Core i7-4960HQ
VS
Xeon W3670

Core i7-4960HQ vs Xeon W3670

Intel

Core i7-4960HQ

4 Cores8 Thrd47 WWMax: 3.8 GHz2013
VS
Intel

Xeon W3670

6 Cores12 Thrd130 WWMax: 3.46 GHz2010

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 i7-4960HQ is positioned at rank 72 and the Xeon W3670 is on rank 543, 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 W3670

#1
Xeon Platinum 8454H
MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A
8086%
#6
Xeon Gold 6240R
MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A
1527%
#10
Xeon 6337P
MSRP: $60|Avg: $5
1356%
#15
EPYC 9174F
MSRP: $194|Avg: $30
1048%
#332
Xeon W-2235
MSRP: $555|Avg: $350
100%
#333
Xeon Gold 5317
MSRP: $1088|Avg: $1100
98%
#334
Xeon W-2275
MSRP: $1112|Avg: $500
98%
#335
Xeon Gold 6430
MSRP: $2128|Avg: $1850
97%
#336
Xeon Gold 6421N
MSRP: $2368|Avg: $2427
97%
#543
Xeon W3670
MSRP: $250|Avg: $250
100%
#546
Xeon E3-1240 v2
MSRP: $250|Avg: $150
99%
#547
Xeon E3-1220 v3
MSRP: $203|Avg: $89
99%
#550
Xeon W-2102
MSRP: $202|Avg: $286
98%
#552
Xeon E3-1265L v2
MSRP: $265|Avg: N/A
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 ($250) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon W3670 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.
InsightCore i7-4960HQXeon W3670
Gaming
Superior gaming performance
Lower gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($250)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Crystalwell (2013−2014) / 22 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Gulftown (2010−2011) / 32 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 ($250 less, 100% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.
InsightCore i7-4960HQXeon W3670
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($250)

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 i7-4960HQ and Xeon W3670

Intel

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.

Intel

Xeon W3670

The Xeon W3670 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 29 August 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Gulftown (2010−2011) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.46 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1366. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 6,424 points. Launch price was $295.

Processing Power

The Core i7-4960HQ packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Xeon W3670 offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Xeon W3670 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.8 GHz on the Core i7-4960HQ versus 3.46 GHz on the Xeon W3670 — a 9.4% clock advantage for the Core i7-4960HQ (base: 2.6 GHz vs 3.2 GHz). The Core i7-4960HQ uses the Crystalwell (2013−2014) architecture (22 nm), while the Xeon W3670 uses Gulftown (2010−2011) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-4960HQ scores 6,370 against the Xeon W3670's 6,424 — a 0.8% lead for the Xeon W3670. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Core i7-4960HQ vs 12 MB (total) on the Xeon W3670.

FeatureCore i7-4960HQXeon W3670
Cores / Threads
4 / 8
6 / 12+50%
Boost Clock
3.8 GHz+10%
3.46 GHz
Base Clock
2.6 GHz
3.2 GHz+23%
L3 Cache
8 MB (total)
12 MB (total)+50%
L2 Cache
256K (per core)
256 kB (per core)
Process
22 nm-31%
32 nm
Architecture
Crystalwell (2013−2014)
Gulftown (2010−2011)
PassMark
6,370
6,424
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-4960HQ uses the BGA1364 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon W3670 uses LGA1366 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureCore i7-4960HQXeon W3670
Socket
BGA1364
LGA1366
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0+50%
PCIe 2.0