Xeon E3-1280 vs Atom C3808
Xeon E3-1280
Atom C3808
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 E3-1280 is positioned at rank 517 and the Atom C3808 is on rank 737, so the Xeon E3-1280 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Xeon E3-1280
Performance Per Dollar Atom C3808
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Xeon E3-1280 | Atom C3808 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm) | ✨ Modern (Goldmont (2016−2017) / 14 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Xeon E3-1280 | Atom C3808 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
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 E3-1280 and Atom C3808
Xeon E3-1280
The Xeon E3-1280 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 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 5,612 points. Launch price was $450.
Atom C3808
The Atom C3808 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 15 August 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Goldmont (2016−2017) architecture. It features 12 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 2 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB. L2 cache: 12 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1310. Thermal design power (TDP): 25 Watt. Memory support: DDR4: 2133. Passmark benchmark score: 5,671 points. Launch price was $369.
Processing Power
The Xeon E3-1280 packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Atom C3808 offers 12 cores / 12 threads — the Atom C3808 has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.9 GHz on the Xeon E3-1280 versus 2 GHz on the Atom C3808 — a 64.4% clock advantage for the Xeon E3-1280 (base: 3.5 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Xeon E3-1280 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Atom C3808 uses Goldmont (2016−2017) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E3-1280 scores 5,612 against the Atom C3808's 5,671 — a 1% lead for the Atom C3808. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Xeon E3-1280 vs 12 MB on the Atom C3808.
| Feature | Xeon E3-1280 | Atom C3808 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 8 | 12 / 12+200% |
| Boost Clock | 3.9 GHz+95% | 2 GHz |
| Base Clock | 3.5 GHz+75% | 2 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 8 MB (total) | 12 MB+50% |
| L2 Cache | 256 kB (per core) | 12 MB+4700% |
| Process | 32 nm | 14 nm-56% |
| Architecture | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) | Goldmont (2016−2017) |
| PassMark | 5,612 | 5,671+1% |
Memory & Platform
The Xeon E3-1280 uses the LGA1155 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Atom C3808 uses FCBGA1310 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Xeon E3-1280 | Atom C3808 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1155 | FCBGA1310 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 3.0+50% |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR4-2133 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 256 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ✅ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 12 |
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