Xeon E3-1225 v3
VS
Core i5-6440EQ

Xeon E3-1225 v3 vs Core i5-6440EQ

Intel

Xeon E3-1225 v3

4 Cores4 Thrd84 WWMax: 3.6 GHz2013
VS
Intel

Core i5-6440EQ

4 Cores4 Thrd45 WWMax: 2.7 GHz2015

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 E3-1225 v3 is positioned at rank 575 and the Core i5-6440EQ is on rank 765, so the Xeon E3-1225 v3 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 E3-1225 v3

#1
Xeon Platinum 8454H
MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A
8743%
#6
Xeon Gold 6240R
MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A
1651%
#10
Xeon 6337P
MSRP: $60|Avg: $5
1467%
#15
EPYC 9174F
MSRP: $194|Avg: $30
1133%
#348
Xeon Gold 6426Y
MSRP: $2145|Avg: N/A
99%
#349
EPYC 4565P
MSRP: $2730|Avg: $1980
99%
#351
Xeon W-2295
MSRP: $1333|Avg: $1400
98%
#352
Xeon 6741P
MSRP: $4421|Avg: $3780
96%
#353
EPYC 7452
MSRP: $2025|Avg: $2025
95%
#575
Xeon E3-1225 v3
MSRP: $224|Avg: $29
100%
#577
Xeon E5-1620 v3
MSRP: $294|Avg: $189
100%
#583
Xeon E3-1245 v2
MSRP: $273|Avg: $204
98%
#590
Xeon W-2125
MSRP: $444|Avg: $42
95%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i5-6440EQ

#1
Ryzen 9 7950X
MSRP: $194|Avg: $20
14621%
#2
Core i9-10900T
MSRP: $120|Avg: $5
13815%
#3
Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE
MSRP: $423|Avg: $5
10031%
#4
Ryzen Threadripper 3960X
MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85
3022%
#5
Ryzen 9 9950X
MSRP: $649|Avg: $129
2394%
#6
Ryzen 5 8400F
MSRP: $303|Avg: $55
2094%
#7
Ryzen 7 PRO 2700
MSRP: $299|Avg: $60
1199%
#8
Ryzen 5 2600X
MSRP: $229|Avg: $55
1184%
#9
Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G
MSRP: $150|Avg: $60
1078%
#10
Core Ultra 5 245KF
MSRP: $294|Avg: $189
1078%
#11
Ryzen 5 5500
MSRP: $159|Avg: $85
1066%
#12
Ryzen 5 3600
MSRP: $199|Avg: $80
1037%
#13
Core i3-9100E
MSRP: $202|Avg: $30
1022%
#14
Core Ultra 5 245K
MSRP: $319|Avg: $200
1018%
#15
Core i3-8300T
MSRP: $138|Avg: $25
1009%
#291
Core i9-7900X
MSRP: $999|Avg: $188
98%
#765
Core i5-6440EQ
MSRP: $250|Avg: $150
100%
#767
Core i5-4590T
MSRP: $192|Avg: $130
99%
#769
Celeron G530T
MSRP: $50|Avg: $17
99%
#770
Core i7-4770K
MSRP: $339|Avg: $100
99%
#771
A10-9700
MSRP: $169|Avg: $40
99%
#772
Core i5-2400
MSRP: $184|Avg: $25
99%
#773
Core i7-5775C
MSRP: $366|Avg: $150
99%
#775
Pentium G2140
MSRP: $100|Avg: $95
98%
#776
Core i7-4790T
MSRP: $303|Avg: $102
98%
#777
Core i5-2320
MSRP: $177|Avg: $22
98%
#778
Pentium G2030
MSRP: $85|Avg: $85
98%
#779
Celeron E3500
MSRP: $62|Avg: $10
98%
#780
Athlon II X2 260
MSRP: $60|Avg: $12
98%
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 ($29) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon E3-1225 v3 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.
InsightXeon E3-1225 v3Core i5-6440EQ
Gaming
Superior gaming performance
Lower gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
More affordable ($29)
⚠️ Higher cost ($150)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Haswell-WS (2013−2014) / 22 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Skylake (2015−2016) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i5-6440EQ ($150), 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 ($121 less, 417% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.
InsightXeon E3-1225 v3Core i5-6440EQ
Cost Efficiency
Better overall value (+417%)
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
More affordable ($29)
⚠️ Higher cost ($150)

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 E3-1225 v3 and Core i5-6440EQ

Intel

Xeon E3-1225 v3

The Xeon E3-1225 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 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 8192 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1150. Thermal design power (TDP): 84 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 5,324 points. Launch price was $384.

Intel

Core i5-6440EQ

The Core i5-6440EQ is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 12 October 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Max frequency: 2.7 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: LPDDR3-1866. Passmark benchmark score: 5,329 points. Launch price was $250.

Processing Power

Both the Xeon E3-1225 v3 and Core i5-6440EQ share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.6 GHz on the Xeon E3-1225 v3 versus 2.7 GHz on the Core i5-6440EQ — a 28.6% clock advantage for the Xeon E3-1225 v3. The Xeon E3-1225 v3 uses the Haswell-WS (2013−2014) architecture (22 nm), while the Core i5-6440EQ uses Skylake (2015−2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E3-1225 v3 scores 5,324 against the Core i5-6440EQ's 5,329 — a 0.1% lead for the Core i5-6440EQ. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 2,000 vs 3,500 (54.5% advantage for the Core i5-6440EQ). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,108 vs 900, a 20.7% lead for the Xeon E3-1225 v3 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 3,324 vs 3,136 (5.8% advantage for the Xeon E3-1225 v3). L3 cache: 8192 kB (total) on the Xeon E3-1225 v3 vs 6 MB on the Core i5-6440EQ.

FeatureXeon E3-1225 v3Core i5-6440EQ
Cores / Threads
4 / 4
4 / 4
Boost Clock
3.6 GHz+33%
2.7 GHz
Base Clock
3.2 GHz
L3 Cache
8192 kB (total)+33%
6 MB
L2 Cache
256 kB (per core)
1 MB+300%
Process
22 nm
14 nm-36%
Architecture
Haswell-WS (2013−2014)
Skylake (2015−2016)
PassMark
5,324
5,329
Cinebench R23 Multi
2,000
3,500+75%
Geekbench 6 Single
1,108+23%
900
Geekbench 6 Multi
3,324+6%
3,136
🧠

Memory & Platform

Maximum memory speed reaches DDR3-1600 on the Xeon E3-1225 v3 versus DDR4-2133 on the Core i5-6440EQ — the Core i5-6440EQ supports 28.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Core i5-6440EQ supports up to 64 GB of RAM compared to 32 GB 66.7% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 16 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: C226,B85,Q87,H81,Z87 (Xeon E3-1225 v3) and QM170,HM170 (Core i5-6440EQ).

FeatureXeon E3-1225 v3Core i5-6440EQ
Socket
LGA1150
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0
PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed
DDR3-1600
DDR4-2133+33%
Max RAM Capacity
32 GB
64 GB+100%
RAM Channels
2
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
16
16
🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Both support VT-x, VT-d virtualization. Both include integrated graphics HD Graphics P4600 (Xeon E3-1225 v3) and HD Graphics 530 (Core i5-6440EQ) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Xeon E3-1225 v3 targets Workstation, Core i5-6440EQ targets Workstation. Direct competitor: Xeon E3-1225 v3 rivals Core i5-4570.

FeatureXeon E3-1225 v3Core i5-6440EQ
Integrated GPU
Yes
Yes
IGPU Model
HD Graphics P4600
HD Graphics 530
Unlocked
No
No
AVX-512
No
No
Virtualization
VT-x, VT-d
VT-x, VT-d
Target Use
Workstation
Workstation
💰

Value Analysis

The Xeon E3-1225 v3 launched at $224 MSRP, while the Core i5-6440EQ debuted at $250. At current prices ($29 vs $150), the Xeon E3-1225 v3 is $121 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Xeon E3-1225 v3 delivers 183.6 pts/$ vs 35.5 pts/$ for the Core i5-6440EQ — making the Xeon E3-1225 v3 the 135.1% better value option.

FeatureXeon E3-1225 v3Core i5-6440EQ
MSRP
$224-10%
$250
Avg Price (30d)
$29-81%
$150
Performance per Dollar
183.6+417%
35.5
Release Date
2013
2015