Core i7-5960X vs Xeon E5-2695 v2
Core i7-5960X
Xeon E5-2695 v2
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.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Core i7-5960X
Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5-2695 v2
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Core i7-5960X | Xeon E5-2695 v2 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($83) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Haswell-E (2014) / 22 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge-EP (2013) / 22 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Core i7-5960X | Xeon E5-2695 v2 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($83) | ✅ 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 i7-5960X and Xeon E5-2695 v2
Core i7-5960X
The Core i7-5960X 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 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 20 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 140 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 13,382 points. Launch price was $999.
Xeon E5-2695 v2
The Xeon E5-2695 v2 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge-EP (2013) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 30 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 115 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 13,380 points. Launch price was $1,950.
Processing Power
The Core i7-5960X packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Xeon E5-2695 v2 offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the Xeon E5-2695 v2 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.5 GHz on the Core i7-5960X versus 3.2 GHz on the Xeon E5-2695 v2 — a 9% clock advantage for the Core i7-5960X (base: 3 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Core i7-5960X uses the Haswell-E (2014) architecture (22 nm), while the Xeon E5-2695 v2 uses Ivy Bridge-EP (2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-5960X scores 13,382 against the Xeon E5-2695 v2's 13,380 — a 0% lead for the Core i7-5960X. L3 cache: 20 MB (total) on the Core i7-5960X vs 30 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-2695 v2.
| Feature | Core i7-5960X | Xeon E5-2695 v2 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 8 / 16 | 12 / 24+50% |
| Boost Clock | 3.5 GHz+9% | 3.2 GHz |
| Base Clock | 3 GHz+25% | 2.4 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 20 MB (total) | 30 MB (total)+50% |
| L2 Cache | 256K (per core) | 256 kB (per core) |
| Process | 22 nm | 22 nm |
| Architecture | Haswell-E (2014) | Ivy Bridge-EP (2013) |
| PassMark | 13,382 | 13,380 |
| Cinebench R23 Multi | 9,720 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 1,244 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | 7,412 | — |
Memory & Platform
Both processors use the LGA2011 socket with PCIe 3.0.
| Feature | Core i7-5960X | Xeon E5-2695 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: Yes (Core i7-5960X) / not specified (Xeon E5-2695 v2).
| Feature | Core i7-5960X | Xeon E5-2695 v2 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | Yes | — |
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