Xeon E3-1280 vs Xeon E3-1240L v3

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 Xeon E3-1240L v3 is on rank 507, so the Xeon E3-1240L v3 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 Xeon E3-1240L v3

#1

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

7315%

#6

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

1381%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

1227%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

948%

#312

EPYC 7643P

MSRP: $2722|Avg: $2722

100%

#313

Xeon w5-3435X

MSRP: $1589|Avg: $163

100%

#314

Xeon Gold 6312U

MSRP: $1645|Avg: N/A

100%

#315

EPYC 7443

MSRP: $2010|Avg: $1800

99%

#316

Xeon Gold 6416H

MSRP: $1845|Avg: N/A

99%

#318

EPYC 7343

MSRP: $1565|Avg: $1350

98%

#319

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5965WX

MSRP: $2399|Avg: $225

98%

#320

EPYC 7413

MSRP: $1825|Avg: $450

98%

#507

Xeon E3-1240L v3

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#512

Xeon E3-1220 v5

MSRP: $203|Avg: $100

99%

#514

Xeon X5690

MSRP: $250|Avg: $250

99%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Xeon E3-1280 leads in gaming performance. However, the Xeon E3-1240L v3 is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 1.2% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Xeon E3-1280	Xeon E3-1240L v3
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)	🛑 Legacy (Haswell-WS (2013−2014) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Xeon E3-1280	Xeon E3-1240L v3
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

Xeon E3-1240L v3 Benchmark Check

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Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E3-1280 and Xeon E3-1240L v3

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.

Xeon E3-1240L v3

The Xeon E3-1240L v3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 May 2014 (11 years ago). It is based on the Haswell-WS (2013−2014) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1150. Thermal design power (TDP): 25 Watt. Memory support: DDR3L-1333, DDR3L-1600. Passmark benchmark score: 5,681 points. Launch price was $278.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Xeon E3-1280 and Xeon E3-1240L v3 share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.9 GHz on the Xeon E3-1280 versus 3 GHz on the Xeon E3-1240L v3 — a 26.1% 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 Xeon E3-1240L v3 uses Haswell-WS (2013−2014) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E3-1280 scores 5,612 against the Xeon E3-1240L v3's 5,681 — a 1.2% lead for the Xeon E3-1240L v3. Both processors carry 8 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Xeon E3-1280	Xeon E3-1240L v3
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 8
Boost Clock	3.9 GHz+30%	3 GHz
Base Clock	3.5 GHz+75%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	32 nm	22 nm-31%
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Haswell-WS (2013−2014)
PassMark	5,612	5,681+1%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon E3-1280 uses the LGA1155 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Xeon E3-1240L v3 uses LGA1150 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.