Core i7-4900MQ vs Xeon E3-1230 v2

Core i7-4900MQ

4 Cores8 Thrd47 WWMax: 3.8 GHz2013

Xeon E3-1230 v2

4 Cores8 Thrd69 WWMax: 3.7 GHz2012

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i7-4900MQ

4 / 8

6,146

0.0%

6,191

+0.7%

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 i7-4900MQ is positioned at rank 1058 and the Xeon E3-1230 v2 is on rank 500, so the Xeon E3-1230 v2 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 i7-4900MQ

#1046

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

2722%

#1047

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

2682%

#1048

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

2462%

#1049

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

2451%

#1050

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

2428%

#1052

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

2345%

#1053

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

2249%

#1054

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

2245%

#1055

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

2185%

#1058

Core i7-4900MQ

MSRP: $570|Avg: $40

100%

#1059

Pentium Dual Core T2370

MSRP: $150|Avg: $25

99%

#1060

Celeron P4505

MSRP: $86|Avg: $86

99%

#1061

Pentium T4200

MSRP: $99|Avg: $10

99%

#1062

Core i7-2720QM

MSRP: $378|Avg: N/A

99%

#1063

Pentium 2020M

MSRP: $134|Avg: N/A

98%

#1064

Celeron P4500

MSRP: $86|Avg: $5

98%

#1065

Pentium Dual Core SU4100

MSRP: $134|Avg: $10

97%

#1066

Processor N50

MSRP: $128|Avg: $120

97%

#1067

Athlon II N350

MSRP: $100|Avg: $100

97%

#1068

Celeron N3350

MSRP: $107|Avg: N/A

96%

#1070

Core i7-2675QM

MSRP: $378|Avg: N/A

96%

#1071

A9-9410

MSRP: $150|Avg: $25

96%

#1073

A8 Pro-7150B

MSRP: $150|Avg: $20

95%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E3-1230 v2

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

7216%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

1362%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

1210%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

935%

#311

Xeon w7-3545

MSRP: $2039|Avg: $2039

100%

#312

EPYC 7643P

MSRP: $2722|Avg: $2722

99%

#313

Xeon w5-3435X

MSRP: $1589|Avg: $163

99%

#314

Xeon Gold 6312U

MSRP: $1645|Avg: N/A

98%

#315

EPYC 7443

MSRP: $2010|Avg: $1800

98%

#316

Xeon Gold 6416H

MSRP: $1845|Avg: N/A

98%

#500

Xeon E3-1230 v2

MSRP: $215|Avg: $268

100%

#505

Xeon D-1521

MSRP: $199|Avg: $241

100%

#513

Xeon E3-1220 v5

MSRP: $203|Avg: $100

98%

#515

Xeon X5690

MSRP: $250|Avg: $250

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 ($268) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon E3-1230 v2 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Core i7-4900MQ	Xeon E3-1230 v2
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($40)	⚠️ Higher cost ($268)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-4900MQ ($40), 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 ($228 less, 85% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Core i7-4900MQ	Xeon E3-1230 v2
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+565%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($40)	⚠️ Higher cost ($268)

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 i7-4900MQ Benchmark Check

Xeon E3-1230 v2 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-4900MQ and Xeon E3-1230 v2

Core i7-4900MQ

The Core i7-4900MQ is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 29 April 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: PGA946. Thermal design power (TDP): 47 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 6,146 points. Launch price was $568.

Xeon E3-1230 v2

The Xeon E3-1230 v2 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 14 May 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 69 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 6,191 points. Launch price was $360.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i7-4900MQ and Xeon E3-1230 v2 share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.8 GHz on the Core i7-4900MQ versus 3.7 GHz on the Xeon E3-1230 v2 — a 2.7% clock advantage for the Core i7-4900MQ (base: 2.8 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). The Core i7-4900MQ uses the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Xeon E3-1230 v2 uses Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-4900MQ scores 6,146 against the Xeon E3-1230 v2's 6,191 — a 0.7% lead for the Xeon E3-1230 v2. Both processors carry 8 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core i7-4900MQ	Xeon E3-1230 v2
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 8
Boost Clock	3.8 GHz+3%	3.7 GHz
Base Clock	2.8 GHz	3.3 GHz+18%
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256 kB (per core)
Process	22 nm	22 nm
Architecture	Haswell (2013−2015)	Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)
PassMark	6,146	6,191
Geekbench 6 Single	—	821
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	3,223

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-4900MQ uses the PGA946 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E3-1230 v2 uses LGA1155 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i7-4900MQ	Xeon E3-1230 v2
Socket	PGA946	LGA1155
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: not specified (Core i7-4900MQ) / VT-x, VT-d (Xeon E3-1230 v2). Primary use case: Xeon E3-1230 v2 targets Server.

Feature	Core i7-4900MQ	Xeon E3-1230 v2
Integrated GPU	—	No
IGPU Model	—	None
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	—	Server

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-4900MQ launched at $570 MSRP, while the Xeon E3-1230 v2 debuted at $215. At current prices ($40 vs $268), the Core i7-4900MQ is $228 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-4900MQ delivers 153.7 pts/$ vs 23.1 pts/$ for the Xeon E3-1230 v2 — making the Core i7-4900MQ the 147.7% better value option.