Xeon E3-1235 vs Core i7-3615QM

Xeon E3-1235

4 Cores8 Thrd95 WWMax: 3.6 GHz2011

Core i7-3615QM

4 Cores8 Thrd45 WWMax: 3.3 GHz2012

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Xeon E3-1235

4 / 8

5,112

0.0%

5,167

+1.1%

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 E3-1235 is positioned at rank 607 and the Core i7-3615QM is on rank 307, so the Core i7-3615QM 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 E3-1235

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

9757%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

1842%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

1637%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

1264%

#363

Xeon W-2191B

MSRP: $1333|Avg: $39

100%

#364

Xeon Gold 5320

MSRP: $1780|Avg: $1834

99%

#365

EPYC 7513

MSRP: $2840|Avg: $389

99%

#366

Xeon Silver 4216

MSRP: $1011|Avg: $800

98%

#367

EPYC 9454P

MSRP: $4598|Avg: $3333

97%

#369

Xeon Gold 6542Y

MSRP: $2878|Avg: N/A

94%

#370

EPYC 7502

MSRP: $2600|Avg: $1299

94%

#607

Xeon E3-1235

MSRP: $240|Avg: $270

100%

#611

Xeon E3-1265L v3

MSRP: $294|Avg: $398

99%

#612

Xeon E3-1280 v2

MSRP: $315|Avg: $50

99%

#618

Xeon W-2133

MSRP: $617|Avg: $617

96%

#622

Xeon E5607

MSRP: $135|Avg: $27

93%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-3615QM

#295

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

454%

#296

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

448%

#297

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

411%

#298

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

409%

#299

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

405%

#301

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

391%

#302

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

375%

#303

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

375%

#304

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

365%

#307

Core i7-3615QM

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

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 ($270) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon E3-1235 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Xeon E3-1235	Core i7-3615QM
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($270)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-3615QM ($0), 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 ($270 less, 100% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Xeon E3-1235	Core i7-3615QM
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($270)	✅ More affordable ($0)

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 E3-1235 Benchmark Check

Core i7-3615QM Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E3-1235 and Core i7-3615QM

Xeon E3-1235

The Xeon E3-1235 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 April 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 5,112 points. Launch price was $287.

Core i7-3615QM

The Core i7-3615QM is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 29 April 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.3 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1224. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 5,167 points. Launch price was $378.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Xeon E3-1235 and Core i7-3615QM share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.6 GHz on the Xeon E3-1235 versus 3.3 GHz on the Core i7-3615QM — a 8.7% clock advantage for the Xeon E3-1235 (base: 3.2 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The Xeon E3-1235 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Core i7-3615QM uses Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E3-1235 scores 5,112 against the Core i7-3615QM's 5,167 — a 1.1% lead for the Core i7-3615QM. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Xeon E3-1235 vs 6 MB (total) on the Core i7-3615QM.

Feature	Xeon E3-1235	Core i7-3615QM
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 8
Boost Clock	3.6 GHz+9%	3.3 GHz
Base Clock	3.2 GHz+39%	2.3 GHz
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)+33%	6 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	32 nm	22 nm-31%
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)
PassMark	5,112	5,167+1%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon E3-1235 uses the LGA1155 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i7-3615QM uses FCBGA1224 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.