Xeon E3-1226 v3
VS
Core i5-4690

Xeon E3-1226 v3 vs Core i5-4690

Intel

Xeon E3-1226 v3

4 Cores4 Thrd84 WWMax: 3.7 GHz2014
VS
Intel

Core i5-4690

4 Cores4 Thrd84 WWMax: 3.9 GHz2014

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 E3-1226 v3 is positioned at rank 521 and the Core i5-4690 is on rank 786, 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

#1
Xeon Platinum 8454H
MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A
7516%
#6
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 i5-4690

#1
Ryzen 9 7950X
MSRP: $194|Avg: $20
15183%
#2
Core i9-10900T
MSRP: $120|Avg: $5
14347%
#3
Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE
MSRP: $423|Avg: $5
10417%
#4
Ryzen Threadripper 3960X
MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85
3138%
#5
Ryzen 9 9950X
MSRP: $649|Avg: $129
2486%
#6
Ryzen 5 8400F
MSRP: $303|Avg: $55
2175%
#7
Ryzen 7 PRO 2700
MSRP: $299|Avg: $60
1245%
#8
Ryzen 5 2600X
MSRP: $229|Avg: $55
1229%
#9
Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G
MSRP: $150|Avg: $60
1119%
#10
Core Ultra 5 245KF
MSRP: $294|Avg: $189
1119%
#11
Ryzen 5 5500
MSRP: $159|Avg: $85
1107%
#12
Ryzen 5 3600
MSRP: $199|Avg: $80
1077%
#13
Core i3-9100E
MSRP: $202|Avg: $30
1062%
#14
Core Ultra 5 245K
MSRP: $319|Avg: $200
1057%
#15
Core i3-8300T
MSRP: $138|Avg: $25
1048%
#294
Core i9-7920X
MSRP: $1199|Avg: $236
96%
#393
Core i3-9300T
MSRP: $309|Avg: $309
100%
#394
Ryzen 3 2200GE
MSRP: $300|Avg: $300
96%
#786
Core i5-4690
MSRP: $272|Avg: $120
100%
#787
FX-6120
MSRP: $188|Avg: $54
100%
#788
Core i7-6700TE
MSRP: $303|Avg: $175
100%
#789
Athlon II X4 620
MSRP: $99|Avg: $15
100%
#791
Core i7-3820
MSRP: $286|Avg: $30
99%
#792
Athlon II X3 425
MSRP: $79|Avg: $5
98%
#793
Athlon II X2 255
MSRP: $60|Avg: $10
98%
#794
Core i3-3245
MSRP: $120|Avg: $50
98%
#796
FX-4170
MSRP: $157|Avg: $23
97%
#798
Athlon II X3 415e
MSRP: $75|Avg: $15
96%
#799
Core i5-2300
MSRP: $177|Avg: $17
96%
#800
Core i7-4820K
MSRP: $332|Avg: $40
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.
InsightXeon E3-1226 v3Core i5-4690
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($120)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Haswell-WS (2013−2014) / 22 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i5-4690 ($120), 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 ($120 less, Infinity% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.
InsightXeon E3-1226 v3Core i5-4690
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($120)

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 E3-1226 v3 and Core i5-4690

Intel

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.

Intel

Core i5-4690

The Core i5-4690 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 May 2014 (11 years ago). It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (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 $346.

Processing Power

Both the Xeon E3-1226 v3 and Core i5-4690 share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.7 GHz on the Xeon E3-1226 v3 versus 3.9 GHz on the Core i5-4690 — a 5.3% clock advantage for the Core i5-4690 (base: 3.3 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Xeon E3-1226 v3 uses the Haswell-WS (2013−2014) architecture (22 nm), while the Core i5-4690 uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E3-1226 v3 scores 5,529 against the Core i5-4690's 5,584 — a 1% lead for the Core i5-4690. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Xeon E3-1226 v3 vs 6 MB (total) on the Core i5-4690.

FeatureXeon E3-1226 v3Core i5-4690
Cores / Threads
4 / 4
4 / 4
Boost Clock
3.7 GHz
3.9 GHz+5%
Base Clock
3.3 GHz
3.5 GHz+6%
L3 Cache
8 MB (total)+33%
6 MB (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
🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the LGA1150 socket with PCIe 3.0.

FeatureXeon E3-1226 v3Core i5-4690
Socket
LGA1150
LGA1150
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0
PCIe 3.0