Core i7-3820QM vs Xeon E3-1280

CPU

GPU

Core i7-3820QM

4 Cores8 Thrd45 WWMax: 3.7 GHz2012

Xeon E3-1280

4 Cores8 Thrd95 WWMax: 3.9 GHz2011

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i7-3820QM

4 / 8

5,607

0.0%

5,612

+0.1%

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 i7-3820QM is positioned at rank 1075 and the Xeon E3-1280 is on rank 517, so the Xeon E3-1280 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 i7-3820QM

#1062

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

2874%

#1063

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

2832%

#1064

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

2599%

#1065

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

2588%

#1066

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

2564%

#1068

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

2476%

#1069

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

2374%

#1070

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

2370%

#1071

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

2307%

#1074

Celeron B730

MSRP: $70|Avg: $10

100%

#1075

Core i7-3820QM

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#1077

A9-9425

MSRP: $150|Avg: $30

99%

#1079

Core i5-4402E

MSRP: $266|Avg: $100

99%

#1080

A6-7000

MSRP: $100|Avg: $15

98%

#1082

Core i5-2520M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

98%

#1083

Core i7-2710QE

MSRP: $378|Avg: $40

97%

#1088

Core i5-3610ME

MSRP: $276|Avg: $22

94%

#1089

Core m3-7Y32

MSRP: $281|Avg: $281

94%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E3-1280

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

7406%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

1398%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

1242%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

960%

#318

EPYC 7343

MSRP: $1565|Avg: $1350

99%

#319

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5965WX

MSRP: $2399|Avg: $225

99%

#320

EPYC 7413

MSRP: $1825|Avg: $450

99%

#321

Xeon W-3335

MSRP: $1430|Avg: $1200

98%

#322

EPYC 9354P

MSRP: $2730|Avg: $2205

98%

#323

EPYC 9224

MSRP: $1825|Avg: $1199

95%

#324

Xeon Gold 6423N

MSRP: $2161|Avg: $2161

95%

#325

Xeon w7-3565X

MSRP: $2689|Avg: $2850

94%

#517

Xeon E3-1280

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

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 E3-1280 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Core i7-3820QM	Xeon E3-1280
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-3820QM ($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 i7-3820QM	Xeon E3-1280
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 i7-3820QM Benchmark Check

Xeon E3-1280 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-3820QM and Xeon E3-1280

Core i7-3820QM

The Core i7-3820QM 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 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 8 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: 5,607 points. Launch price was $498.

Xeon E3-1280

The Xeon E3-1280 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 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 5,612 points. Launch price was $450.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i7-3820QM and Xeon E3-1280 share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.7 GHz on the Core i7-3820QM versus 3.9 GHz on the Xeon E3-1280 — a 5.3% clock advantage for the Xeon E3-1280 (base: 2.7 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Core i7-3820QM uses the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture (22 nm), while the Xeon E3-1280 uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-3820QM scores 5,607 against the Xeon E3-1280's 5,612 — a 0.1% lead for the Xeon E3-1280. Both processors carry 8 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core i7-3820QM	Xeon E3-1280
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 8
Boost Clock	3.7 GHz	3.9 GHz+5%
Base Clock	2.7 GHz	3.5 GHz+30%
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)	8 MB (total)
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	5,607	5,612
Geekbench 6 Single	604	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-3820QM uses the PGA988 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E3-1280 uses LGA1155 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-3820QM	Xeon E3-1280
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, VT-d, EPT (Core i7-3820QM) / not specified (Xeon E3-1280). The Core i7-3820QM includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 4000), while the Xeon E3-1280 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-3820QM targets High Performance Laptop. Direct competitor: Core i7-3820QM rivals A10-4600M.