Xeon E3-1220 v3 vs Xeon E5-1607 v4

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 v3 is positioned at rank 548 and the Xeon E5-1607 v4 is on rank 538, so the Xeon E5-1607 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 Xeon E3-1220 v3

#1

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

8147%

#6

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

1538%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

1367%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

1056%

#333

Xeon Gold 5317

MSRP: $1088|Avg: $1100

99%

#334

Xeon W-2275

MSRP: $1112|Avg: $500

99%

#335

Xeon Gold 6430

MSRP: $2128|Avg: $1850

98%

#336

Xeon Gold 6421N

MSRP: $2368|Avg: $2427

97%

#337

EPYC 7F72

MSRP: $2131|Avg: $2131

97%

#338

Xeon W-2265

MSRP: $1039|Avg: $663

97%

#339

Xeon w7-3555

MSRP: $2749|Avg: $2199

97%

#340

Xeon w7-3445

MSRP: $1989|Avg: $2596

97%

#548

Xeon E3-1220 v3

MSRP: $203|Avg: $89

100%

#551

Xeon W-2102

MSRP: $202|Avg: $286

99%

#553

Xeon E3-1265L v2

MSRP: $265|Avg: N/A

99%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5-1607 v4

#1

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

7996%

#6

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

1510%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

1341%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

1036%

#329

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9975WX

MSRP: $4099|Avg: $4182

100%

#331

EPYC 7402

MSRP: $1783|Avg: $2285

99%

#332

Xeon W-2235

MSRP: $555|Avg: $350

99%

#333

Xeon Gold 5317

MSRP: $1088|Avg: $1100

97%

#538

Xeon E5-1607 v4

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#543

Xeon W3670

MSRP: $250|Avg: $250

99%

#547

Xeon E3-1240 v2

MSRP: $250|Avg: $150

98%

#548

Xeon E3-1220 v3

MSRP: $203|Avg: $89

98%

#551

Xeon W-2102

MSRP: $202|Avg: $286

97%

#553

Xeon E3-1265L v2

MSRP: $265|Avg: N/A

97%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Xeon E3-1220 v3 leads in gaming performance. However, the Xeon E5-1607 v4 is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.4% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Xeon E3-1220 v3	Xeon E5-1607 v4
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($89)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Haswell-WS (2013−2014) / 22 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Broadwell (2015−2019) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Xeon E3-1220 v3	Xeon E5-1607 v4
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($89)	✅ More affordable ($0)

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.

Xeon E3-1220 v3 Benchmark Check

Xeon E5-1607 v4 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E3-1220 v3 and Xeon E5-1607 v4

Xeon E3-1220 v3

The Xeon E3-1220 v3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 June 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Haswell-WS (2013−2014) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 8192 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1150. Thermal design power (TDP): 80 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 5,178 points. Launch price was $239.

Xeon E5-1607 v4

The Xeon E5-1607 v4 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Broadwell (2015−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.1 GHz. L3 cache: 10 MB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011-3. Thermal design power (TDP): 140 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866, DDR4-2133. Passmark benchmark score: 5,197 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Xeon E3-1220 v3 and Xeon E5-1607 v4 share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.5 GHz on the Xeon E3-1220 v3 versus 3.1 GHz on the Xeon E5-1607 v4 — a 12.1% clock advantage for the Xeon E3-1220 v3 (base: 3.1 GHz vs 3.1 GHz). The Xeon E3-1220 v3 uses the Haswell-WS (2013−2014) architecture (22 nm), while the Xeon E5-1607 v4 uses Broadwell (2015−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E3-1220 v3 scores 5,178 against the Xeon E5-1607 v4's 5,197 — a 0.4% lead for the Xeon E5-1607 v4. L3 cache: 8192 kB (total) on the Xeon E3-1220 v3 vs 10 MB on the Xeon E5-1607 v4.

Feature	Xeon E3-1220 v3	Xeon E5-1607 v4
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	4 / 4
Boost Clock	3.5 GHz+13%	3.1 GHz
Base Clock	3.1 GHz	3.1 GHz
L3 Cache	8192 kB (total)	10 MB+25%
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	1 MB+300%
Process	22 nm	14 nm-36%
Architecture	Haswell-WS (2013−2014)	Broadwell (2015−2019)
PassMark	5,178	5,197

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon E3-1220 v3 uses the LGA1150 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E5-1607 v4 uses LGA2011-3 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.