Core i7-5930K vs Xeon E5-1660 v2

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 i7-5930K is positioned at rank 849 and the Xeon E5-1660 v2 is on rank 352, so the Xeon E5-1660 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 i7-5930K

#1

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

17522%

#2

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

16556%

#3

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

12021%

#4

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

3622%

#5

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

2869%

#6

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

2509%

#7

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

1437%

#8

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

1419%

#9

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

1292%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

1292%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

1277%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

1243%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

1225%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

1220%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

1209%

#849

Core i7-5930K

MSRP: $583|Avg: $410

100%

#851

Core i3-3240T

MSRP: $117|Avg: $8

100%

#852

Athlon II X2 240

MSRP: $60|Avg: $10

99%

#854

Core i5-2500S

MSRP: $192|Avg: $61

99%

#856

Athlon X2 BE-2400

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

98%

#857

Core i3-2102

MSRP: $117|Avg: $15

97%

#858

Pentium G850

MSRP: $86|Avg: $75

97%

#859

Core i5-3475S

MSRP: $249|Avg: $42

97%

#860

Core i7-2600K

MSRP: $317|Avg: $109

97%

#861

Pentium G860

MSRP: $86|Avg: $36

97%

#862

Athlon II X2 245

MSRP: $66|Avg: $15

97%

#863

Core i7-2700K

MSRP: $332|Avg: $45

96%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5-1660 v2

#1

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

5028%

#6

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

949%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

844%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

652%

#253

Xeon W-2150B

MSRP: $499|Avg: $400

99%

#255

Xeon 6517P

MSRP: $1195|Avg: $1195

99%

#352

Xeon E5-1660 v2

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#362

Xeon E5-2667 v2

MSRP: $300|Avg: $300

98%

#367

Xeon E5-1410

MSRP: $120|Avg: $55

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 ($0) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon E5-1660 v2 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Core i7-5930K	Xeon E5-1660 v2
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($410)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Haswell-E (2014) / 22 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge-E (2013) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-5930K ($410), 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 ($410 less, Infinity% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Core i7-5930K	Xeon E5-1660 v2
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($410)	✅ More affordable ($0)

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 i7-5930K Benchmark Check

Xeon E5-1660 v2 Benchmark Check

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Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-5930K and Xeon E5-1660 v2

Core i7-5930K

The Core i7-5930K is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2014 (11 years ago). It is based on the Haswell-E (2014) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 15 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 140 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 10,369 points. Launch price was $613.

Xeon E5-1660 v2

The Xeon E5-1660 v2 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 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 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 15 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 10,332 points. Launch price was $1,809.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i7-5930K and Xeon E5-1660 v2 share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.7 GHz on the Core i7-5930K versus 4 GHz on the Xeon E5-1660 v2 — a 7.8% clock advantage for the Xeon E5-1660 v2 (base: 3.5 GHz vs 3.7 GHz). The Core i7-5930K uses the Haswell-E (2014) architecture (22 nm), while the Xeon E5-1660 v2 uses Ivy Bridge-E (2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-5930K scores 10,369 against the Xeon E5-1660 v2's 10,332 — a 0.4% lead for the Core i7-5930K. Both processors carry 15 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core i7-5930K	Xeon E5-1660 v2
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	6 / 12
Boost Clock	3.7 GHz	4 GHz+8%
Base Clock	3.5 GHz	3.7 GHz+6%
L3 Cache	15 MB (total)	15 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	256 kB (per core)
Process	22 nm	22 nm
Architecture	Haswell-E (2014)	Ivy Bridge-E (2013)
PassMark	10,369	10,332
Geekbench 6 Single	1,000	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	6,000	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the LGA2011 socket with PCIe 3.0.

Feature	Core i7-5930K	Xeon E5-1660 v2
Socket	LGA2011	LGA2011
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2133	—
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	—
RAM Channels	4	—
ECC Support	❌	—
PCIe Lanes	40	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-5930K) / not specified (Xeon E5-1660 v2). Primary use case: Core i7-5930K targets High End Desktop. Direct competitor: Core i7-5930K rivals Ryzen 5 1600.