CPU
GPU
Pentium Gold G5600
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.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar
Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5-2603 v3
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Pentium Gold G5600 | Xeon E5-2603 v3 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
| Longevity | ✨ Modern (Coffee Lake (2017−2019) / 14 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Haswell-EP (2014−2015) / 22 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Pentium Gold G5600 | Xeon E5-2603 v3 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
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 Pentium Gold G5600 and Xeon E5-2603 v3
Pentium Gold G5600
The Pentium Gold G5600 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 April 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake (2017−2019) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.9 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 54 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 3,844 points. Launch price was $93.
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
The Pentium Gold G5600 packs 2 cores / 4 threads, while the Xeon E5-2603 v3 offers 6 cores / 6 threads — the Xeon E5-2603 v3 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.9 GHz on the Pentium Gold G5600 versus 1.6 GHz on the Xeon E5-2603 v3 — a 83.6% clock advantage for the Pentium Gold G5600 (base: 3.9 GHz vs 1.6 GHz). The Pentium Gold G5600 uses the Coffee Lake (2017−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon E5-2603 v3 uses Haswell-EP (2014−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Pentium Gold G5600 scores 3,844 against the Xeon E5-2603 v3's 3,825 — a 0.5% lead for the Pentium Gold G5600. L3 cache: 4 MB (total) on the Pentium Gold G5600 vs 15 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-2603 v3.
| Feature | Pentium Gold G5600 | Xeon E5-2603 v3 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 2 / 4 | 6 / 6+200% |
| Boost Clock | 3.9 GHz+144% | 1.6 GHz |
| Base Clock | 3.9 GHz+144% | 1.6 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 4 MB (total) | 15 MB (total)+275% |
| L2 Cache | 256K (per core) | 256K (per core) |
| Process | 14 nm-36% | 22 nm |
| Architecture | Coffee Lake (2017−2019) | Haswell-EP (2014−2015) |
| PassMark | 3,844 | 3,825 |
| Cinebench R23 Multi | 2,200 | — |
| Geekbench 6 Single | 837 | — |
Memory & Platform
The Pentium Gold G5600 uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E5-2603 v3 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Pentium Gold G5600 | Xeon E5-2603 v3 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1151 | LGA2011 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 3.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR4 2400 MHz | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 64 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | ✅ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 16 | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: true (Pentium Gold G5600) / not specified (Xeon E5-2603 v3). The Pentium Gold G5600 includes integrated graphics (Intel UHD Graphics 630), while the Xeon E5-2603 v3 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Pentium Gold G5600 targets Desktop.
| Feature | Pentium Gold G5600 | Xeon E5-2603 v3 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | — |
| IGPU Model | Intel UHD Graphics 630 | — |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | true | — |
| Target Use | Desktop | — |
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The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
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