Xeon E3-1230L v3
VS
Core i5-6440EQ

Xeon E3-1230L v3 vs Core i5-6440EQ

Intel

Xeon E3-1230L v3

4 Cores8 Thrd25 WWMax: 2.8 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 E3-1230L v3 is positioned at rank 531 and the Core i5-6440EQ is on rank 765, so the Xeon E3-1230L 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 E3-1230L v3

#1
Xeon Platinum 8454H
MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A
7845%
#6
Xeon Gold 6240R
MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A
1481%
#10
Xeon 6337P
MSRP: $60|Avg: $5
1316%
#15
EPYC 9174F
MSRP: $194|Avg: $30
1017%
#325
Xeon w7-3565X
MSRP: $2689|Avg: $2850
100%
#326
Xeon W-1290TE
MSRP: $552|Avg: $552
99%
#328
Xeon w7-2495X
MSRP: $2189|Avg: $2900
99%
#329
Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9975WX
MSRP: $4099|Avg: $4182
98%
#331
EPYC 7402
MSRP: $1783|Avg: $2285
97%
#332
Xeon W-2235
MSRP: $555|Avg: $350
97%
#531
Xeon E3-1230L v3
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#535
Xeon E3-1241 v3
MSRP: $273|Avg: $27
99%
#544
Xeon W3670
MSRP: $250|Avg: $250
97%
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 ($0) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon E3-1230L v3 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.
InsightXeon E3-1230L v3Core i5-6440EQ
Gaming
Superior gaming performance
Lower gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ 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 ($150 less, Infinity% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.
InsightXeon E3-1230L v3Core i5-6440EQ
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ 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 E3-1230L v3 and Core i5-6440EQ

Intel

Xeon E3-1230L v3

The Xeon E3-1230L 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 8 threads. Base frequency is 1.8 GHz, with boost up to 2.8 GHz. L3 cache: 8192 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1150. Thermal design power (TDP): 25 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 5,297 points. Launch price was $289.

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

The Xeon E3-1230L v3 packs 4 cores / 8 threads, matching the Core i5-6440EQ's 4 cores. Boost clocks reach 2.8 GHz on the Xeon E3-1230L v3 versus 2.7 GHz on the Core i5-6440EQ — a 3.6% clock advantage for the Xeon E3-1230L v3. The Xeon E3-1230L 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 E3-1230L v3 scores 5,297 against the Core i5-6440EQ's 5,329 — a 0.6% lead for the Core i5-6440EQ. L3 cache: 8192 kB (total) on the Xeon E3-1230L v3 vs 6 MB on the Core i5-6440EQ.

FeatureXeon E3-1230L v3Core i5-6440EQ
Cores / Threads
4 / 8
4 / 4
Boost Clock
2.8 GHz+4%
2.7 GHz
Base Clock
1.8 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
5,297
5,329
Cinebench R23 Multi
3,500
Geekbench 6 Single
900
Geekbench 6 Multi
3,136
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Xeon E3-1230L v3) / VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-6440EQ). The Core i5-6440EQ includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 530), while the Xeon E3-1230L v3 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-6440EQ targets Workstation.

FeatureXeon E3-1230L v3Core i5-6440EQ
Integrated GPU
Yes
IGPU Model
HD Graphics 530
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
VT-x, VT-d
Target Use
Workstation