Xeon E3-1260L vs Athlon PRO 300U
Xeon E3-1260L
Athlon PRO 300U
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 E3-1260L is positioned at rank 750 and the Athlon PRO 300U is on rank 1006, so the Xeon E3-1260L offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Xeon E3-1260L
Performance Per Dollar Athlon PRO 300U
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Xeon E3-1260L | Athlon PRO 300U |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | Balanced gaming performance | Balanced 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) | ✨ Modern (Raven Ridge 2 (2019) / 14 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Xeon E3-1260L | Athlon PRO 300U |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($270) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
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 E3-1260L and Athlon PRO 300U
Xeon E3-1260L
The Xeon E3-1260L 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 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.3 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 4,076 points. Launch price was $150.
Athlon PRO 300U
The Athlon PRO 300U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2009-01-01. It is based on the Raven Ridge 2 (2019) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.3 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 4,080 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
The Xeon E3-1260L packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Athlon PRO 300U offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the Xeon E3-1260L has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.3 GHz on the Xeon E3-1260L versus 3.3 GHz on the Athlon PRO 300U — identical boost frequencies (base: 2.4 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Xeon E3-1260L uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Athlon PRO 300U uses Raven Ridge 2 (2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E3-1260L scores 4,076 against the Athlon PRO 300U's 4,080 — a 0.1% lead for the Athlon PRO 300U. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Xeon E3-1260L vs 4 MB (total) on the Athlon PRO 300U.
| Feature | Xeon E3-1260L | Athlon PRO 300U |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 8+100% | 2 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 3.3 GHz | 3.3 GHz |
| Base Clock | 2.4 GHz | 2.4 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 8 MB (total)+100% | 4 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 256 kB (per core) | 512K (per core)+100% |
| Process | 32 nm | 14 nm-56% |
| Architecture | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) | Raven Ridge 2 (2019) |
| PassMark | 4,076 | 4,080 |
Memory & Platform
The Xeon E3-1260L uses the LGA1155 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Athlon PRO 300U uses FP5 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Xeon E3-1260L | Athlon PRO 300U |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1155 | FP5 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 3.0+50% |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR4-2400 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 32 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ✅ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 8 |
Advanced Features
The Athlon PRO 300U includes integrated graphics (AMD Radeon Vega 3), while the Xeon E3-1260L requires a dedicated GPU.
| Feature | Xeon E3-1260L | Athlon PRO 300U |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | Yes |
| IGPU Model | — | AMD Radeon Vega 3 |
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