Xeon E3-1505L v6 vs Xeon E5-1620

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.

Xeon E3-1505L v6 vs Xeon E5-1620 FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Xeon E3-1505L v6 vs Xeon E5-1620: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Xeon E3-1505L v6

2017

Why buy it

✅+0.6% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 25W instead of 130W, a 105W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E5-1620 across 48 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 10 MB).

Xeon E5-1620

2012

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.1% higher average FPS across 48 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+25% larger total L3 cache (10 MB vs 8 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (5,848 vs 5,882).
❌Launch MSRP is still $885 MSRP, while Xeon E3-1505L v6 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌420% higher power demand at 130W vs 25W.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon E3-1505L v6 better than Xeon E5-1620?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Xeon E5-1620 is ahead with a 4.1% average FPS lead across 48 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Xeon E3-1505L v6 pulls ahead with 0.6% better PassMark. Xeon E5-1620 also has the bigger cache pool with 25% larger total L3 cache (10 MB vs 8 MB).

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon E3-1505L v6 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.6% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 8 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Xeon E3-1505L v6 is still the faster CPU overall, but Xeon E5-1620 is easier to justify if budget matters more than peak performance. Xeon E3-1505L v6 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $885 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.6% better PassMark. The compromise is that Xeon E5-1620 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 4.1% average FPS lead across 48 shared CPU game tests in our data. Xeon E5-1620 is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (6.6 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it can still make sense for tighter-budget builds on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Xeon E3-1505L v6 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2017 vs 2012) and more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 8 threads instead of 4/8. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Xeon E3-1505L v6 vs Xeon E5-1620 Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Xeon E3-1505L v6

The Xeon E3-1505L v6 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 January 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Kaby Lake (2016−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Max frequency: 2.2 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Thermal design power (TDP): 25 Watt. Memory support: DDR3L-1600. Passmark benchmark score: 5,882 points. Launch price was $433.

Xeon E5-1620

The Xeon E5-1620 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 6 March 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge-E (2011−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 10240 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 5,848 points. Launch price was $313.

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Processing Power

Both the Xeon E3-1505L v6 and Xeon E5-1620 share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.2 GHz on the Xeon E3-1505L v6 versus 3.8 GHz on the Xeon E5-1620 — a 53.3% clock advantage for the Xeon E5-1620. The Xeon E3-1505L v6 uses the Kaby Lake (2016−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon E5-1620 uses Sandy Bridge-E (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E3-1505L v6 scores 5,882 against the Xeon E5-1620's 5,848 — a 0.6% lead for the Xeon E3-1505L v6. L3 cache: 8 MB on the Xeon E3-1505L v6 vs 10240 kB (total) on the Xeon E5-1620.

Feature	Xeon E3-1505L v6	Xeon E5-1620
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 8
Boost Clock	2.2 GHz	3.8 GHz+73%
Base Clock	—	3.6 GHz
L3 Cache	8 MB	10240 kB (total)+25%
L2 Cache	1 MB+300%	256 kB (per core)
Process	14 nm-56%	32 nm
Architecture	Kaby Lake (2016−2019)	Sandy Bridge-E (2011−2013)
PassMark	5,882	5,848
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	3,469
Geekbench 6 Single	—	612
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	2,250