Xeon E3-1226 v3 vs Core i7-4860EQ

Xeon E3-1226 v3

4 Cores4 Thrd84 WWMax: 3.7 GHz2014

Core i7-4860EQ

4 Cores8 Thrd47 WWMax: 3.2 GHz2014

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Xeon E3-1226 v3

4 / 4

5,529

+0.4%

5,508

0.0%

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 i7-4860EQ is on rank 1021, 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 i7-4860EQ

#1009

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

2312%

#1010

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

2278%

#1011

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

2091%

#1012

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

2082%

#1013

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

2063%

#1015

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

1992%

#1016

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

1910%

#1017

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

1907%

#1018

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

1856%

#1021

Core i7-4860EQ

MSRP: $434|Avg: $80

100%

#1022

Pentium SU2700

MSRP: $100|Avg: $10

100%

#1023

A4-1250

MSRP: $100|Avg: $30

99%

#1025

Core i5-4200M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

98%

#1026

Celeron 1000M

MSRP: $86|Avg: N/A

98%

#1028

Celeron B840

MSRP: $86|Avg: $15

98%

#1029

Celeron M 743

MSRP: $107|Avg: $15

97%

#1030

Core i7-3612QM

MSRP: $378|Avg: N/A

97%

#1031

Pentium 967

MSRP: $134|Avg: $10

96%

#1033

Core i5-4400E

MSRP: $266|Avg: $50

96%

#1034

Pentium Dual Core T4400

MSRP: $107|Avg: $5

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 ($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 i7-4860EQ
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($80)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Haswell-WS (2013−2014) / 22 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Crystalwell (2013−2014) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-4860EQ ($80), 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 ($80 less, Infinity% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Xeon E3-1226 v3	Core i7-4860EQ
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($80)

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 i7-4860EQ Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E3-1226 v3 and Core i7-4860EQ

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 i7-4860EQ

The Core i7-4860EQ is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 29 August 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Crystalwell (2013−2014) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 1.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1364. Thermal design power (TDP): 47 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 5,508 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

The Xeon E3-1226 v3 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, matching the Core i7-4860EQ's 4 cores. Boost clocks reach 3.7 GHz on the Xeon E3-1226 v3 versus 3.2 GHz on the Core i7-4860EQ — a 14.5% clock advantage for the Xeon E3-1226 v3 (base: 3.3 GHz vs 1.8 GHz). The Xeon E3-1226 v3 uses the Haswell-WS (2013−2014) architecture (22 nm), while the Core i7-4860EQ uses Crystalwell (2013−2014) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E3-1226 v3 scores 5,529 against the Core i7-4860EQ's 5,508 — a 0.4% lead for the Xeon E3-1226 v3. Both processors carry 8 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Xeon E3-1226 v3	Core i7-4860EQ
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	4 / 8
Boost Clock	3.7 GHz+16%	3.2 GHz
Base Clock	3.3 GHz+83%	1.8 GHz
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	22 nm	22 nm
Architecture	Haswell-WS (2013−2014)	Crystalwell (2013−2014)
PassMark	5,529	5,508

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon E3-1226 v3 uses the LGA1150 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-4860EQ uses BGA1364 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.