Core i7-6700TE vs Xeon E3-1230 v2

Core i7-6700TE

4 Cores8 Thrd35 WWMax: 3.4 GHz2015

Xeon E3-1230 v2

4 Cores8 Thrd69 WWMax: 3.7 GHz2012

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i7-6700TE

4 / 8

6,203

+0.2%

6,191

0.0%

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 i7-6700TE is positioned at rank 788 and the Xeon E3-1230 v2 is on rank 500, so the Xeon E3-1230 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 i7-6700TE

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

15228%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

14389%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

10447%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

3147%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

2493%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

2181%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

1249%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

1233%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

1123%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

1122%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

1110%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

1080%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

1065%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

1061%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

1051%

#294

Core i9-7920X

MSRP: $1199|Avg: $236

96%

#393

Core i3-9300T

MSRP: $309|Avg: $309

100%

#394

Ryzen 3 2200GE

MSRP: $300|Avg: $300

97%

#788

Core i7-6700TE

MSRP: $303|Avg: $175

100%

#790

Athlon II X4 620

MSRP: $99|Avg: $15

100%

#791

Core i7-3820

MSRP: $286|Avg: $30

99%

#792

Athlon II X3 425

MSRP: $79|Avg: $5

99%

#793

Athlon II X2 255

MSRP: $60|Avg: $10

99%

#794

Core i3-3245

MSRP: $120|Avg: $50

98%

#796

FX-4170

MSRP: $157|Avg: $23

97%

#798

Athlon II X3 415e

MSRP: $75|Avg: $15

96%

#799

Core i5-2300

MSRP: $177|Avg: $17

96%

#800

Core i7-4820K

MSRP: $332|Avg: $40

96%

#802

Core i7-3770K

MSRP: $332|Avg: $75

96%

#803

Core i5-4460T

MSRP: $187|Avg: $30

95%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E3-1230 v2

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

7216%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

1362%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

1210%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

935%

#311

Xeon w7-3545

MSRP: $2039|Avg: $2039

100%

#312

EPYC 7643P

MSRP: $2722|Avg: $2722

99%

#313

Xeon w5-3435X

MSRP: $1589|Avg: $163

99%

#314

Xeon Gold 6312U

MSRP: $1645|Avg: N/A

98%

#315

EPYC 7443

MSRP: $2010|Avg: $1800

98%

#316

Xeon Gold 6416H

MSRP: $1845|Avg: N/A

98%

#500

Xeon E3-1230 v2

MSRP: $215|Avg: $268

100%

#505

Xeon D-1521

MSRP: $199|Avg: $241

100%

#513

Xeon E3-1220 v5

MSRP: $203|Avg: $100

98%

#515

Xeon X5690

MSRP: $250|Avg: $250

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 ($268) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon E3-1230 v2 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Core i7-6700TE	Xeon E3-1230 v2
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	✅ More affordable ($175)	⚠️ Higher cost ($268)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Skylake (2015−2016) / 14 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-6700TE ($175), 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 ($93 less, 35% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Core i7-6700TE	Xeon E3-1230 v2
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+53%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($175)	⚠️ Higher cost ($268)

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 i7-6700TE Benchmark Check

Xeon E3-1230 v2 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-6700TE and Xeon E3-1230 v2

Core i7-6700TE

The Core i7-6700TE is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 19 October 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 6,203 points. Launch price was $303.

Xeon E3-1230 v2

The Xeon E3-1230 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 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 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: 6,191 points. Launch price was $360.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Core i7-6700TE and Xeon E3-1230 v2 share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.4 GHz on the Core i7-6700TE versus 3.7 GHz on the Xeon E3-1230 v2 — a 8.5% clock advantage for the Xeon E3-1230 v2 (base: 2.4 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). The Core i7-6700TE uses the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon E3-1230 v2 uses Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-6700TE scores 6,203 against the Xeon E3-1230 v2's 6,191 — a 0.2% lead for the Core i7-6700TE. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 914 vs 821, a 10.7% lead for the Core i7-6700TE that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 3,244 vs 3,223 (0.6% advantage for the Core i7-6700TE). Both processors carry 8 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core i7-6700TE	Xeon E3-1230 v2
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 8
Boost Clock	3.4 GHz	3.7 GHz+9%
Base Clock	2.4 GHz	3.3 GHz+38%
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256 kB (per core)
Process	14 nm-36%	22 nm
Architecture	Skylake (2015−2016)	Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)
PassMark	6,203	6,191
Geekbench 6 Single	914+11%	821
Geekbench 6 Multi	3,244	3,223

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-6700TE uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E3-1230 v2 uses LGA1155 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2133 on the Core i7-6700TE versus DDR3-1600 on the Xeon E3-1230 v2 — the Core i7-6700TE supports 28.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i7-6700TE supports up to 64 GB of RAM compared to 32 GB — 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 16 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: 100-series (Core i7-6700TE) and C216,C206,C204,C202 (Xeon E3-1230 v2).

Feature	Core i7-6700TE	Xeon E3-1230 v2
Socket	LGA1151	LGA1155
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2133+33%	DDR3-1600
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB+100%	32 GB
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	❌	✅
PCIe Lanes	16	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i7-6700TE) vs VT-x, VT-d (Xeon E3-1230 v2). The Core i7-6700TE includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 530), while the Xeon E3-1230 v2 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-6700TE targets Gaming, Xeon E3-1230 v2 targets Server. Direct competitor: Core i7-6700TE rivals Ryzen 5 3600.

Feature	Core i7-6700TE	Xeon E3-1230 v2
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	HD Graphics 530	None
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Gaming	Server

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-6700TE launched at $303 MSRP, while the Xeon E3-1230 v2 debuted at $215. At current prices ($175 vs $268), the Core i7-6700TE is $93 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-6700TE delivers 35.4 pts/$ vs 23.1 pts/$ for the Xeon E3-1230 v2 — making the Core i7-6700TE the 42.2% better value option.