Xeon E3-1225 vs Core i5-3330S

Xeon E3-1225

4 Cores4 Thrd95 WWMax: 3.4 GHz2011

Core i5-3330S

4 Cores4 Thrd77 WWMax: 3.2 GHz2012

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Xeon E3-1225

4 / 4

3,903

0.0%

3,915

+0.3%

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 is positioned at rank 654 and the Core i5-3330S is on rank 866, so the Xeon E3-1225 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

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

11930%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

2253%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

2001%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

1546%

#386

Xeon w9-3475X

MSRP: $3739|Avg: $3930

100%

#388

EPYC 9254

MSRP: $3761|Avg: $1099

98%

#389

Xeon Gold 5220R

MSRP: $1780|Avg: $1015

98%

#390

EPYC 9555P

MSRP: $7983|Avg: $6130

97%

#391

Xeon Gold 5218

MSRP: $1273|Avg: $500

97%

#392

EPYC 9374F

MSRP: $4850|Avg: $3466

97%

#393

Xeon Gold 6448Y

MSRP: $3583|Avg: N/A

97%

#394

EPYC 9454

MSRP: $5225|Avg: $576

97%

#654

Xeon E3-1225

MSRP: $224|Avg: $205

100%

#669

Xeon E5645

MSRP: $294|Avg: N/A

96%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i5-3330S

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

18390%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

17377%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

12617%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

3801%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

3011%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

2634%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

1509%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

1489%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

1356%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

1356%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

1340%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

1304%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

1286%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

1281%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

1269%

#298

Core i9-7960X

MSRP: $1699|Avg: $185

97%

#866

Core i5-3330S

MSRP: $231|Avg: $30

100%

#867

Celeron G465

MSRP: $70|Avg: $37

100%

#868

Athlon II X4 630

MSRP: $129|Avg: $15

99%

#869

A6-7400K

MSRP: $101|Avg: $43

98%

#870

Core i7-4765T

MSRP: $303|Avg: $50

98%

#871

Core i7-4770TE

MSRP: $303|Avg: $303

98%

#872

Core i5-4570T

MSRP: $195|Avg: $45

98%

#873

Athlon II X2 260u

MSRP: $60|Avg: $10

97%

#875

A4-3420

MSRP: $65|Avg: $30

97%

#876

Core i5-5675R

MSRP: $339|Avg: $392

97%

#877

Pentium G3470

MSRP: $150|Avg: $130

96%

#878

Core i5-3335S

MSRP: $225|Avg: $30

96%

#879

Core i5-3470T

MSRP: $184|Avg: $35

96%

#881

Pentium G6960

MSRP: $89|Avg: $15

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 ($205) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon E3-1225 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Xeon E3-1225	Core i5-3330S
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($205)	✅ More affordable ($30)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i5-3330S ($30), 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 ($175 less, 85% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Xeon E3-1225	Core i5-3330S
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+585%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($205)	✅ More affordable ($30)

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 E3-1225 Benchmark Check

Core i5-3330S Benchmark Check

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E3-1225 and Core i5-3330S

Xeon E3-1225

The Xeon E3-1225 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: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,903 points. Launch price was $150.

Core i5-3330S

The Core i5-3330S 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 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 3,915 points. Launch price was $231.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Xeon E3-1225 and Core i5-3330S share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.4 GHz on the Xeon E3-1225 versus 3.2 GHz on the Core i5-3330S — a 6.1% clock advantage for the Xeon E3-1225 (base: 3.1 GHz vs 2.7 GHz). The Xeon E3-1225 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Core i5-3330S uses Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E3-1225 scores 3,903 against the Core i5-3330S's 3,915 — a 0.3% lead for the Core i5-3330S. Both processors carry 6 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Xeon E3-1225	Core i5-3330S
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	4 / 4
Boost Clock	3.4 GHz+6%	3.2 GHz
Base Clock	3.1 GHz+15%	2.7 GHz
L3 Cache	6 MB (total)	6 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	3,903	3,915

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the LGA1155 socket with PCIe 2.0.

Feature	Xeon E3-1225	Core i5-3330S
Socket	LGA1155	LGA1155
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 3.0+50%

💰

Value Analysis

The Xeon E3-1225 launched at $224 MSRP, while the Core i5-3330S debuted at $231. At current prices ($205 vs $30), the Core i5-3330S is $175 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Xeon E3-1225 delivers 19.0 pts/$ vs 130.5 pts/$ for the Core i5-3330S — making the Core i5-3330S the 149.1% better value option.