FX-6120 vs Xeon E5-2603 v3
FX-6120
Xeon E5-2603 v3
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 FX-6120 is positioned at rank 787 and the Xeon E5-2603 v3 is on rank 635, so the Xeon E5-2603 v3 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar FX-6120
Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5-2603 v3
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | FX-6120 | Xeon E5-2603 v3 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($54) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Zambezi (2011−2012) / 32 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Haswell-EP (2014−2015) / 22 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | FX-6120 | Xeon E5-2603 v3 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($54) | ✅ 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 FX-6120 and Xeon E5-2603 v3
FX-6120
The FX-6120 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 23 October 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Zambezi (2011−2012) architecture. It features 6 cores and 6 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 6 MB. Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: AM3+. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,853 points. Launch price was $69.
Xeon E5-2603 v3
The Xeon E5-2603 v3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture. It features 6 cores and 6 threads. Base frequency is 1.6 GHz, with boost up to 1.6 GHz. L3 cache: 15 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 85 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1600. Passmark benchmark score: 3,825 points. Launch price was $800.
Processing Power
Both the FX-6120 and Xeon E5-2603 v3 share an identical 6-core/6-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.2 GHz on the FX-6120 versus 1.6 GHz on the Xeon E5-2603 v3 — a 89.7% clock advantage for the FX-6120 (base: 3.6 GHz vs 1.6 GHz). The FX-6120 uses the Zambezi (2011−2012) architecture (32 nm), while the Xeon E5-2603 v3 uses Haswell-EP (2014−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the FX-6120 scores 3,853 against the Xeon E5-2603 v3's 3,825 — a 0.7% lead for the FX-6120. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the FX-6120 vs 15 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-2603 v3.
| Feature | FX-6120 | Xeon E5-2603 v3 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 6 / 6 | 6 / 6 |
| Boost Clock | 4.2 GHz+163% | 1.6 GHz |
| Base Clock | 3.6 GHz+125% | 1.6 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 8 MB (total) | 15 MB (total)+88% |
| L2 Cache | 6 MB+2300% | 256K (per core) |
| Process | 32 nm | 22 nm-31% |
| Architecture | Zambezi (2011−2012) | Haswell-EP (2014−2015) |
| PassMark | 3,853 | 3,825 |
Memory & Platform
The FX-6120 uses the AM3+ socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Xeon E5-2603 v3 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | FX-6120 | Xeon E5-2603 v3 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | AM3+ | LGA2011 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 3.0+50% |
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