Core i7-3960X vs Xeon E5-2428L

Core i7-3960X

6 Cores12 Thrd130 WWMax: 3.9 GHz2011

Xeon E5-2428L

6 Cores12 Thrd60 WWMax: 2 GHz2012

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i7-3960X

6 / 12

8,402

0.0%

8,500

+1.2%

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 i7-3960X is positioned at rank 1024 and the Xeon E5-2428L is on rank 800, so the Xeon E5-2428L 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 i7-3960X

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

37065%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

35023%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

25429%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

7661%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

6068%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

5308%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

3040%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

3001%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

2732%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

2732%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

2701%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

2629%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

2592%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

2581%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

2558%

#396

Ryzen Embedded R2314

MSRP: $300|Avg: $762

91%

#1024

Core i7-3960X

MSRP: $999|Avg: $60

100%

#1025

Celeron 2.70

MSRP: $49|Avg: $49

99%

#1027

A10 PRO-7850B

MSRP: $426|Avg: $140

96%

#1028

Core 2 Quad Q8200

MSRP: $224|Avg: $36

96%

#1029

A12-9800E

MSRP: $426|Avg: $150

95%

#1030

Phenom II X6 1065T

MSRP: $426|Avg: $170

95%

#1031

Celeron 440

MSRP: $59|Avg: $10

95%

#1032

A8-3820

MSRP: $280|Avg: $200

93%

#1033

Core i7-860S

MSRP: $299|Avg: $96

92%

#1035

PRO A10-8770E

MSRP: $395|Avg: $210

90%

#1036

Core 2 Duo E4700

MSRP: $133|Avg: $10

90%

#1037

Athlon 64 X2 5800+

MSRP: $230|Avg: $20

90%

#1038

Phenom II X2 B53

MSRP: $150|Avg: $15

90%

#1039

Core 2 Quad Q9300

MSRP: $266|Avg: $27

90%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5-2428L

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

16924%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

3195%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

2839%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

2193%

#459

Xeon Platinum 8568Y+

MSRP: $6497|Avg: $6497

100%

#460

Xeon E5-2686 V3

MSRP: $1500|Avg: $160

99%

#460

Xeon Gold 6242R

MSRP: $2977|Avg: $779

99%

#462

Xeon W-2175

MSRP: $1947|Avg: $180

98%

#463

EPYC 75F3

MSRP: $5383|Avg: $2799

98%

#464

Xeon W-3375

MSRP: $4951|Avg: $6000

97%

#800

Xeon E5-2428L

MSRP: $692|Avg: $42

100%

#803

Opteron 6380

MSRP: $551|Avg: $111

99%

#812

Xeon E3-1220L

MSRP: $189|Avg: $27

97%

#815

Xeon X3450

MSRP: $241|Avg: $39

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 ($42) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon E5-2428L is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Core i7-3960X	Xeon E5-2428L
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($60)	✅ More affordable ($42)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge-E (2011−2013) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge-EN (2012) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-3960X ($60), 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 ($18 less, 43% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Core i7-3960X	Xeon E5-2428L
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+45%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($60)	✅ More affordable ($42)

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 i7-3960X Benchmark Check

Xeon E5-2428L Benchmark Check

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-3960X and Xeon E5-2428L

Core i7-3960X

The Core i7-3960X is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 14 November 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge-E (2011−2013) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 15 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 8,402 points. Launch price was $861.

Xeon E5-2428L

The Xeon E5-2428L is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Sandy Bridge-EN (2012) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 1.8 GHz, with boost up to 2 GHz. L3 cache: 15360 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1356. Thermal design power (TDP): 60 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 8,500 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i7-3960X and Xeon E5-2428L share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.9 GHz on the Core i7-3960X versus 2 GHz on the Xeon E5-2428L — a 64.4% clock advantage for the Core i7-3960X (base: 3.3 GHz vs 1.8 GHz). The Core i7-3960X uses the Sandy Bridge-E (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Xeon E5-2428L uses Sandy Bridge-EN (2012) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-3960X scores 8,402 against the Xeon E5-2428L's 8,500 — a 1.2% lead for the Xeon E5-2428L. L3 cache: 15 MB (total) on the Core i7-3960X vs 15360 kB (total) on the Xeon E5-2428L.

Feature	Core i7-3960X	Xeon E5-2428L
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	3.9 GHz+95%	2 GHz
Base Clock	3.3 GHz+83%	1.8 GHz
L3 Cache	15 MB (total)	15360 kB (total)
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	256 kB (per core)
Process	32 nm	32 nm
Architecture	Sandy Bridge-E (2011−2013)	Sandy Bridge-EN (2012)
PassMark	8,402	8,500+1%
Geekbench 6 Single	658	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	4,973	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-3960X uses the LGA2011 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Xeon E5-2428L uses LGA1356 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-3960X	Xeon E5-2428L
Socket	LGA2011	LGA1356
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1600	—
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	—
RAM Channels	4	—
ECC Support	❌	—
PCIe Lanes	40	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: Yes (Core i7-3960X) / not specified (Xeon E5-2428L).

Feature	Core i7-3960X	Xeon E5-2428L
Integrated GPU	No	—
AVX-512	No	—
Virtualization	Yes	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-3960X launched at $999 MSRP, while the Xeon E5-2428L debuted at $692. At current prices ($60 vs $42), the Xeon E5-2428L is $18 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-3960X delivers 140.0 pts/$ vs 202.4 pts/$ for the Xeon E5-2428L — making the Xeon E5-2428L the 36.4% better value option.