Xeon E3-1220 vs Pentium Gold G5500
Xeon E3-1220
Pentium Gold G5500
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 is positioned at rank #632 in our cost-efficiency ranking, representing a Lower cost-benefit for your build. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Xeon E3-1220
Performance Per Dollar
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Xeon E3-1220 | Pentium Gold G5500 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm) | ✨ Modern (Coffee Lake (2017−2019) / 14 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Xeon E3-1220 | Pentium Gold G5500 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
Performance Check
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 and Pentium Gold G5500
Xeon E3-1220
The Xeon E3-1220 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 April 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 80 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,859 points. Launch price was $395.
Pentium Gold G5500
The Pentium Gold G5500 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 April 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake (2017−2019) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 54 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 3,846 points. Launch price was $75.
Processing Power
The Xeon E3-1220 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Pentium Gold G5500 offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the Xeon E3-1220 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.4 GHz on the Xeon E3-1220 versus 3.8 GHz on the Pentium Gold G5500 — a 11.1% clock advantage for the Pentium Gold G5500 (base: 3.1 GHz vs 3.8 GHz). The Xeon E3-1220 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Pentium Gold G5500 uses Coffee Lake (2017−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E3-1220 scores 3,859 against the Pentium Gold G5500's 3,846 — a 0.3% lead for the Xeon E3-1220. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Xeon E3-1220 vs 4 MB (total) on the Pentium Gold G5500.
| Feature | Xeon E3-1220 | Pentium Gold G5500 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4+100% | 2 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 3.4 GHz | 3.8 GHz+12% |
| Base Clock | 3.1 GHz | 3.8 GHz+23% |
| L3 Cache | 8 MB (total)+100% | 4 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 256 kB (per core) | 256K (per core) |
| Process | 32 nm | 14 nm-56% |
| Architecture | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) | Coffee Lake (2017−2019) |
| PassMark | 3,859 | 3,846 |
Memory & Platform
The Xeon E3-1220 uses the LGA1155 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Pentium Gold G5500 uses LGA1151 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Xeon E3-1220 | Pentium Gold G5500 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1155 | LGA1151 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 3.0+50% |
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