Core i7-4960HQ vs Xeon E3-1240 v2

Core i7-4960HQ

4 Cores8 Thrd47 WWMax: 3.8 GHz2013

Xeon E3-1240 v2

4 Cores8 Thrd69 WWMax: 3.8 GHz2012

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i7-4960HQ

4 / 8

6,370

0.0%

6,385

+0.2%

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 i7-4960HQ is positioned at rank 72 and the Xeon E3-1240 v2 is on rank 547, so the Core i7-4960HQ 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 i7-4960HQ

#15

Ryzen 5 220

MSRP: $150|Avg: $150

98%

#18

Ryzen 5 8500G

MSRP: $179|Avg: $150

94%

#60

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

230%

#61

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

227%

#62

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

208%

#63

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

207%

#64

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

205%

#66

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

198%

#67

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

190%

#68

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

190%

#69

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

185%

#72

Core i7-4960HQ

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#75

Core i3-4030U

MSRP: $281|Avg: N/A

98%

#79

Atom D2500

MSRP: $42|Avg: N/A

95%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E3-1240 v2

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

8137%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

1536%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

1365%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

1055%

#333

Xeon Gold 5317

MSRP: $1088|Avg: $1100

99%

#334

Xeon W-2275

MSRP: $1112|Avg: $500

99%

#335

Xeon Gold 6430

MSRP: $2128|Avg: $1850

98%

#336

Xeon Gold 6421N

MSRP: $2368|Avg: $2427

97%

#337

EPYC 7F72

MSRP: $2131|Avg: $2131

97%

#338

Xeon W-2265

MSRP: $1039|Avg: $663

97%

#339

Xeon w7-3555

MSRP: $2749|Avg: $2199

97%

#547

Xeon E3-1240 v2

MSRP: $250|Avg: $150

100%

#548

Xeon E3-1220 v3

MSRP: $203|Avg: $89

100%

#551

Xeon W-2102

MSRP: $202|Avg: $286

99%

#553

Xeon E3-1265L v2

MSRP: $265|Avg: N/A

99%

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 ($150) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon E3-1240 v2 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Core i7-4960HQ	Xeon E3-1240 v2
Gaming	Balanced gaming performance	Balanced gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($150)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Crystalwell (2013−2014) / 22 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-4960HQ ($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 ($150 less, 100% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Core i7-4960HQ	Xeon E3-1240 v2
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($150)

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 i7-4960HQ Benchmark Check

Xeon E3-1240 v2 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-4960HQ and Xeon E3-1240 v2

Core i7-4960HQ

The Core i7-4960HQ is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Crystalwell (2013−2014) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 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: BGA1364. Thermal design power (TDP): 47 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 6,370 points. Launch price was $657.

Xeon E3-1240 v2

The Xeon E3-1240 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 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 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: 6,385 points. Launch price was $304.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i7-4960HQ and Xeon E3-1240 v2 share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.8 GHz on the Core i7-4960HQ versus 3.8 GHz on the Xeon E3-1240 v2 — identical boost frequencies (base: 2.6 GHz vs 3.4 GHz). The Core i7-4960HQ uses the Crystalwell (2013−2014) architecture (22 nm), while the Xeon E3-1240 v2 uses Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-4960HQ scores 6,370 against the Xeon E3-1240 v2's 6,385 — a 0.2% lead for the Xeon E3-1240 v2. Both processors carry 8 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core i7-4960HQ	Xeon E3-1240 v2
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 8
Boost Clock	3.8 GHz	3.8 GHz
Base Clock	2.6 GHz	3.4 GHz+31%
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256 kB (per core)
Process	22 nm	22 nm
Architecture	Crystalwell (2013−2014)	Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)
PassMark	6,370	6,385

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-4960HQ uses the BGA1364 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E3-1240 v2 uses LGA1155 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.