CPU
GPU
Xeon E3-1280
Core i5-1030NG7
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 Core i5-1030NG7 is on rank 734, 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 Core i5-1030NG7
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Xeon E3-1280 | Core i5-1030NG7 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm) | ✨ Modern (Ice Lake-Y (2020) / 10 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Xeon E3-1280 | Core i5-1030NG7 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Core i5-1030NG7
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.
Core i5-1030NG7
The Core i5-1030NG7 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 18 March 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Ice Lake-Y (2020) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 1.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1044. Thermal design power (TDP): 10 Watt. Memory support: LPDDR4-3733. Passmark benchmark score: 5,600 points. Launch price was $149.
Processing Power
Both the Xeon E3-1280 and Core i5-1030NG7 share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.9 GHz on the Xeon E3-1280 versus 3.5 GHz on the Core i5-1030NG7 — a 10.8% clock advantage for the Xeon E3-1280 (base: 3.5 GHz vs 1.1 GHz). The Xeon E3-1280 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Core i5-1030NG7 uses Ice Lake-Y (2020) (10 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E3-1280 scores 5,612 against the Core i5-1030NG7's 5,600 — a 0.2% lead for the Xeon E3-1280. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Xeon E3-1280 vs 6 MB (total) on the Core i5-1030NG7.
| Feature | Xeon E3-1280 | Core i5-1030NG7 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 8 | 4 / 8 |
| Boost Clock | 3.9 GHz+11% | 3.5 GHz |
| Base Clock | 3.5 GHz+218% | 1.1 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 8 MB (total)+33% | 6 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 256 kB (per core) | 256 kB (per core) |
| Process | 32 nm | 10 nm-69% |
| Architecture | Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) | Ice Lake-Y (2020) |
| PassMark | 5,612 | 5,600 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 1,239 |
Memory & Platform
The Xeon E3-1280 uses the LGA1155 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i5-1030NG7 uses BGA1044 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Xeon E3-1280 | Core i5-1030NG7 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1155 | BGA1044 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 3.0+50% |
| Max RAM Speed | — | LPDDR4-3733 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 32 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 16 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Xeon E3-1280) / VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-1030NG7). The Core i5-1030NG7 includes integrated graphics (Iris Plus Graphics G7), while the Xeon E3-1280 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-1030NG7 targets Thin & Light Laptop. Direct competitor: Core i5-1030NG7 rivals Ryzen 5 4500U.
| Feature | Xeon E3-1280 | Core i5-1030NG7 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | Yes |
| IGPU Model | — | Iris Plus Graphics G7 |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | Yes |
| Virtualization | — | VT-x, VT-d, EPT |
| Target Use | — | Thin & Light Laptop |
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The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
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