Xeon E3-1280 vs Core i7-3720QM

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 i7-3720QM is on rank 50, so the Core i7-3720QM 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

#1

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

7406%

#6

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

1398%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

1242%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

960%

#318

EPYC 7343

MSRP: $1565|Avg: $1350

99%

#319

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5965WX

MSRP: $2399|Avg: $225

99%

#320

EPYC 7413

MSRP: $1825|Avg: $450

99%

#321

Xeon W-3335

MSRP: $1430|Avg: $1200

98%

#322

EPYC 9354P

MSRP: $2730|Avg: $2205

98%

#323

EPYC 9224

MSRP: $1825|Avg: $1199

95%

#324

Xeon Gold 6423N

MSRP: $2161|Avg: $2161

95%

#325

Xeon w7-3565X

MSRP: $2689|Avg: $2850

94%

#517

Xeon E3-1280

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-3720QM

#13

Ryzen 3 210

MSRP: $99|Avg: $99

95%

#38

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

210%

#39

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

207%

#40

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

190%

#41

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

189%

#42

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

187%

#44

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

181%

#45

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

173%

#46

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

173%

#47

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

168%

#50

Core i7-3720QM

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#51

Celeron N2807

MSRP: $107|Avg: $60

100%

#65

Core i5-3320M

MSRP: $225|Avg: N/A

95%

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 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Xeon E3-1280	Core i7-3720QM
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)	🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-3720QM ($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.

Insight	Xeon E3-1280	Core i7-3720QM
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.

Xeon E3-1280 Benchmark Check

Core i7-3720QM Benchmark Check

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Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E3-1280 and Core i7-3720QM

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 i7-3720QM

The Core i7-3720QM is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 29 April 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: PGA988. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 5,591 points. Launch price was $378.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Xeon E3-1280 and Core i7-3720QM share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.9 GHz on the Xeon E3-1280 versus 3.6 GHz on the Core i7-3720QM — a 8% clock advantage for the Xeon E3-1280 (base: 3.5 GHz vs 2.6 GHz). The Xeon E3-1280 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Core i7-3720QM uses Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E3-1280 scores 5,612 against the Core i7-3720QM's 5,591 — a 0.4% lead for the Xeon E3-1280. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Xeon E3-1280 vs 6 MB (total) on the Core i7-3720QM.

Feature	Xeon E3-1280	Core i7-3720QM
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 8
Boost Clock	3.9 GHz+8%	3.6 GHz
Base Clock	3.5 GHz+35%	2.6 GHz
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)+33%	6 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	32 nm	22 nm-31%
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)
PassMark	5,612	5,591

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon E3-1280 uses the LGA1155 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i7-3720QM uses PGA988 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.