Xeon E3-1220 v2
VS
Core i5-4460S

Xeon E3-1220 v2 vs Core i5-4460S

Intel

Xeon E3-1220 v2

4 Cores4 Thrd69 WWMax: 3.5 GHz2012
VS
Intel

Core i5-4460S

4 Cores4 Thrd65 WWMax: 3.4 GHz2014

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 E3-1220 v2 is positioned at rank 581 and the Core i5-4460S is on rank 677, so the Xeon E3-1220 v2 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 E3-1220 v2

#1
Xeon Platinum 8454H
MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A
8881%
#6
Xeon Gold 6240R
MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A
1677%
#10
Xeon 6337P
MSRP: $60|Avg: $5
1490%
#15
EPYC 9174F
MSRP: $194|Avg: $30
1151%
#351
Xeon W-2295
MSRP: $1333|Avg: $1400
99%
#352
Xeon 6741P
MSRP: $4421|Avg: $3780
97%
#353
EPYC 7452
MSRP: $2025|Avg: $2025
97%
#354
EPYC 7502P
MSRP: $2300|Avg: $1299
95%
#355
Xeon w7-3455
MSRP: $2489|Avg: $2625
94%
#581
Xeon E3-1220 v2
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#583
Xeon E3-1245 v2
MSRP: $273|Avg: $204
100%
#590
Xeon W-2125
MSRP: $444|Avg: $42
96%
#592
EPYC 7261
MSRP: $501|Avg: $8
95%
#594
Xeon E5-1620 v2
MSRP: $294|Avg: $50
95%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i5-4460S

#1
Ryzen 9 7950X
MSRP: $194|Avg: $20
12215%
#2
Core i9-10900T
MSRP: $120|Avg: $5
11542%
#3
Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE
MSRP: $423|Avg: $5
8380%
#4
Ryzen Threadripper 3960X
MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85
2525%
#5
Ryzen 9 9950X
MSRP: $649|Avg: $129
2000%
#6
Ryzen 5 8400F
MSRP: $303|Avg: $55
1749%
#7
Ryzen 7 PRO 2700
MSRP: $299|Avg: $60
1002%
#8
Ryzen 5 2600X
MSRP: $229|Avg: $55
989%
#9
Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G
MSRP: $150|Avg: $60
900%
#10
Core Ultra 5 245KF
MSRP: $294|Avg: $189
900%
#11
Ryzen 5 5500
MSRP: $159|Avg: $85
890%
#12
Ryzen 5 3600
MSRP: $199|Avg: $80
866%
#13
Core i3-9100E
MSRP: $202|Avg: $30
854%
#14
Core Ultra 5 245K
MSRP: $319|Avg: $200
851%
#15
Core i3-8300T
MSRP: $138|Avg: $25
843%
#676
Core i7-6700K
MSRP: $350|Avg: $142
100%
#677
Core i5-4460S
MSRP: $182|Avg: $50
100%
#679
Pentium G3420T
MSRP: $75|Avg: $40
100%
#680
Core i5-3570
MSRP: $194|Avg: $35
100%
#681
Pentium G3450T
MSRP: $75|Avg: $45
99%
#682
Celeron E3200
MSRP: $43|Avg: $5
99%
#683
Core i5-3470
MSRP: $184|Avg: $55
99%
#684
Core i5-3450S
MSRP: $174|Avg: $20
99%
#685
Core i7-5820K
MSRP: $389|Avg: $103
99%
#686
Core i3-4330
MSRP: $138|Avg: $60
99%
#688
Core i7-7700T
MSRP: $303|Avg: $75
97%
#689
Core i3-4150T
MSRP: $117|Avg: $30
97%
#690
Core i7-3770S
MSRP: $250|Avg: $250
97%
#691
Core i7-6800K
MSRP: $434|Avg: $120
97%
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 E3-1220 v2 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.
InsightXeon E3-1220 v2Core i5-4460S
Gaming
Superior gaming performance
Lower gaming performance
Workstation
Better multi-core power
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($50)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i5-4460S ($50), 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 ($50 less, Infinity% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.
InsightXeon E3-1220 v2Core i5-4460S
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($50)

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 E3-1220 v2 and Core i5-4460S

Intel

Xeon E3-1220 v2

The Xeon E3-1220 v2 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 14 May 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 69 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 4,680 points. Launch price was $220.

Intel

Core i5-4460S

The Core i5-4460S is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 May 2014 (11 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1150. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-1333/1600, DDR3L-1333/1600. Passmark benchmark score: 4,645 points. Launch price was $182.

Processing Power

Both the Xeon E3-1220 v2 and Core i5-4460S share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.5 GHz on the Xeon E3-1220 v2 versus 3.4 GHz on the Core i5-4460S — a 2.9% clock advantage for the Xeon E3-1220 v2 (base: 3.1 GHz vs 2.9 GHz). The Xeon E3-1220 v2 uses the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture (22 nm), while the Core i5-4460S uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E3-1220 v2 scores 4,680 against the Core i5-4460S's 4,645 — a 0.8% lead for the Xeon E3-1220 v2. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Xeon E3-1220 v2 vs 6 MB (total) on the Core i5-4460S.

FeatureXeon E3-1220 v2Core i5-4460S
Cores / Threads
4 / 4
4 / 4
Boost Clock
3.5 GHz+3%
3.4 GHz
Base Clock
3.1 GHz+7%
2.9 GHz
L3 Cache
8 MB (total)+33%
6 MB (total)
L2 Cache
256 kB (per core)
256 kB (per core)
Process
22 nm
22 nm
Architecture
Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)
Haswell (2013−2015)
PassMark
4,680
4,645
Geekbench 6 Single
847
Geekbench 6 Multi
2,614
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon E3-1220 v2 uses the LGA1155 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i5-4460S uses LGA1150 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureXeon E3-1220 v2Core i5-4460S
Socket
LGA1155
LGA1150
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0
PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed
DDR3-1600
Max RAM Capacity
32 GB
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
16
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Xeon E3-1220 v2) / VT-x (Core i5-4460S). The Core i5-4460S includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics 4600), while the Xeon E3-1220 v2 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-4460S targets Office Desktop.

FeatureXeon E3-1220 v2Core i5-4460S
Integrated GPU
Yes
IGPU Model
Intel HD Graphics 4600
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
VT-x
Target Use
Office Desktop