Xeon E3-1226 v3 vs Core i5-4670K

Xeon E3-1226 v3

4 Cores4 Thrd84 WWMax: 3.7 GHz2014

Core i5-4670K

4 Cores4 Thrd84 WWMax: 3.8 GHz2013

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Xeon E3-1226 v3

4 / 4

5,529

0.0%

5,584

+1.0%

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 E3-1226 v3 is positioned at rank 521 and the Core i5-4670K is on rank 865, so the Xeon E3-1226 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 E3-1226 v3

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

7516%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

1419%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

1261%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

974%

#321

Xeon W-3335

MSRP: $1430|Avg: $1200

99%

#322

EPYC 9354P

MSRP: $2730|Avg: $2205

99%

#323

EPYC 9224

MSRP: $1825|Avg: $1199

96%

#324

Xeon Gold 6423N

MSRP: $2161|Avg: $2161

96%

#325

Xeon w7-3565X

MSRP: $2689|Avg: $2850

95%

#326

Xeon W-1290TE

MSRP: $552|Avg: $552

95%

#521

Xeon E3-1226 v3

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#535

Xeon E3-1241 v3

MSRP: $273|Avg: $27

95%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i5-4670K

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

18315%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

17306%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

12565%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

3785%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

2998%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

2623%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

1502%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

1483%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

1350%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

1350%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

1335%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

1299%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

1281%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

1275%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

1264%

#298

Core i9-7960X

MSRP: $1699|Avg: $185

97%

#865

Core i5-4670K

MSRP: $328|Avg: $200

100%

#866

Core i5-3330S

MSRP: $231|Avg: $30

100%

#867

Celeron G465

MSRP: $70|Avg: $37

99%

#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

97%

#871

Core i7-4770TE

MSRP: $303|Avg: $303

97%

#872

Core i5-4570T

MSRP: $195|Avg: $45

97%

#873

Athlon II X2 260u

MSRP: $60|Avg: $10

97%

#875

A4-3420

MSRP: $65|Avg: $30

96%

#876

Core i5-5675R

MSRP: $339|Avg: $392

96%

#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%

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 ($0) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon E3-1226 v3 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Xeon E3-1226 v3	Core i5-4670K
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($200)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Haswell-WS (2013−2014) / 22 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i5-4670K ($200), 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 ($200 less, Infinity% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Xeon E3-1226 v3	Core i5-4670K
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($200)

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 E3-1226 v3 Benchmark Check

Core i5-4670K Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E3-1226 v3 and Core i5-4670K

Xeon E3-1226 v3

The Xeon E3-1226 v3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 May 2014 (11 years ago). It is based on the Haswell-WS (2013−2014) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1150. Thermal design power (TDP): 84 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 5,529 points. Launch price was $213.

Core i5-4670K

The Core i5-4670K is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 June 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 6144 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. Passmark benchmark score: 5,584 points. Launch price was $266.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Xeon E3-1226 v3 and Core i5-4670K share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.7 GHz on the Xeon E3-1226 v3 versus 3.8 GHz on the Core i5-4670K — a 2.7% clock advantage for the Core i5-4670K (base: 3.3 GHz vs 3.4 GHz). The Xeon E3-1226 v3 uses the Haswell-WS (2013−2014) architecture (22 nm), while the Core i5-4670K uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E3-1226 v3 scores 5,529 against the Core i5-4670K's 5,584 — a 1% lead for the Core i5-4670K. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Xeon E3-1226 v3 vs 6144 kB (total) on the Core i5-4670K.

Feature	Xeon E3-1226 v3	Core i5-4670K
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	4 / 4
Boost Clock	3.7 GHz	3.8 GHz+3%
Base Clock	3.3 GHz	3.4 GHz+3%
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)+33%	6144 kB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256 kB (per core)
Process	22 nm	22 nm
Architecture	Haswell-WS (2013−2014)	Haswell (2013−2015)
PassMark	5,529	5,584
Geekbench 6 Single	—	975

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the LGA1150 socket with PCIe 3.0.

Feature	Xeon E3-1226 v3	Core i5-4670K
Socket	LGA1150	LGA1150
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR3-1600
Max RAM Capacity	—	32 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Xeon E3-1226 v3) / VT-x, EPT (Core i5-4670K). The Core i5-4670K includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 4600), while the Xeon E3-1226 v3 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-4670K targets Gaming Desktop. Direct competitor: Core i5-4670K rivals FX-9370.