rank 542, so the Xeon E3-1230 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 i7-3630QM

#995

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

2159%

#996

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

2127%

#997

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

1953%

#998

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

1944%

#999

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

1926%

#1001

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

1860%

#1002

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

1784%

#1003

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

1781%

#1004

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

1733%

#1007

Core i7-3630QM

MSRP: $378|Avg: N/A

100%

#1008

Core i7-3610QM

MSRP: $378|Avg: N/A

100%

#1009

Pentium A1020

MSRP: $86|Avg: $86

100%

#1010

Core i3-1115GRE

MSRP: $338|Avg: $480

100%

#1011

Core i7-4702MQ

MSRP: $383|Avg: $50

100%

#1012

Pentium N4200

MSRP: $161|Avg: $30.89

99%

#1013

Pentium J2900

MSRP: $94|Avg: $20

98%

#1014

Celeron T1700

MSRP: $80|Avg: $5

97%

#1015

Celeron T3500

MSRP: $80|Avg: $10

97%

#1016

A12-9720P

MSRP: $200|Avg: $25

96%

#1017

Core i5-4300M

MSRP: $227|Avg: N/A

96%

#1018

Celeron 1005M

MSRP: $86|Avg: N/A

96%

#1019

Athlon 64 X2 TK-42

MSRP: $60|Avg: $10

95%

#1020

Athlon Neo MV-40

MSRP: $100|Avg: $5

94%

#1021

Core i7-4860EQ

MSRP: $434|Avg: $80

93%

#1022

Pentium SU2700

MSRP: $100|Avg: $10

93%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E3-1230

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

8080%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

1526%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

1355%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

1047%

#332

Xeon W-2235

MSRP: $555|Avg: $350

100%

#333

Xeon Gold 5317

MSRP: $1088|Avg: $1100

98%

#334

Xeon W-2275

MSRP: $1112|Avg: $500

98%

#335

Xeon Gold 6430

MSRP: $2128|Avg: $1850

97%

#542

Xeon E3-1230

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#543

Xeon W3670

MSRP: $250|Avg: $250

100%

#547

Xeon E3-1240 v2

MSRP: $250|Avg: $150

99%

#548

Xeon E3-1220 v3

MSRP: $203|Avg: $89

99%

#551

Xeon W-2102

MSRP: $202|Avg: $286

98%

#553

Xeon E3-1265L v2

MSRP: $265|Avg: N/A

98%

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 E3-1230 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Core i7-3630QM	Xeon E3-1230
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($378)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-3630QM ($378), 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 ($378 less, Infinity% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Core i7-3630QM	Xeon E3-1230
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($378)	✅ 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 i7-3630QM Benchmark Check

Xeon E3-1230 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-3630QM and Xeon E3-1230

Core i7-3630QM

The Core i7-3630QM is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: PGA988. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 5,136 points. Launch price was $284.

Xeon E3-1230

The Xeon E3-1230 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 April 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 80 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 5,144 points. Launch price was $428.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i7-3630QM and Xeon E3-1230 share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.4 GHz on the Core i7-3630QM versus 3.6 GHz on the Xeon E3-1230 — a 5.7% clock advantage for the Xeon E3-1230 (base: 2.4 GHz vs 3.2 GHz). The Core i7-3630QM uses the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture (22 nm), while the Xeon E3-1230 uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-3630QM scores 5,136 against the Xeon E3-1230's 5,144 — a 0.2% lead for the Xeon E3-1230. L3 cache: 6 MB (total) on the Core i7-3630QM vs 8 MB (total) on the Xeon E3-1230.

Feature	Core i7-3630QM	Xeon E3-1230
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 8
Boost Clock	3.4 GHz	3.6 GHz+6%
Base Clock	2.4 GHz	3.2 GHz+33%
L3 Cache	6 MB (total)	8 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256 kB (per core)
Process	22 nm-31%	32 nm
Architecture	Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
PassMark	5,136	5,144
Geekbench 6 Single	600	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	2,000	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-3630QM uses the PGA988 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E3-1230 uses LGA1155 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-3630QM	Xeon E3-1230
Socket	PGA988	LGA1155
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0+50%	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1600	—
Max RAM Capacity	32 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	❌	—
PCIe Lanes	16	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x (Core i7-3630QM) / not specified (Xeon E3-1230). The Core i7-3630QM includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics 4000), while the Xeon E3-1230 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-3630QM targets Mainstream Laptop. Direct competitor: Core i7-3630QM rivals AMD A10-5750M.