Xeon E3-1281 v3 vs Xeon E5-1630 v4

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 E3-1281 v3 is positioned at rank 758 and the Xeon E5-1630 v4 is on rank 392, so the Xeon E5-1630 v4 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 E3-1281 v3

#1

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

15203%

#6

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

2870%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

2550%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

1970%

#436

Xeon Gold 5218T

MSRP: $1572|Avg: $1349

100%

#437

Xeon 6960P

MSRP: $9625|Avg: $9625

99%

#438

EPYC 9555

MSRP: $9826|Avg: $7973

99%

#439

Xeon Gold 6338

MSRP: $2990|Avg: $1604

98%

#440

Xeon Gold 6538N

MSRP: $3351|Avg: $170

98%

#441

EPYC 7F52

MSRP: $3100|Avg: $1826

98%

#442

EPYC 7542

MSRP: $3400|Avg: $899

98%

#443

EPYC 9655

MSRP: $11852|Avg: $11852

96%

#444

Xeon 6781P

MSRP: $8960|Avg: $8960

96%

#445

Xeon Gold 6338N

MSRP: $3200|Avg: $3200

96%

#446

Xeon Gold 5117

MSRP: $1286|Avg: $300

96%

#758

Xeon E3-1281 v3

MSRP: $555|Avg: $636

100%

#768

Xeon E3-1270L v4

MSRP: $581|Avg: $636

96%

#771

Xeon E3-1545M v5

MSRP: $581|Avg: $636

96%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5-1630 v4

#1

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

5497%

#6

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

1038%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

922%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

712%

#268

Xeon w5-2565X

MSRP: $1389|Avg: $1389

100%

#269

Xeon Silver 4416+

MSRP: $1186|Avg: $1176

98%

#270

Xeon E-2176G

MSRP: $367|Avg: $405

98%

#271

EPYC 7401

MSRP: $1500|Avg: $450

97%

#392

Xeon E5-1630 v4

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#400

Xeon D-1537

MSRP: $470|Avg: $350

98%

#401

Xeon E3-1505M v6

MSRP: $434|Avg: N/A

98%

#402

Xeon E5-1630 v3

MSRP: $372|Avg: $299

98%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Xeon E3-1281 v3 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Xeon E5-1630 v4 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.3% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Xeon E3-1281 v3	Xeon E5-1630 v4
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($636)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Legacy / 22 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Broadwell-EP (2016) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Xeon E3-1281 v3	Xeon E5-1630 v4
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($636)	✅ More affordable ($0)

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 E3-1281 v3 Benchmark Check

Xeon E5-1630 v4 Benchmark Check

League of Legends

No prediction data available

League of Legends

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E3-1281 v3 and Xeon E5-1630 v4

Xeon E3-1281 v3

The Xeon E3-1281 v3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.1 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB Intel® Smart Cache. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1150. Thermal design power (TDP): 82 Watt. Memory support: DDR3L-1333, DDR3L-1600. Passmark benchmark score: 7,587 points. Launch price was $800.

Xeon E5-1630 v4

The Xeon E5-1630 v4 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 20 June 2016 (9 years ago). It is based on the Broadwell-EP (2016) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 10 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 140 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866, DDR4-2133, DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 7,561 points. Launch price was $406.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Xeon E3-1281 v3 and Xeon E5-1630 v4 share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.1 GHz on the Xeon E3-1281 v3 versus 4 GHz on the Xeon E5-1630 v4 — a 2.5% clock advantage for the Xeon E3-1281 v3 (base: 3.7 GHz vs 3.7 GHz). The Xeon E5-1630 v4 is built on the Broadwell-EP (2016) architecture. In PassMark, the Xeon E3-1281 v3 scores 7,587 against the Xeon E5-1630 v4's 7,561 — a 0.3% lead for the Xeon E3-1281 v3. L3 cache: 8 MB Intel® Smart Cache on the Xeon E3-1281 v3 vs 10 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-1630 v4.

Feature	Xeon E3-1281 v3	Xeon E5-1630 v4
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 8
Boost Clock	4.1 GHz+2%	4 GHz
Base Clock	3.7 GHz	3.7 GHz
L3 Cache	8 MB Intel® Smart Cache	10 MB (total)+25%
L2 Cache	—	256K (per core)
Process	22 nm	14 nm-36%
Architecture	—	Broadwell-EP (2016)
PassMark	7,587	7,561

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon E3-1281 v3 uses the LGA1150 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E5-1630 v4 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.