Xeon D-1528
VS
Core i7-980X

Xeon D-1528 vs Core i7-980X

Intel

Xeon D-1528

6 Cores12 Thrd35 WWMax: 2.5 GHz2015
VS
Intel

Core i7-980X

6 Cores12 Thrd130 WWMax: 3.6 GHz2010

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 Xeon D-1528 is positioned at rank 432 and the Core i7-980X is on rank 1052, so the Xeon D-1528 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 Xeon D-1528

#1
Xeon Platinum 8454H
MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A
6091%
#4
Xeon W-11865MLE
MSRP: $467|Avg: $350
100%
#5
Xeon W-11865MRE
MSRP: $600|Avg: $600
96%
#6
Xeon Gold 6240R
MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A
1150%
#10
Xeon 6337P
MSRP: $60|Avg: $5
1022%
#15
EPYC 9174F
MSRP: $194|Avg: $30
789%
#282
Xeon w5-3525
MSRP: $1339|Avg: $1392
99%
#283
Xeon W-1290T
MSRP: $546|Avg: $494
99%
#284
Xeon D-1581
MSRP: $400|Avg: $400
97%
#285
Xeon w5-3535X
MSRP: $1699|Avg: N/A
96%
#286
Xeon w5-2465X
MSRP: $1389|Avg: $1499
95%
#287
EPYC 9355P
MSRP: $2998|Avg: $3026
95%
#432
Xeon D-1528
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-980X

#1
Ryzen 9 7950X
MSRP: $194|Avg: $20
45706%
#2
Core i9-10900T
MSRP: $120|Avg: $5
43188%
#3
Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE
MSRP: $423|Avg: $5
31358%
#4
Ryzen Threadripper 3960X
MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85
9447%
#5
Ryzen 9 9950X
MSRP: $649|Avg: $129
7483%
#6
Ryzen 5 8400F
MSRP: $303|Avg: $55
6546%
#7
Ryzen 7 PRO 2700
MSRP: $299|Avg: $60
3749%
#8
Ryzen 5 2600X
MSRP: $229|Avg: $55
3700%
#9
Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G
MSRP: $150|Avg: $60
3369%
#10
Core Ultra 5 245KF
MSRP: $294|Avg: $189
3369%
#11
Ryzen 5 5500
MSRP: $159|Avg: $85
3331%
#12
Ryzen 5 3600
MSRP: $199|Avg: $80
3241%
#13
Core i3-9100E
MSRP: $202|Avg: $30
3196%
#14
Core Ultra 5 245K
MSRP: $319|Avg: $200
3183%
#15
Core i3-8300T
MSRP: $138|Avg: $25
3154%
#1052
Core i7-980X
MSRP: $999|Avg: $150
100%
#1053
Athlon 64 X2 3600+
MSRP: $150|Avg: $10
100%
#1054
Core 2 Duo E6420
MSRP: $183|Avg: $10
99%
#1055
Pentium D 940
MSRP: $132|Avg: $15
97%
#1056
Phenom X4 9600B
MSRP: $278|Avg: $20
97%
#1057
Phenom II X3 B77
MSRP: $281|Avg: $35
96%
#1058
Core 2 Duo E6300
MSRP: $163|Avg: $5
95%
#1059
Core 2 Duo E6400
MSRP: $183|Avg: $10
94%
#1060
Core 2 Duo E8300
MSRP: $163|Avg: $20
93%
#1061
Phenom X4 9500
MSRP: $247|Avg: $30
93%
#1062
Celeron D 352
MSRP: $69|Avg: $15
89%
#1063
Core i7-970
MSRP: $1083|Avg: $289
89%
#1064
Core i7-880
MSRP: $583|Avg: $40
86%
#1065
Pentium D 820
MSRP: $241|Avg: $20
86%
#1066
Celeron 2.10
MSRP: $49|Avg: $49
85%
#1067
Core i7-950
MSRP: $562|Avg: $15
85%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Use Case Distinction: This is a comparison between a Professional Workstation processor ($0) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon D-1528 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.
InsightXeon D-1528Core i7-980X
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Better multi-core power
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($150)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Broadwell (2015−2019) / 14 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Gulftown (2010−2011) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-980X ($150), however, is optimized for mixed workloads and gaming. For most users, it offers superior single-thread performance and responsiveness at a fraction of the cost ($150 less, Infinity% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.
InsightXeon D-1528Core i7-980X
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($150)

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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon D-1528 and Core i7-980X

Intel

Xeon D-1528

The Xeon D-1528 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 November 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Broadwell (2015−2019) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 1.9 GHz, with boost up to 2.5 GHz. L3 cache: 1.5 MB (per core). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1667. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 6,823 points. Launch price was $320.

Intel

Core i7-980X

The Core i7-980X is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 16 March 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Gulftown (2010−2011) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.33 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1366. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 6,817 points. Launch price was $959.

Processing Power

Both the Xeon D-1528 and Core i7-980X share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.5 GHz on the Xeon D-1528 versus 3.6 GHz on the Core i7-980X — a 36.1% clock advantage for the Core i7-980X (base: 1.9 GHz vs 3.33 GHz). The Xeon D-1528 uses the Broadwell (2015−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i7-980X uses Gulftown (2010−2011) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon D-1528 scores 6,823 against the Core i7-980X's 6,817 — a 0.1% lead for the Xeon D-1528. L3 cache: 1.5 MB (per core) on the Xeon D-1528 vs 12 MB (total) on the Core i7-980X.

FeatureXeon D-1528Core i7-980X
Cores / Threads
6 / 12
6 / 12
Boost Clock
2.5 GHz
3.6 GHz+44%
Base Clock
1.9 GHz
3.33 GHz+75%
L3 Cache
1.5 MB (per core)
12 MB (total)+700%
L2 Cache
256K (per core)
256 kB (per core)
Process
14 nm-56%
32 nm
Architecture
Broadwell (2015−2019)
Gulftown (2010−2011)
PassMark
6,823
6,817
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon D-1528 uses the FCBGA1667 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-980X uses LGA1366 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureXeon D-1528Core i7-980X
Socket
FCBGA1667
LGA1366
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0+50%
PCIe 2.0