Xeon E3-1220 vs Xeon E5-2603 v3
Xeon E3-1220
Xeon E5-2603 v3
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 is positioned at rank 632 and the Xeon E5-2603 v3 is on rank 635, so the Xeon E3-1220 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Xeon E3-1220
Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5-2603 v3
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Xeon E3-1220 | Xeon E5-2603 v3 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower 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) | 🛑 Legacy (Haswell-EP (2014−2015) / 22 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Xeon E3-1220 | Xeon E5-2603 v3 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Xeon E5-2603 v3
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.
Xeon E5-2603 v3
The Xeon E5-2603 v3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture. It features 6 cores and 6 threads. Base frequency is 1.6 GHz, with boost up to 1.6 GHz. L3 cache: 15 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 85 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1600. Passmark benchmark score: 3,825 points. Launch price was $800.
Processing Power
The Xeon E3-1220 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Xeon E5-2603 v3 offers 6 cores / 6 threads — the Xeon E5-2603 v3 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.4 GHz on the Xeon E3-1220 versus 1.6 GHz on the Xeon E5-2603 v3 — a 72% clock advantage for the Xeon E3-1220 (base: 3.1 GHz vs 1.6 GHz). The Xeon E3-1220 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Xeon E5-2603 v3 uses Haswell-EP (2014−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E3-1220 scores 3,859 against the Xeon E5-2603 v3's 3,825 — a 0.9% lead for the Xeon E3-1220. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Xeon E3-1220 vs 15 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-2603 v3.
| Feature | Xeon E3-1220 | Xeon E5-2603 v3 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4 | 6 / 6+50% |
| Boost Clock | 3.4 GHz+112% | 1.6 GHz |
| Base Clock | 3.1 GHz+94% | 1.6 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 8 MB (total) | 15 MB (total)+88% |
| L2 Cache | 256 kB (per core) | 256K (per core) |
| Process | 32 nm | 22 nm-31% |
| Architecture | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) | Haswell-EP (2014−2015) |
| PassMark | 3,859 | 3,825 |
Memory & Platform
The Xeon E3-1220 uses the LGA1155 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Xeon E5-2603 v3 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Xeon E3-1220 | Xeon E5-2603 v3 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1155 | LGA2011 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 3.0+50% |
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