Xeon E3-1280 v3 vs Core i7-4790

Xeon E3-1280 v3

4 Cores8 Thrd82 WWMax: 4 GHz2013

Core i7-4790

4 Cores8 Thrd84 WWMax: 4 GHz2014

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Xeon E3-1280 v3

4 / 8

7,252

0.0%

7,263

+0.2%

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 E3-1280 v3 is positioned at rank 496 and the Core i7-4790 is on rank 762, so the Xeon E3-1280 v3 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 E3-1280 v3

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

7164%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

1353%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

1202%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

928%

#309

Xeon W-2255

MSRP: $778|Avg: $350

100%

#310

Xeon Silver 4316

MSRP: $1126|Avg: $1200

100%

#311

Xeon w7-3545

MSRP: $2039|Avg: $2039

99%

#312

EPYC 7643P

MSRP: $2722|Avg: $2722

98%

#313

Xeon w5-3435X

MSRP: $1589|Avg: $163

98%

#314

Xeon Gold 6312U

MSRP: $1645|Avg: N/A

98%

#496

Xeon E3-1280 v3

MSRP: $250|Avg: $44

100%

#497

Xeon W-2123

MSRP: $294|Avg: $342

100%

#500

Xeon E3-1230 v2

MSRP: $215|Avg: $268

99%

#505

Xeon D-1521

MSRP: $199|Avg: $241

99%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-4790

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

14553%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

13751%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

9984%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

3008%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

2382%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

2084%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

1194%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

1178%

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 ($44) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon E3-1280 v3 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Xeon E3-1280 v3	Core i7-4790
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($44)	⚠️ Higher cost ($60)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Haswell-WS (2013−2014) / 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 ($16 less, 36% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Xeon E3-1280 v3	Core i7-4790
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+36%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($44)	⚠️ Higher cost ($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 E3-1280 v3 Benchmark Check

Core i7-4790 Benchmark Check

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E3-1280 v3 and Core i7-4790

Xeon E3-1280 v3

The Xeon E3-1280 v3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 June 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Haswell-WS (2013−2014) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 8192 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1150. Thermal design power (TDP): 82 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 7,252 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 E3-1280 v3 and Core i7-4790 share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4 GHz on the Xeon E3-1280 v3 versus 4 GHz on the Core i7-4790 — identical boost frequencies (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Xeon E3-1280 v3 uses the Haswell-WS (2013−2014) architecture (22 nm), while the Core i7-4790 uses Haswell (2013−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E3-1280 v3 scores 7,252 against the Core i7-4790's 7,263 — a 0.2% lead for the Core i7-4790. L3 cache: 8192 kB (total) on the Xeon E3-1280 v3 vs 8 MB (total) on the Core i7-4790.

Feature	Xeon E3-1280 v3	Core i7-4790
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 8
Boost Clock	4 GHz	4 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz	3.6 GHz
L3 Cache	8192 kB (total)	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	22 nm	22 nm
Architecture	Haswell-WS (2013−2014)	Haswell (2013−2015)
PassMark	7,252	7,263

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the LGA1150 socket with PCIe 3.0.

Feature	Xeon E3-1280 v3	Core i7-4790
Socket	LGA1150	LGA1150
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0

💰

Value Analysis

The Xeon E3-1280 v3 launched at $250 MSRP, while the Core i7-4790 debuted at $339. At current prices ($44 vs $60), the Xeon E3-1280 v3 is $16 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Xeon E3-1280 v3 delivers 164.8 pts/$ vs 121.0 pts/$ for the Core i7-4790 — making the Xeon E3-1280 v3 the 30.6% better value option.