CPU
GPU
Xeon E3-1231 v3
Core i7-6770HQ
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 E3-1231 v3 is positioned at rank 417 and the Core i7-6770HQ is on rank 475, so the Xeon E3-1231 v3 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Xeon E3-1231 v3
Performance Per Dollar Core i7-6770HQ
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Xeon E3-1231 v3 | Core i7-6770HQ |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Haswell-WS (2013−2014) / 22 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Skylake (2015−2016) / 14 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Xeon E3-1231 v3 | Core i7-6770HQ |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
Performance Check
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 E3-1231 v3 and Core i7-6770HQ
Xeon E3-1231 v3
The Xeon E3-1231 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 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1150. Thermal design power (TDP): 80 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 7,031 points. Launch price was $240.
Core i7-6770HQ
The Core i7-6770HQ is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 January 2016 (9 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1440. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 7,083 points. Launch price was $434.
Processing Power
Both the Xeon E3-1231 v3 and Core i7-6770HQ share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.8 GHz on the Xeon E3-1231 v3 versus 3.5 GHz on the Core i7-6770HQ — a 8.2% clock advantage for the Xeon E3-1231 v3 (base: 3.4 GHz vs 2.6 GHz). The Xeon E3-1231 v3 uses the Haswell-WS (2013−2014) architecture (22 nm), while the Core i7-6770HQ uses Skylake (2015−2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E3-1231 v3 scores 7,031 against the Core i7-6770HQ's 7,083 — a 0.7% lead for the Core i7-6770HQ. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Xeon E3-1231 v3 vs 6 MB on the Core i7-6770HQ.
| Feature | Xeon E3-1231 v3 | Core i7-6770HQ |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 8 | 4 / 8 |
| Boost Clock | 3.8 GHz+9% | 3.5 GHz |
| Base Clock | 3.4 GHz+31% | 2.6 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 8 MB (total)+33% | 6 MB |
| L2 Cache | 256K (per core) | 1 MB+300% |
| Process | 22 nm | 14 nm-36% |
| Architecture | Haswell-WS (2013−2014) | Skylake (2015−2016) |
| PassMark | 7,031 | 7,083 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | — | 1,769 |
Memory & Platform
The Xeon E3-1231 v3 uses the LGA1150 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-6770HQ uses BGA1440 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Xeon E3-1231 v3 | Core i7-6770HQ |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1150 | BGA1440 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 3.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | — | 2133 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 64 |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 16 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Xeon E3-1231 v3) / true (Core i7-6770HQ). The Core i7-6770HQ includes integrated graphics (Intel Iris Pro Graphics 580), while the Xeon E3-1231 v3 requires a dedicated GPU.
| Feature | Xeon E3-1231 v3 | Core i7-6770HQ |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | Yes |
| IGPU Model | — | Intel Iris Pro Graphics 580 |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | true |
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The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
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