Xeon E3-1280 v5 vs Xeon E5-2470

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 v5 is positioned at rank 354 and the Xeon E5-2470 is on rank 973, so the Xeon E3-1280 v5 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 v5

#1

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

5036%

#6

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

951%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

845%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

653%

#253

Xeon W-2150B

MSRP: $499|Avg: $400

99%

#255

Xeon 6517P

MSRP: $1195|Avg: $1195

99%

#257

Xeon W-1290

MSRP: $498|Avg: $300

98%

#354

Xeon E3-1280 v5

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#362

Xeon E5-2667 v2

MSRP: $300|Avg: $300

98%

#367

Xeon E5-1410

MSRP: $120|Avg: $55

98%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5-2470

#1

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

35956%

#6

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

6789%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

6031%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

4660%

#535

Xeon W-3245M

MSRP: $5002|Avg: $5002

99%

#536

Xeon W-3265M

MSRP: $6300|Avg: $3500

98%

#973

Xeon E5-2470

MSRP: $1440|Avg: $125

100%

#974

Xeon E5-2670

MSRP: $1552|Avg: $60

99%

#976

Xeon X3470

MSRP: $589|Avg: $16

98%

#979

Xeon E5-2689

MSRP: $1800|Avg: $18

95%

#980

Xeon E5-2450L

MSRP: $1106|Avg: $78

95%

#981

Xeon X3480

MSRP: $612|Avg: $48

94%

#982

Xeon E5-2687W

MSRP: $1885|Avg: $70

92%

#983

Xeon E5-4610

MSRP: $1219|Avg: $50

92%

#985

Xeon X7550

MSRP: $1500|Avg: $1400

91%

#986

Xeon E7540

MSRP: $1980|Avg: $146

91%

#987

Xeon E7530

MSRP: $1391|Avg: $146

90%

#988

Xeon E5-4627 v4

MSRP: $2500|Avg: $200

90%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Xeon E5-2470 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Xeon E3-1280 v5 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.9% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Xeon E3-1280 v5	Xeon E5-2470
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($125)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Skylake-S (2015) / 14 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge-EN (2012) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Xeon E3-1280 v5	Xeon E5-2470
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($125)

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 v5 Benchmark Check

Xeon E5-2470 Benchmark Check

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Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E3-1280 v5 and Xeon E5-2470

Xeon E3-1280 v5

The Xeon E3-1280 v5 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 19 October 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Skylake-S (2015) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 80 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 8,254 points. Launch price was $612.

Xeon E5-2470

The Xeon E5-2470 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 14 May 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge-EN (2012) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.1 GHz. L3 cache: 20480 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1356. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 8,329 points. Launch price was $1,480.

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Processing Power

The Xeon E3-1280 v5 packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Xeon E5-2470 offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Xeon E5-2470 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4 GHz on the Xeon E3-1280 v5 versus 3.1 GHz on the Xeon E5-2470 — a 25.4% clock advantage for the Xeon E3-1280 v5 (base: 3.7 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The Xeon E3-1280 v5 uses the Skylake-S (2015) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon E5-2470 uses Sandy Bridge-EN (2012) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E3-1280 v5 scores 8,254 against the Xeon E5-2470's 8,329 — a 0.9% lead for the Xeon E5-2470. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Xeon E3-1280 v5 vs 20480 kB (total) on the Xeon E5-2470.

Feature	Xeon E3-1280 v5	Xeon E5-2470
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	8 / 16+100%
Boost Clock	4 GHz+29%	3.1 GHz
Base Clock	3.7 GHz+61%	2.3 GHz
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)	20480 kB (total)+150%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256 kB (per core)
Process	14 nm-56%	32 nm
Architecture	Skylake-S (2015)	Sandy Bridge-EN (2012)
PassMark	8,254	8,329

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon E3-1280 v5 uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E5-2470 uses LGA1356 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.