Phenom II X4 P920 vs Xeon E3-1220L v3

Phenom II X4 P920 vs Xeon E3-1220L v3 Performance Spectrum

Phenom II X4 P920

4 / 4

1,395

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3955WX

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX

Ryzen Threadripper 3990X

Xeon E3-1220L v3

2 / 4

1,407

+0.9%

Celeron B820

Pentium Dual-Core E2180

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.

Phenom II X4 P920 vs Xeon E3-1220L v3 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Phenom II X4 P920 vs Xeon E3-1220L v3: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Phenom II X4 P920

2010

Why buy it

✅Draws 2W instead of 16W, a 14W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (1,395 vs 1,407).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E3-1220L v3, which brings 2 cores / 4 threads and 16 PCIe lanes.

Xeon E3-1220L v3

2013

Why buy it

✅+0.9% higher PassMark.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 2 cores / 4 threads, plus 16 PCIe lanes vs 0.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $193 MSRP, while Phenom II X4 P920 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌700% higher power demand at 16W vs 2W.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon E3-1220L v3 better than Phenom II X4 P920?

Not really, because they are built for different jobs. Xeon E3-1220L v3 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Phenom II X4 P920 is the more practical desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and everyday use.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon E3-1220L v3 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.9% better PassMark, backed by 2 cores and 4 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Xeon E3-1220L v3 is the better buy right now. Xeon E3-1220L v3 comes in at an unclear MSRP at $193 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you 0.9% better PassMark. The compromise is that Phenom II X4 P920 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 2.0% average FPS lead across 47 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (7.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Xeon E3-1220L v3 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2013 vs 2010) and more multi-core headroom with 2 cores / 4 threads instead of 4/4. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Phenom II X4 P920 vs Xeon E3-1220L v3 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Phenom II X4 P920

The Phenom II X4 P920 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Max frequency: 1.6 GHz. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: S1g4. Thermal design power (TDP): 2 MB. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 1,395 points. Launch price was $149.

Xeon E3-1220L v3

The Xeon E3-1220L v3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Haswell-WS (2013−2014) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.1 GHz, with boost up to 1.5 GHz. L3 cache: 4096 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1150. Thermal design power (TDP): 13 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 1,407 points. Launch price was $800.

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Processing Power

The Phenom II X4 P920 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Xeon E3-1220L v3 offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the Phenom II X4 P920 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 1.6 GHz on the Phenom II X4 P920 versus 1.5 GHz on the Xeon E3-1220L v3 — a 6.5% clock advantage for the Phenom II X4 P920. The Phenom II X4 P920 uses the Champlain (2010−2011) architecture (45 nm), while the Xeon E3-1220L v3 uses Haswell-WS (2013−2014) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Phenom II X4 P920 scores 1,395 against the Xeon E3-1220L v3's 1,407 — a 0.9% lead for the Xeon E3-1220L v3.

Feature	Phenom II X4 P920	Xeon E3-1220L v3
Cores / Threads	4 / 4+100%	2 / 4
Boost Clock	1.6 GHz+7%	1.5 GHz
Base Clock	—	1.1 GHz
L3 Cache	—	4096 kB (total)
L2 Cache	2 MB+700%	256 kB (per core)
Process	45 nm	22 nm-51%
Architecture	Champlain (2010−2011)	Haswell-WS (2013−2014)
PassMark	1,395	1,407

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Memory & Platform

The Phenom II X4 P920 uses the S1g4 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Xeon E3-1220L v3 uses LGA1150 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.