Core i7-4960X vs Xeon E5-2630L v4
Core i7-4960X
Xeon E5-2630L v4
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 i7-4960X is positioned at rank 998 and the Xeon E5-2630L v4 is on rank 264, so the Xeon E5-2630L v4 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Core i7-4960X
Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5-2630L v4
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Core i7-4960X | Xeon E5-2630L v4 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($136) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge-E (2013) / 22 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Broadwell (2015−2019) / 14 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Core i7-4960X | Xeon E5-2630L v4 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($136) | ✅ 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 i7-4960X and Xeon E5-2630L v4
Core i7-4960X
The Core i7-4960X is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 September 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge-E (2013) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 15 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 9,935 points. Launch price was $999.
Xeon E5-2630L v4
The Xeon E5-2630L v4 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 20 June 2016 (9 years ago). It is based on the Broadwell (2015−2019) architecture. It features 10 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 1.8 GHz, with boost up to 2.9 GHz. L3 cache: 25 MB. L2 cache: 2.5 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 55 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866, DDR4-2133. Passmark benchmark score: 9,966 points. Launch price was $612.
Processing Power
The Core i7-4960X packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon E5-2630L v4 offers 10 cores / 20 threads — the Xeon E5-2630L v4 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4 GHz on the Core i7-4960X versus 2.9 GHz on the Xeon E5-2630L v4 — a 31.9% clock advantage for the Core i7-4960X (base: 3.6 GHz vs 1.8 GHz). The Core i7-4960X uses the Ivy Bridge-E (2013) architecture (22 nm), while the Xeon E5-2630L v4 uses Broadwell (2015−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-4960X scores 9,935 against the Xeon E5-2630L v4's 9,966 — a 0.3% lead for the Xeon E5-2630L v4. L3 cache: 15 MB (total) on the Core i7-4960X vs 25 MB on the Xeon E5-2630L v4.
| Feature | Core i7-4960X | Xeon E5-2630L v4 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 6 / 12 | 10 / 20+67% |
| Boost Clock | 4 GHz+38% | 2.9 GHz |
| Base Clock | 3.6 GHz+100% | 1.8 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 15 MB (total) | 25 MB+67% |
| L2 Cache | 256K (per core) | 2.5 MB+900% |
| Process | 22 nm | 14 nm-36% |
| Architecture | Ivy Bridge-E (2013) | Broadwell (2015−2019) |
| PassMark | 9,935 | 9,966 |
Memory & Platform
Both processors use the LGA2011 socket with PCIe 3.0.
| Feature | Core i7-4960X | Xeon E5-2630L v4 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA2011 | LGA2011 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 4.0+33% |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3-1866 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 64 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 4 | — |
| ECC Support | ❌ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 40 | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-4960X) / not specified (Xeon E5-2630L v4). Primary use case: Core i7-4960X targets Desktop.
| Feature | Core i7-4960X | Xeon E5-2630L v4 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | — |
| Unlocked | Yes | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | VT-x, VT-d | — |
| Target Use | Desktop | — |
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The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
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