FX-8120 vs Xeon E3-1240L v5
FX-8120
Xeon E3-1240L v5
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-8120 is positioned at rank 567 and the Xeon E3-1240L v5 is on rank 440, so the Xeon E3-1240L v5 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar FX-8120
Performance Per Dollar Xeon E3-1240L v5
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | FX-8120 | Xeon E3-1240L v5 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($40) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Zambezi (2011−2012) / 32 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Skylake-DT (2015) / 14 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | FX-8120 | Xeon E3-1240L v5 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($40) | ✅ 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-8120 and Xeon E3-1240L v5
FX-8120
The FX-8120 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 12 October 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Zambezi (2011−2012) architecture. It features 8 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 8192 kB. L2 cache: 8192 kB. Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: AM3+. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 6,594 points. Launch price was $149.
Xeon E3-1240L v5
The Xeon E3-1240L v5 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 19 October 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Skylake-DT (2015) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 25 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1866/2133, DDR3L-1333/1600. Passmark benchmark score: 6,547 points. Launch price was $278.
Processing Power
The FX-8120 packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Xeon E3-1240L v5 offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the FX-8120 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4 GHz on the FX-8120 versus 3.2 GHz on the Xeon E3-1240L v5 — a 22.2% clock advantage for the FX-8120 (base: 3.1 GHz vs 2.1 GHz). The FX-8120 uses the Zambezi (2011−2012) architecture (32 nm), while the Xeon E3-1240L v5 uses Skylake-DT (2015) (14 nm). In PassMark, the FX-8120 scores 6,594 against the Xeon E3-1240L v5's 6,547 — a 0.7% lead for the FX-8120. L3 cache: 8192 kB on the FX-8120 vs 8 MB (total) on the Xeon E3-1240L v5.
| Feature | FX-8120 | Xeon E3-1240L v5 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 8 / 8+100% | 4 / 8 |
| Boost Clock | 4 GHz+25% | 3.2 GHz |
| Base Clock | 3.1 GHz+48% | 2.1 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 8192 kB | 8 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 8192 kB+3100% | 256 kB (per core) |
| Process | 32 nm | 14 nm-56% |
| Architecture | Zambezi (2011−2012) | Skylake-DT (2015) |
| PassMark | 6,594 | 6,547 |
Memory & Platform
The FX-8120 uses the AM3+ socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Xeon E3-1240L v5 uses LGA1151 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | FX-8120 | Xeon E3-1240L v5 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | AM3+ | LGA1151 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 3.0+50% |
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The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
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