Core i7-3960X vs Xeon E5-2628 V3
Core i7-3960X
Xeon E5-2628 V3
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 i7-3960X is positioned at rank 1024 and the Xeon E5-2628 V3 is on rank 342, so the Xeon E5-2628 V3 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Core i7-3960X
Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5-2628 V3
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Core i7-3960X | Xeon E5-2628 V3 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($60) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge-E (2011−2013) / 32 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Haswell-EP (2014−2015) / 22 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Core i7-3960X | Xeon E5-2628 V3 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($60) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
Performance Check
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 i7-3960X and Xeon E5-2628 V3
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 E5-2628 V3
The Xeon E5-2628 V3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 20 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011-3. Thermal design power (TDP): 85 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2133. Passmark benchmark score: 8,447 points. Launch price was $800.
Processing Power
The Core i7-3960X packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon E5-2628 V3 offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Xeon E5-2628 V3 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.9 GHz on the Core i7-3960X versus 3 GHz on the Xeon E5-2628 V3 — a 26.1% clock advantage for the Core i7-3960X (base: 3.3 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Core i7-3960X uses the Sandy Bridge-E (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Xeon E5-2628 V3 uses Haswell-EP (2014−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-3960X scores 8,402 against the Xeon E5-2628 V3's 8,447 — a 0.5% lead for the Xeon E5-2628 V3. L3 cache: 15 MB (total) on the Core i7-3960X vs 20 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-2628 V3.
| Feature | Core i7-3960X | Xeon E5-2628 V3 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 6 / 12 | 8 / 16+33% |
| Boost Clock | 3.9 GHz+30% | 3 GHz |
| Base Clock | 3.3 GHz+32% | 2.5 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 15 MB (total) | 20 MB (total)+33% |
| L2 Cache | 256 kB (per core) | 256K (per core) |
| Process | 32 nm | 22 nm-31% |
| Architecture | Sandy Bridge-E (2011−2013) | Haswell-EP (2014−2015) |
| PassMark | 8,402 | 8,447 |
| 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 E5-2628 V3 uses LGA2011-3 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Core i7-3960X | Xeon E5-2628 V3 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA2011 | LGA2011-3 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 3.0+50% |
| 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 E5-2628 V3).
| Feature | Core i7-3960X | Xeon E5-2628 V3 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | Yes | — |
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