Steam Deck OLED APU vs Xeon E5-2603 v4

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Steam Deck OLED APU

4 / 8

4,457

0.0%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7965WX

Xeon E5-2603 v4

6 / 6

4,517

+1.3%

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 Steam Deck OLED APU is positioned at rank 827 and the Xeon E5-2603 v4 is on rank 589, so the Xeon E5-2603 v4 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 Steam Deck OLED APU

#815

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

1316%

#816

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

1297%

#817

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

1191%

#818

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

1185%

#819

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

1174%

#821

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

1134%

#822

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

1087%

#823

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

1086%

#824

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

1057%

#827

Steam Deck OLED APU

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#828

Celeron M 575

MSRP: $86|Avg: $12

100%

#829

Core i7-10710U

MSRP: $415|Avg: N/A

100%

#835

FX-9830P

MSRP: $150|Avg: $45

99%

#836

Celeron M P4600

MSRP: $86|Avg: $15

98%

#837

Celeron 887

MSRP: $86|Avg: $15

98%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5-2603 v4

#1

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

9200%

#6

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

1737%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

1543%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

1192%

#354

EPYC 7502P

MSRP: $2300|Avg: $1299

99%

#355

Xeon w7-3455

MSRP: $2489|Avg: $2625

98%

#356

EPYC 9334

MSRP: $2990|Avg: $1810

97%

#357

Xeon w9-3575X

MSRP: $3789|Avg: $675

96%

#358

Xeon w7-3465X

MSRP: $2889|Avg: $468

96%

#359

Xeon Gold 6530

MSRP: $2128|Avg: $1846

96%

#359

EPYC 9354

MSRP: $3420|Avg: $2498

96%

#361

Xeon Silver 4114

MSRP: $612|Avg: $30

95%

#589

Xeon E5-2603 v4

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#590

Xeon W-2125

MSRP: $444|Avg: $42

100%

#592

EPYC 7261

MSRP: $501|Avg: $8

98%

#594

Xeon E5-1620 v2

MSRP: $294|Avg: $50

98%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Generational Difference: This comparison involves processors from different technological eras. The Steam Deck OLED APU (2023) utilizes 6 nm technology and DDR4, providing a fundamental performance advantage.

Insight	Steam Deck OLED APU	Xeon E5-2603 v4
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	✨ Modern (Van Gogh (Custom) (2023) / 6 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Broadwell (2015−2019) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Xeon E5-2603 v4 (2016) relies on 14 nm technology and DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866, placing it in a different performance category relative to modern standards.

Insight	Steam Deck OLED APU	Xeon E5-2603 v4
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing

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.

Steam Deck OLED APU Benchmark Check

Xeon E5-2603 v4 Benchmark Check

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Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Steam Deck OLED APU and Xeon E5-2603 v4

Steam Deck OLED APU

The Steam Deck OLED APU is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 9 November 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Van Gogh (Custom) (2023) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 6 nm process technology. Thermal design power (TDP): 2 MB + 4 MB. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 4,457 points. Launch price was $69.

Xeon E5-2603 v4

The Xeon E5-2603 v4 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 20 June 2016 (9 years ago). It is based on the Broadwell (2015−2019) architecture. It features 6 cores and 6 threads. Base frequency is 1.7 GHz, with boost up to 1.7 GHz. L3 cache: 15 MB. L2 cache: 1.5 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 85 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866. Passmark benchmark score: 4,517 points. Launch price was $213.

⚡

Processing Power

The Steam Deck OLED APU packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Xeon E5-2603 v4 offers 6 cores / 6 threads — the Xeon E5-2603 v4 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.5 GHz on the Steam Deck OLED APU versus 1.7 GHz on the Xeon E5-2603 v4 — a 69.2% clock advantage for the Steam Deck OLED APU (base: 2.4 GHz vs 1.7 GHz). The Steam Deck OLED APU uses the Van Gogh (Custom) (2023) architecture (6 nm), while the Xeon E5-2603 v4 uses Broadwell (2015−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Steam Deck OLED APU scores 4,457 against the Xeon E5-2603 v4's 4,517 — a 1.3% lead for the Xeon E5-2603 v4. L3 cache: 4 MB on the Steam Deck OLED APU vs 15 MB on the Xeon E5-2603 v4.

Feature	Steam Deck OLED APU	Xeon E5-2603 v4
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	6 / 6+50%
Boost Clock	3.5 GHz+106%	1.7 GHz
Base Clock	2.4 GHz+41%	1.7 GHz
L3 Cache	4 MB	15 MB+275%
L2 Cache	2 MB+33%	1.5 MB
Process	6 nm-57%	14 nm
Architecture	Van Gogh (Custom) (2023)	Broadwell (2015−2019)
PassMark	4,457	4,517+1%