Core i7-880 vs Xeon E5-1603

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 i7-880 is positioned at rank 1064 and the Xeon E5-1603 is on rank 655, so the Xeon E5-1603 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 i7-880

#1

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

53013%

#2

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

50092%

#3

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

36371%

#4

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

10957%

#5

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

8679%

#6

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

7593%

#7

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

4349%

#8

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

4292%

#9

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

3908%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

3907%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

3864%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

3760%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

3707%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

3692%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

3659%

#1064

Core i7-880

MSRP: $583|Avg: $40

100%

#1065

Pentium D 820

MSRP: $241|Avg: $20

100%

#1066

Celeron 2.10

MSRP: $49|Avg: $49

99%

#1067

Core i7-950

MSRP: $562|Avg: $15

98%

#1068

Sempron 3100+

MSRP: $65|Avg: $15

97%

#1069

Core 2 Duo E6750

MSRP: $183|Avg: $15

96%

#1070

Athlon II X4 635

MSRP: $400|Avg: $250

96%

#1071

Core i7-940

MSRP: $562|Avg: $90

92%

#1072

Celeron 2.40

MSRP: $69|Avg: $13

85%

#1073

Sempron 2800+

MSRP: $65|Avg: $29

84%

#1074

Athlon 64 3100+

MSRP: $100|Avg: $15

81%

#1075

Sempron 3600+

MSRP: $105|Avg: $20

79%

#1076

Celeron 2.80

MSRP: $100|Avg: $15

73%

#1077

Athlon 64 X2 6000+

MSRP: $450|Avg: $20

69%

#1078

Athlon 64 3600+

MSRP: $149|Avg: $15

68%

#1079

Core 2 Quad Q6700

MSRP: $530|Avg: $50

67%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5-1603

#1

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

11937%

#6

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

2254%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

2002%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

1547%

#386

Xeon w9-3475X

MSRP: $3739|Avg: $3930

100%

#388

EPYC 9254

MSRP: $3761|Avg: $1099

98%

#389

Xeon Gold 5220R

MSRP: $1780|Avg: $1015

98%

#390

EPYC 9555P

MSRP: $7983|Avg: $6130

97%

#391

Xeon Gold 5218

MSRP: $1273|Avg: $500

97%

#392

EPYC 9374F

MSRP: $4850|Avg: $3466

97%

#393

Xeon Gold 6448Y

MSRP: $3583|Avg: N/A

97%

#394

EPYC 9454

MSRP: $5225|Avg: $576

97%

#655

Xeon E5-1603

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#669

Xeon E5645

MSRP: $294|Avg: N/A

97%

#670

Xeon X5672

MSRP: $300|Avg: $44

96%

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 E5-1603 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Core i7-880	Xeon E5-1603
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($40)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Lynnfield (2009−2010) / 45 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Legacy / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-880 ($40), 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 ($40 less, Infinity% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Core i7-880	Xeon E5-1603
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($40)	✅ 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 i7-880 Benchmark Check

Xeon E5-1603 Benchmark Check

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Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-880 and Xeon E5-1603

Core i7-880

The Core i7-880 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 30 May 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Lynnfield (2009−2010) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.06 GHz, with boost up to 3.73 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1156. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,429 points. Launch price was $583.

Xeon E5-1603

The Xeon E5-1603 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency: 2.8 GHz. L3 cache: 10 MB. Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-800, DDR3-1066. Passmark benchmark score: 3,482 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-880 packs 4 cores / 8 threads, matching the Xeon E5-1603's 4 cores. The Core i7-880 is built on the Lynnfield (2009−2010) architecture. In PassMark, the Core i7-880 scores 3,429 against the Xeon E5-1603's 3,482 — a 1.5% lead for the Xeon E5-1603. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Core i7-880 vs 10 MB on the Xeon E5-1603.

Feature	Core i7-880	Xeon E5-1603
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 4
Boost Clock	3.73 GHz	—
Base Clock	3.06 GHz+9%	2.8 GHz
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)	10 MB+25%
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	—
Process	45 nm	32 nm-29%
Architecture	Lynnfield (2009−2010)	—
PassMark	3,429	3,482+2%
Geekbench 6 Single	507	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	1,478	—

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Memory & Platform

The Core i7-880 uses the LGA1156 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Xeon E5-1603 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.