Xeon E3-1280 v6
VS
Ryzen 5 7520U

Xeon E3-1280 v6 vs Ryzen 5 7520U

Intel

Xeon E3-1280 v6

4 Cores8 Thrd72 WWMax: 4.2 GHz2017
VS
AMD

Ryzen 5 7520U

4 Cores8 Thrd15 WWMax: 4.3 GHz2022

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. The Xeon E3-1280 v6 is positioned at rank #477 in our cost-efficiency ranking, representing a Lower cost-benefit for your build. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

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 v6

#1
Xeon Platinum 8454H
MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A
6857%
#6
Xeon Gold 6240R
MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A
1295%
#10
Xeon 6337P
MSRP: $60|Avg: $5
1150%
#15
EPYC 9174F
MSRP: $194|Avg: $30
889%
#301
EPYC 8324P
MSRP: $1895|Avg: $3598
99%
#302
Xeon Gold 6414U
MSRP: $2296|Avg: $283
99%
#303
Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5975WX
MSRP: $2495|Avg: $2495
99%
#304
EPYC 7352
MSRP: $1350|Avg: $725
99%
#305
Xeon w7-2475X
MSRP: $1789|Avg: $2544
98%
#307
Xeon W-3323
MSRP: $949|Avg: $500
97%
#477
Xeon E3-1280 v6
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#492
Xeon W-2223
MSRP: $294|Avg: $330
96%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar

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 ($0) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon E3-1280 v6 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.
InsightXeon E3-1280 v6Ryzen 5 7520U
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Better multi-core power
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price
Equivalent pricing
Equivalent pricing
Longevity
✨ Modern (Kaby Lake (2016−2019) / 14 nm)
✨ Modern (Mendocino-U (Zen 2) (2022) / 6 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Ryzen 5 7520U ($0), 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 ($0 less, NaN% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.
InsightXeon E3-1280 v6Ryzen 5 7520U
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
Equivalent pricing
Equivalent pricing

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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E3-1280 v6 and Ryzen 5 7520U

Intel

Xeon E3-1280 v6

The Xeon E3-1280 v6 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 28 March 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Kaby Lake (2016−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 72 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400, DDR3L-1866. Passmark benchmark score: 9,093 points. Launch price was $612.

AMD

Ryzen 5 7520U

The Ryzen 5 7520U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 20 September 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Mendocino-U (Zen 2) (2022) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 4.3 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 6 nm process technology. Socket: FT6. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 9,063 points. Launch price was $149.

Processing Power

Both the Xeon E3-1280 v6 and Ryzen 5 7520U share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.2 GHz on the Xeon E3-1280 v6 versus 4.3 GHz on the Ryzen 5 7520U — a 2.4% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 7520U (base: 3.9 GHz vs 2.8 GHz). The Xeon E3-1280 v6 uses the Kaby Lake (2016−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 5 7520U uses Mendocino-U (Zen 2) (2022) (6 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E3-1280 v6 scores 9,093 against the Ryzen 5 7520U's 9,063 — a 0.3% lead for the Xeon E3-1280 v6. L3 cache: 8 MB on the Xeon E3-1280 v6 vs 4 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 7520U.

FeatureXeon E3-1280 v6Ryzen 5 7520U
Cores / Threads
4 / 8
4 / 8
Boost Clock
4.2 GHz
4.3 GHz+2%
Base Clock
3.9 GHz+39%
2.8 GHz
L3 Cache
8 MB+100%
4 MB (total)
L2 Cache
1 MB+100%
512 kB (per core)
Process
14 nm
6 nm-57%
Architecture
Kaby Lake (2016−2019)
Mendocino-U (Zen 2) (2022)
PassMark
9,093
9,063
Cinebench R23 Multi
4,527
Geekbench 6 Single
797
Geekbench 6 Multi
2,744
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon E3-1280 v6 uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 5 7520U uses FT6 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureXeon E3-1280 v6Ryzen 5 7520U
Socket
LGA1151
FT6
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0
PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed
LPDDR5-5500
Max RAM Capacity
16 GB
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
4
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Xeon E3-1280 v6) / AMD-V (Ryzen 5 7520U). The Ryzen 5 7520U includes integrated graphics (Radeon 610M), while the Xeon E3-1280 v6 requires a dedicated GPU.

FeatureXeon E3-1280 v6Ryzen 5 7520U
Integrated GPU
Yes
IGPU Model
Radeon 610M
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
AMD-V