Xeon E3-1220 v6
VS
Ryzen 7 3700X

Xeon E3-1220 v6 vs Ryzen 7 3700X

Intel

Xeon E3-1220 v6

4 Cores4 Thrd72 WWMax: 3.5 GHz2017
VS
AMD

Ryzen 7 3700X

8 Cores16 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.4 GHz2019

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. The Xeon E3-1220 v6 is positioned at rank #718 in our cost-efficiency ranking, representing a Lower cost-benefit for your build. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

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 v6

#1
Xeon Platinum 8454H
MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A
13836%
#6
Xeon Gold 6240R
MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A
2612%
#10
Xeon 6337P
MSRP: $60|Avg: $5
2321%
#15
EPYC 9174F
MSRP: $194|Avg: $30
1793%
#419
Xeon 6736P
MSRP: $3351|Avg: $3351
99%
#420
EPYC 9655P
MSRP: $10811|Avg: $7958
99%
#421
EPYC 9554P
MSRP: $7104|Avg: $3052
98%
#423
Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5995WX
MSRP: $6499|Avg: $3444
97%
#424
Xeon W-2155
MSRP: $1440|Avg: $150
96%
#425
Xeon 6740E
MSRP: $5265|Avg: $3949
96%
#718
Xeon E3-1220 v6
MSRP: $372|Avg: $80
100%
#719
Xeon E5-2623 v3
MSRP: $444|Avg: $50
100%
#722
Xeon E5-2620
MSRP: $360|Avg: $89
99%
#728
Xeon E5-2609 v3
MSRP: $306|Avg: $306
97%
#730
Xeon Bronze 3106
MSRP: $395|Avg: $395
97%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Ryzen 7 3700X

#28
Core Ultra 7 265KF
MSRP: $379|Avg: $323
113%
#29
Core Ultra 7 265F
MSRP: $369|Avg: $276
111%
#30
Core i5-12400F
MSRP: $174|Avg: $110
111%
#31
Ryzen 3 PRO 5355G
MSRP: $130|Avg: $80
109%
#32
Ryzen 7 2700X
MSRP: $329|Avg: $100
109%
#33
Core i3-10100F
MSRP: $88|Avg: $50
109%
#34
Ryzen 5 7400F
MSRP: $150|Avg: $147
108%
#35
Ryzen 5 9600X
MSRP: $279|Avg: $178
105%
#36
Ryzen 7 3800X
MSRP: $399|Avg: $140
103%
#37
Ryzen 3 5300G
MSRP: $130|Avg: $80
102%
#38
Ryzen 9 7900X
MSRP: $549|Avg: $316
101%
#39
Ryzen 5 5600X
MSRP: $299|Avg: $135
101%
#40
Core i5-14600KF
MSRP: $304|Avg: $239
101%
#41
Ryzen 7 5800
MSRP: $349|Avg: $160
100%
#42
Core i3-14100F
MSRP: $109|Avg: $96
100%
#43
Ryzen 7 3700X
MSRP: $329|Avg: $140
100%
#44
Ryzen 5 7600X
MSRP: $299|Avg: $178
99%
#45
Ryzen 3 3100
MSRP: $99|Avg: $75
99%
#46
Core i5-13490F
MSRP: $235|Avg: $170
98%
#47
Ryzen 5 5600F
MSRP: $99|Avg: $129
98%
#48
Ryzen 9 PRO 3900
MSRP: $499|Avg: $200
98%
#49
Ryzen 3 4300GE
MSRP: $94|Avg: $72
97%
#50
Ryzen 5 PRO 2400GE
MSRP: $169|Avg: $50
97%
#51
Core Ultra 5 225
MSRP: $240|Avg: $200
97%
#52
Core i5-11500
MSRP: $192|Avg: $110
97%
#53
Core i3-12100F
MSRP: $97|Avg: $90
97%
#54
Core Ultra 7 265
MSRP: $384|Avg: $320
97%
#55
Ryzen 7 5800X
MSRP: $449|Avg: $180
96%
#56
Core i5-11400F
MSRP: $157|Avg: $110
96%
#57
Ryzen 7 5700G
MSRP: $359|Avg: $160
95%
#58
Ryzen 7 5700X
MSRP: $299|Avg: $175
95%
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 ($80) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon E3-1220 v6 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.
InsightXeon E3-1220 v6Ryzen 7 3700X
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
More affordable ($80)
⚠️ Higher cost ($140)
Longevity
✨ Modern (Kaby Lake (2016−2019) / 14 nm)
✨ Modern (Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) / 7 nm, 12 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Ryzen 7 3700X ($140), 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 ($60 less, 75% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.
InsightXeon E3-1220 v6Ryzen 7 3700X
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Better overall value (+129%)
Upfront Cost
More affordable ($80)
⚠️ Higher cost ($140)

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 v6 and Ryzen 7 3700X

Intel

Xeon E3-1220 v6

The Xeon E3-1220 v6 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 28 March 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Kaby Lake (2016−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 72 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400, DDR3L-1866. Passmark benchmark score: 5,589 points. Launch price was $193.

AMD

Ryzen 7 3700X

The Ryzen 7 3700X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 July 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 22,430 points. Launch price was $329.

Processing Power

The Xeon E3-1220 v6 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Ryzen 7 3700X offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen 7 3700X has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.5 GHz on the Xeon E3-1220 v6 versus 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 7 3700X — a 22.8% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 3700X (base: 3 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Xeon E3-1220 v6 uses the Kaby Lake (2016−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 7 3700X uses Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E3-1220 v6 scores 5,589 against the Ryzen 7 3700X's 22,430 — a 120.2% lead for the Ryzen 7 3700X. L3 cache: 8 MB on the Xeon E3-1220 v6 vs 32 MB on the Ryzen 7 3700X.

FeatureXeon E3-1220 v6Ryzen 7 3700X
Cores / Threads
4 / 4
8 / 16+100%
Boost Clock
3.5 GHz
4.4 GHz+26%
Base Clock
3 GHz
3.6 GHz+20%
L3 Cache
8 MB
32 MB+300%
L2 Cache
1 MB+100%
512K (per core)
Process
14 nm
7 nm, 12 nm-50%
Architecture
Kaby Lake (2016−2019)
Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020)
PassMark
5,589
22,430+301%
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon E3-1220 v6 uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 7 3700X uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureXeon E3-1220 v6Ryzen 7 3700X
Socket
LGA1151
AM4
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0
PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed
DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity
128 GB
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
24
💰

Value Analysis

The Xeon E3-1220 v6 launched at $372 MSRP, while the Ryzen 7 3700X debuted at $329. At current prices ($80 vs $140), the Xeon E3-1220 v6 is $60 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Xeon E3-1220 v6 delivers 69.9 pts/$ vs 160.2 pts/$ for the Ryzen 7 3700X — making the Ryzen 7 3700X the 78.5% better value option.

FeatureXeon E3-1220 v6Ryzen 7 3700X
MSRP
$372
$329-12%
Avg Price (30d)
$80-43%
$140
Performance per Dollar
69.9
160.2+129%
Release Date
2017
2019