Xeon E3-1260L vs Core i7-2720QM

Xeon E3-1260L

4 Cores8 Thrd45 WWMax: 3.3 GHz2011

Core i7-2720QM

4 Cores8 Thrd45 WWMax: 3.3 GHz2011

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Xeon E3-1260L

4 / 8

4,076

+1.5%

Core i3-3225

Celeron Dual-Core T1400

4,015

0.0%

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 Core i7-2720QM is on rank 1062, so the Xeon E3-1260L 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 E3-1260L

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

14994%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

2831%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

2515%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

1943%

#434

Xeon W-3225

MSRP: $1319|Avg: $850

100%

#435

Xeon Gold 6354

MSRP: $2878|Avg: $2898

99%

#436

Xeon Gold 5218T

MSRP: $1572|Avg: $1349

98%

#437

Xeon 6960P

MSRP: $9625|Avg: $9625

98%

#438

EPYC 9555

MSRP: $9826|Avg: $7973

98%

#439

Xeon Gold 6338

MSRP: $2990|Avg: $1604

97%

#440

Xeon Gold 6538N

MSRP: $3351|Avg: $170

97%

#750

Xeon E3-1260L

MSRP: $294|Avg: $270

100%

#758

Xeon E3-1281 v3

MSRP: $555|Avg: $636

99%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-2720QM

#1050

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

2763%

#1051

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

2722%

#1052

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

2499%

#1053

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

2488%

#1054

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

2465%

#1056

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

2380%

#1057

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

2282%

#1058

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

2279%

#1059

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

2218%

#1062

Core i7-2720QM

MSRP: $378|Avg: N/A

100%

#1063

Pentium 2020M

MSRP: $134|Avg: N/A

99%

#1064

Celeron P4500

MSRP: $86|Avg: $5

99%

#1065

Pentium Dual Core SU4100

MSRP: $134|Avg: $10

99%

#1066

Processor N50

MSRP: $128|Avg: $120

98%

#1067

Athlon II N350

MSRP: $100|Avg: $100

98%

#1068

Celeron N3350

MSRP: $107|Avg: N/A

98%

#1070

Core i7-2675QM

MSRP: $378|Avg: N/A

97%

#1071

A9-9410

MSRP: $150|Avg: $25

97%

#1073

A8 Pro-7150B

MSRP: $150|Avg: $20

97%

#1074

A9-9420

MSRP: $150|Avg: $30

97%

#1075

Celeron B730

MSRP: $70|Avg: $10

96%

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 E3-1260L is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Xeon E3-1260L	Core i7-2720QM
Gaming	Balanced gaming performance	Balanced gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	✅ More affordable ($270)	⚠️ Higher cost ($378)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-2720QM ($378), 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 ($108 less, 40% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Xeon E3-1260L	Core i7-2720QM
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+42%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($270)	⚠️ Higher cost ($378)

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 E3-1260L Benchmark Check

Core i7-2720QM Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E3-1260L and Core i7-2720QM

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.

Core i7-2720QM

The Core i7-2720QM is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 January 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.3 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: PGA988. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-1066, DDR3-1333, DDR3-1600. Passmark benchmark score: 4,015 points. Launch price was $378.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Xeon E3-1260L and Core i7-2720QM share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.3 GHz on the Xeon E3-1260L versus 3.3 GHz on the Core i7-2720QM — identical boost frequencies (base: 2.4 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). Both are built on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture using a 32 nm process. In PassMark, the Xeon E3-1260L scores 4,076 against the Core i7-2720QM's 4,015 — a 1.5% lead for the Xeon E3-1260L. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Xeon E3-1260L vs 6 MB (total) on the Core i7-2720QM.

Feature	Xeon E3-1260L	Core i7-2720QM
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 8
Boost Clock	3.3 GHz	3.3 GHz
Base Clock	2.4 GHz+9%	2.2 GHz
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)+33%	6 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	32 nm	32 nm
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
PassMark	4,076+2%	4,015
Geekbench 6 Single	—	700
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	2,600

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon E3-1260L uses the LGA1155 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i7-2720QM uses PGA988 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Xeon E3-1260L	Core i7-2720QM
Socket	LGA1155	PGA988
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR3-1600
Max RAM Capacity	—	32 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Xeon E3-1260L) / VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-2720QM). The Core i7-2720QM includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics 3000), while the Xeon E3-1260L requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-2720QM targets Performance Laptop. Direct competitor: Core i7-2720QM rivals AMD A8-3510MX.