Xeon E3-1220 v2
VS
Core i5-6300HQ

Xeon E3-1220 v2 vs Core i5-6300HQ

Intel

Xeon E3-1220 v2

4 Cores4 Thrd69 WWMax: 3.5 GHz2012
VS
Intel

Core i5-6300HQ

4 Cores4 Thrd45 WWMax: 3.2 GHz2015

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 i5-6300HQ is on rank 212, so the Core i5-6300HQ 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 i5-6300HQ

#57
Ryzen AI 9 365
MSRP: $400|Avg: $400
97%
#200
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
377%
#201
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
371%
#202
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
341%
#203
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
339%
#204
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
336%
#206
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
325%
#207
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
311%
#208
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
311%
#209
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
302%
#212
Core i5-6300HQ
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
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 i5-6300HQ
Gaming
Superior gaming performance
Lower gaming performance
Workstation
Better multi-core power
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price
Equivalent pricing
Equivalent pricing
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Skylake (2015−2016) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i5-6300HQ ($0), 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 ($0 less, NaN% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.
InsightXeon E3-1220 v2Core i5-6300HQ
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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E3-1220 v2 and Core i5-6300HQ

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 i5-6300HQ

The Core i5-6300HQ is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1440. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 4,672 points. Launch price was $250.

Processing Power

Both the Xeon E3-1220 v2 and Core i5-6300HQ share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.5 GHz on the Xeon E3-1220 v2 versus 3.2 GHz on the Core i5-6300HQ — a 9% clock advantage for the Xeon E3-1220 v2 (base: 3.1 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The Xeon E3-1220 v2 uses the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture (22 nm), while the Core i5-6300HQ uses Skylake (2015−2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E3-1220 v2 scores 4,680 against the Core i5-6300HQ's 4,672 — a 0.2% lead for the Xeon E3-1220 v2. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Xeon E3-1220 v2 vs 6 MB on the Core i5-6300HQ.

FeatureXeon E3-1220 v2Core i5-6300HQ
Cores / Threads
4 / 4
4 / 4
Boost Clock
3.5 GHz+9%
3.2 GHz
Base Clock
3.1 GHz+35%
2.3 GHz
L3 Cache
8 MB (total)+33%
6 MB
L2 Cache
256 kB (per core)
1 MB+300%
Process
22 nm
14 nm-36%
Architecture
Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)
Skylake (2015−2016)
PassMark
4,680
4,672
Geekbench 6 Single
1,000
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon E3-1220 v2 uses the LGA1155 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i5-6300HQ uses BGA1440 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureXeon E3-1220 v2Core i5-6300HQ
Socket
LGA1155
BGA1440
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0
PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed
DDR4-2133
Max RAM Capacity
64 GB
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
16
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Xeon E3-1220 v2) / VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-6300HQ). The Core i5-6300HQ includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 530), while the Xeon E3-1220 v2 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-6300HQ targets Gaming Laptop. Direct competitor: Core i5-6300HQ rivals A12-9730P.

FeatureXeon E3-1220 v2Core i5-6300HQ
Integrated GPU
Yes
IGPU Model
HD Graphics 530
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use
Gaming Laptop