Xeon E3-1246 v3 vs Core i7-4790

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 E3-1246 v3 is positioned at rank 842 and the Core i7-4790 is on rank 762, so the Core i7-4790 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 E3-1246 v3

#1

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

19172%

#6

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

3620%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

3216%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

2485%

#476

EPYC 9745

MSRP: $12141|Avg: $10588

99%

#477

EPYC 7J13

MSRP: $7890|Avg: $150

99%

#478

EPYC 7702

MSRP: $6450|Avg: $2035

99%

#479

EPYC 7763

MSRP: $7890|Avg: $1513

99%

#480

EPYC 9734

MSRP: $9600|Avg: $6598

98%

#481

Xeon Platinum 8160M

MSRP: $5000|Avg: $350

98%

#482

Xeon 6724P

MSRP: $3622|Avg: $3622

97%

#483

EPYC 9634

MSRP: $10304|Avg: $3949

97%

#842

Xeon E3-1246 v3

MSRP: $667|Avg: $215

100%

#843

Xeon W3540

MSRP: $284|Avg: $10

100%

#844

Xeon E-2124G

MSRP: $667|Avg: $462

100%

#852

Xeon E5-2407

MSRP: $250|Avg: $25

98%

#857

Xeon 5120

MSRP: $107|Avg: $15

96%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-4790

#1

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

14553%

#2

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

13751%

#3

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

9984%

#4

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

3008%

#5

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

2382%

#6

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

2084%

#7

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

1194%

#8

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

1178%

#9

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

1073%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

1073%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

1061%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

1032%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

1018%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

1013%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

1004%

#291

Core i9-7900X

MSRP: $999|Avg: $188

98%

#762

Core i7-4790

MSRP: $339|Avg: $60

100%

#763

Pentium G640

MSRP: $64|Avg: $5

100%

#764

Pentium G840

MSRP: $64|Avg: $15

100%

#766

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

98%

#771

A10-9700

MSRP: $169|Avg: $40

98%

#772

Core i5-2400

MSRP: $184|Avg: $25

98%

#773

Core i7-5775C

MSRP: $366|Avg: $150

98%

#775

Pentium G2140

MSRP: $100|Avg: $95

98%

#776

Core i7-4790T

MSRP: $303|Avg: $102

97%

#777

Core i5-2320

MSRP: $177|Avg: $22

97%

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 ($215) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon E3-1246 v3 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Xeon E3-1246 v3	Core i7-4790
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($215)	✅ More affordable ($60)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Legacy / 22 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Haswell (2013−2015) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-4790 ($60), 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 ($155 less, 72% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Xeon E3-1246 v3	Core i7-4790
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+260%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($215)	✅ More affordable ($60)

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 E3-1246 v3 Benchmark Check

Core i7-4790 Benchmark Check

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Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E3-1246 v3 and Core i7-4790

Xeon E3-1246 v3

The Xeon E3-1246 v3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB Intel® Smart Cache. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1150. Thermal design power (TDP): 84 Watt. Memory support: DDR3L-1333, DDR3L-1600. Passmark benchmark score: 7,228 points. Launch price was $800.

Core i7-4790

The Core i7-4790 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 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4 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: 7,263 points. Launch price was $303.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Xeon E3-1246 v3 and Core i7-4790 share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.9 GHz on the Xeon E3-1246 v3 versus 4 GHz on the Core i7-4790 — a 2.5% clock advantage for the Core i7-4790 (base: 3.5 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Core i7-4790 is built on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. In PassMark, the Xeon E3-1246 v3 scores 7,228 against the Core i7-4790's 7,263 — a 0.5% lead for the Core i7-4790. L3 cache: 8 MB Intel® Smart Cache on the Xeon E3-1246 v3 vs 8 MB (total) on the Core i7-4790.

Feature	Xeon E3-1246 v3	Core i7-4790
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 8
Boost Clock	3.9 GHz	4 GHz+3%
Base Clock	3.5 GHz	3.6 GHz+3%
L3 Cache	8 MB Intel® Smart Cache	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	—	256K (per core)
Process	22 nm	22 nm
Architecture	—	Haswell (2013−2015)
PassMark	7,228	7,263

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the LGA1150 socket with PCIe 3.0.

Feature	Xeon E3-1246 v3	Core i7-4790
Socket	LGA1150	LGA1150
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0

💰

Value Analysis

The Xeon E3-1246 v3 launched at $667 MSRP, while the Core i7-4790 debuted at $339. At current prices ($215 vs $60), the Core i7-4790 is $155 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Xeon E3-1246 v3 delivers 33.6 pts/$ vs 121.0 pts/$ for the Core i7-4790 — making the Core i7-4790 the 113.1% better value option.