Core i7-3940XM
VS
Xeon E3-1225 v5

Core i7-3940XM vs Xeon E3-1225 v5

Intel

Core i7-3940XM

4 Cores8 Thrd55 WWMax: 3.9 GHz2012
VS
Intel

Xeon E3-1225 v5

4 Cores4 Thrd80 WWMax: 3.7 GHz2015

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 i7-3940XM is positioned at rank 936 and the Xeon E3-1225 v5 is on rank 485, so the Xeon E3-1225 v5 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 i7-3940XM

#924
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
1694%
#925
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
1669%
#926
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
1532%
#927
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
1525%
#928
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
1511%
#930
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
1460%
#931
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
1400%
#932
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
1397%
#933
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
1360%
#936
Core i7-3940XM
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#939
FX-7600P
MSRP: $150|Avg: $45
98%
#940
Athlon II M300
MSRP: $100|Avg: $10
98%
#944
Athlon Neo X2 L335
MSRP: $80|Avg: $15
96%
#945
Core i7-3610QE
MSRP: $315|Avg: $105
96%
#948
A8-8600P
MSRP: $150|Avg: $30
95%
#950
FX-9800P
MSRP: $150|Avg: $45
95%
#951
Celeron 1020E
MSRP: $86|Avg: $20
94%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E3-1225 v5

#1
Xeon Platinum 8454H
MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A
6981%
#6
Xeon Gold 6240R
MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A
1318%
#10
Xeon 6337P
MSRP: $60|Avg: $5
1171%
#15
EPYC 9174F
MSRP: $194|Avg: $30
905%
#305
Xeon w7-2475X
MSRP: $1789|Avg: $2544
100%
#307
Xeon W-3323
MSRP: $949|Avg: $500
98%
#308
Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3945WX
MSRP: $1149|Avg: $100
98%
#309
Xeon W-2255
MSRP: $778|Avg: $350
97%
#310
Xeon Silver 4316
MSRP: $1126|Avg: $1200
97%
#485
Xeon E3-1225 v5
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#492
Xeon W-2223
MSRP: $294|Avg: $330
98%
#496
Xeon E3-1280 v3
MSRP: $250|Avg: $44
97%
#497
Xeon W-2123
MSRP: $294|Avg: $342
97%
#500
Xeon E3-1230 v2
MSRP: $215|Avg: $268
97%
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 E3-1225 v5 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.
InsightCore i7-3940XMXeon E3-1225 v5
Gaming
Superior gaming performance
Lower gaming performance
Workstation
Better multi-core power
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price
Equivalent pricing
Equivalent pricing
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Skylake-DT (2015) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-3940XM ($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.
InsightCore i7-3940XMXeon E3-1225 v5
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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-3940XM and Xeon E3-1225 v5

Intel

Core i7-3940XM

The Core i7-3940XM is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 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 3 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: PGA988. Thermal design power (TDP): 55 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 5,957 points. Launch price was $1,096.

Intel

Xeon E3-1225 v5

The Xeon E3-1225 v5 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 19 October 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Skylake-DT (2015) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 80 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1866/2133, DDR3L-1333/1600. Passmark benchmark score: 5,953 points. Launch price was $224.

Processing Power

The Core i7-3940XM packs 4 cores / 8 threads, matching the Xeon E3-1225 v5's 4 cores. Boost clocks reach 3.9 GHz on the Core i7-3940XM versus 3.7 GHz on the Xeon E3-1225 v5 — a 5.3% clock advantage for the Core i7-3940XM (base: 3 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). The Core i7-3940XM uses the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture (22 nm), while the Xeon E3-1225 v5 uses Skylake-DT (2015) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-3940XM scores 5,957 against the Xeon E3-1225 v5's 5,953 — a 0.1% lead for the Core i7-3940XM. Both processors carry 8 MB (total) of L3 cache.

FeatureCore i7-3940XMXeon E3-1225 v5
Cores / Threads
4 / 8
4 / 4
Boost Clock
3.9 GHz+5%
3.7 GHz
Base Clock
3 GHz
3.3 GHz+10%
L3 Cache
8 MB (total)
8 MB (total)
L2 Cache
256K (per core)
256 kB (per core)
Process
22 nm
14 nm-36%
Architecture
Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)
Skylake-DT (2015)
PassMark
5,957
5,953
Geekbench 6 Single
720
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-3940XM uses the PGA988 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E3-1225 v5 uses LGA1151 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureCore i7-3940XMXeon E3-1225 v5
Socket
PGA988
LGA1151
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0
PCIe 3.0
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 i7-3940XM) / not specified (Xeon E3-1225 v5). The Core i7-3940XM includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 4000), while the Xeon E3-1225 v5 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-3940XM targets Extreme Performance Laptop. Direct competitor: Core i7-3940XM rivals A10-5750M.

FeatureCore i7-3940XMXeon E3-1225 v5
Integrated GPU
Yes
IGPU Model
HD Graphics 4000
Unlocked
Yes
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use
Extreme Performance Laptop