Xeon E3-1290 vs Core i7-4700EQ

Xeon E3-1290

4 Cores8 Thrd95 WWMax: 4 GHz2011

Core i7-4700EQ

4 Cores8 Thrd47 WWMax: 3.4 GHz2013

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Xeon E3-1290

4 / 8

5,429

+0.2%

5,417

0.0%

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 E3-1290 is positioned at rank 525 and the Core i7-4700EQ is on rank 994, so the Xeon E3-1290 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 E3-1290

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

7655%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

1445%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

1284%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

992%

#323

EPYC 9224

MSRP: $1825|Avg: $1199

98%

#324

Xeon Gold 6423N

MSRP: $2161|Avg: $2161

98%

#325

Xeon w7-3565X

MSRP: $2689|Avg: $2850

97%

#326

Xeon W-1290TE

MSRP: $552|Avg: $552

97%

#328

Xeon w7-2495X

MSRP: $2189|Avg: $2900

96%

#329

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9975WX

MSRP: $4099|Avg: $4182

95%

#525

Xeon E3-1290

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#535

Xeon E3-1241 v3

MSRP: $273|Avg: $27

97%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-4700EQ

#982

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

2047%

#983

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

2017%

#984

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

1852%

#985

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

1844%

#986

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

1827%

#988

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

1764%

#989

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

1692%

#990

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

1689%

#991

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

1643%

#994

Core i7-4700EQ

MSRP: $378|Avg: $180

100%

#995

Core i3-8145UE

MSRP: $281|Avg: $50

100%

#996

Core i7-4712MQ

MSRP: $378|Avg: $60

98%

#997

Core i7-3615QE

MSRP: $400|Avg: $100

98%

#998

Celeron M U3400

MSRP: $86|Avg: $5

98%

#999

3015Ce

MSRP: $150|Avg: $40

98%

#1000

Core i7-4700MQ

MSRP: $383|Avg: $50

97%

#1001

Athlon II M340

MSRP: $80|Avg: $15

97%

#1005

Pentium P6000

MSRP: $150|Avg: $90

95%

#1007

Core i7-3630QM

MSRP: $378|Avg: N/A

95%

#1008

Core i7-3610QM

MSRP: $378|Avg: N/A

95%

#1009

Core i3-1115GRE

MSRP: $338|Avg: $480

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 E3-1290 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Xeon E3-1290	Core i7-4700EQ
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($180)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Crystalwell (2013−2014) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-4700EQ ($180), 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 ($180 less, Infinity% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Xeon E3-1290	Core i7-4700EQ
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($180)

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 E3-1290 Benchmark Check

Core i7-4700EQ Benchmark Check

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E3-1290 and Core i7-4700EQ

Xeon E3-1290

The Xeon E3-1290 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 29 May 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4 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: 5,429 points. Launch price was $885.

Core i7-4700EQ

The Core i7-4700EQ is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 27 May 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Crystalwell (2013−2014) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 8192 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1364. Thermal design power (TDP): 47 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 5,417 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Xeon E3-1290 and Core i7-4700EQ share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4 GHz on the Xeon E3-1290 versus 3.4 GHz on the Core i7-4700EQ — a 16.2% clock advantage for the Xeon E3-1290 (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Xeon E3-1290 uses the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Core i7-4700EQ uses Crystalwell (2013−2014) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E3-1290 scores 5,429 against the Core i7-4700EQ's 5,417 — a 0.2% lead for the Xeon E3-1290. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Xeon E3-1290 vs 8192 kB (total) on the Core i7-4700EQ.

Feature	Xeon E3-1290	Core i7-4700EQ
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 8
Boost Clock	4 GHz+18%	3.4 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+50%	2.4 GHz
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)	8192 kB (total)
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	256 kB (per core)
Process	32 nm	22 nm-31%
Architecture	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)	Crystalwell (2013−2014)
PassMark	5,429	5,417

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon E3-1290 uses the LGA1155 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i7-4700EQ uses BGA1364 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Xeon E3-1290	Core i7-4700EQ
Socket	LGA1155	BGA1364
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR3L-1600
Max RAM Capacity	—	32 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	✅
PCIe Lanes	—	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Xeon E3-1290) / VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-4700EQ). The Core i7-4700EQ includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics 4600), while the Xeon E3-1290 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-4700EQ targets Mobile.