Xeon E3-1220L vs Core i3-3225

Xeon E3-1220L

2 Cores4 Thrd20 WWMax: 3.4 GHz2011

Core i3-3225

2 Cores4 Thrd55 WWMax: 3.3 GHz2012

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Xeon E3-1220L

2 / 4

2,263

0.0%

2,276

+0.6%

Celeron 847

Core i3-530

Pentium Dual Core T2390

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 E3-1220L is positioned at rank 812 and the Core i3-3225 is on rank 937, so the Xeon E3-1220L 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 E3-1220L

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

17362%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

3278%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

2912%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

2250%

#464

Xeon W-3375

MSRP: $4951|Avg: $6000

100%

#466

Xeon Platinum 8358

MSRP: $4607|Avg: $3145

99%

#467

EPYC 7662

MSRP: $6150|Avg: $1266

98%

#467

EPYC 7713

MSRP: $7060|Avg: $1299

98%

#812

Xeon E3-1220L

MSRP: $189|Avg: $27

100%

#813

Xeon X3450

MSRP: $241|Avg: $39

100%

#817

Xeon W3680

MSRP: $594|Avg: $26

99%

#819

Xeon E5-2640 v3

MSRP: $939|Avg: $189

98%

#824

Xeon E5-1660 v3

MSRP: $1080|Avg: $198

97%

#827

Xeon W3565

MSRP: $294|Avg: $69

96%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i3-3225

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

23561%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

22263%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

16165%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

4870%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

3857%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

3374%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

1933%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

1907%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

1737%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

1737%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

1717%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

1671%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

1648%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

1641%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

1626%

#937

Core i3-3225

MSRP: $172|Avg: $167

100%

#938

Athlon II X3 400e

MSRP: $100|Avg: $10

100%

#939

Athlon II X2 245e

MSRP: $87|Avg: $15

99%

#940

Core i3-3220T

MSRP: $149|Avg: $146

99%

#941

Athlon II X2 240e

MSRP: $77|Avg: $77

99%

#942

Pentium G630T

MSRP: $79|Avg: $15

99%

#944

Core i7-3970X Extreme Edition

MSRP: $990|Avg: $175

98%

#946

Core i5-650

MSRP: $176|Avg: $22

97%

#947

Phenom X3 8600

MSRP: $100|Avg: $20

96%

#948

A10-6790B

MSRP: $122|Avg: $50

96%

#949

Core i3-6100TE

MSRP: $250|Avg: $90

95%

#950

FX-4320

MSRP: $250|Avg: $100

95%

#951

Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition

MSRP: $990|Avg: $150

95%

#952

Celeron E1200

MSRP: $53|Avg: $98

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 ($27) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon E3-1220L is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Xeon E3-1220L	Core i3-3225
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($27)	⚠️ Higher cost ($167)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i3-3225 ($167), 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 ($140 less, 519% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Xeon E3-1220L	Core i3-3225
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+515%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($27)	⚠️ Higher cost ($167)

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 E3-1220L Benchmark Check

Core i3-3225 Benchmark Check

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E3-1220L and Core i3-3225

Xeon E3-1220L

The Xeon E3-1220L is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 20 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,263 points. Launch price was $800.

Core i3-3225

The Core i3-3225 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 September 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.3 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 55 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,276 points. Launch price was $264.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Xeon E3-1220L and Core i3-3225 share an identical 2-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.4 GHz on the Xeon E3-1220L versus 3.3 GHz on the Core i3-3225 — a 3% clock advantage for the Xeon E3-1220L (base: 2.2 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). The Xeon E3-1220L uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Core i3-3225 uses Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E3-1220L scores 2,263 against the Core i3-3225's 2,276 — a 0.6% lead for the Core i3-3225. Both processors carry 3 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Xeon E3-1220L	Core i3-3225
Cores / Threads	2 / 4	2 / 4
Boost Clock	3.4 GHz+3%	3.3 GHz
Base Clock	2.2 GHz	3.3 GHz+50%
L3 Cache	3 MB (total)	3 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	256 kB (per core)
Process	32 nm	22 nm-31%
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)
PassMark	2,263	2,276
Geekbench 6 Single	—	558
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	1,142

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the LGA1155 socket with PCIe 2.0.

Feature	Xeon E3-1220L	Core i3-3225
Socket	LGA1155	LGA1155
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR3-1600
Max RAM Capacity	—	32 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Xeon E3-1220L) / VT-x, EPT (Core i3-3225). The Core i3-3225 includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 4000), while the Xeon E3-1220L requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i3-3225 targets Budget. Direct competitor: Core i3-3225 rivals Phenom II X4 965 BE (125W).

Feature	Xeon E3-1220L	Core i3-3225
Integrated GPU	—	Yes
IGPU Model	—	HD Graphics 4000
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	VT-x, EPT
Target Use	—	Budget

💰

Value Analysis

The Xeon E3-1220L launched at $189 MSRP, while the Core i3-3225 debuted at $172. At current prices ($27 vs $167), the Xeon E3-1220L is $140 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Xeon E3-1220L delivers 83.8 pts/$ vs 13.6 pts/$ for the Core i3-3225 — making the Xeon E3-1220L the 144.1% better value option.