Xeon E5-1603 v3 vs Core i3-8100H

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 E5-1603 v3 is positioned at rank 683 and the Core i3-8100H is on rank 602, so the Core i3-8100H 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 E5-1603 v3

#1

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

12719%

#6

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

2401%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

2134%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

1648%

#400

EPYC 7713P

MSRP: $5010|Avg: $2443

100%

#401

Xeon W-2145

MSRP: $1113|Avg: $145

99%

#402

EPYC 9475F

MSRP: $7592|Avg: $7592

99%

#403

Xeon Gold 6554S

MSRP: $3157|Avg: $2836

98%

#405

Xeon 6737P

MSRP: $4995|Avg: $4995

98%

#406

Xeon Gold 6342

MSRP: $2977|Avg: $3000

97%

#407

Xeon Gold 6438N

MSRP: $3351|Avg: $3351

96%

#408

Xeon 6747P

MSRP: $6497|Avg: $6497

96%

#683

Xeon E5-1603 v3

MSRP: $273|Avg: $40

100%

#684

Xeon E3-1270

MSRP: $330|Avg: $178

100%

#691

Xeon E5-1650 v2

MSRP: $583|Avg: $60

98%

#697

Xeon E3-1275 v2

MSRP: $426|Avg: $426

95%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i3-8100H

#185

Ryzen 7 5825C

MSRP: $400|Avg: $400

98%

#590

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

794%

#591

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

782%

#592

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

718%

#593

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

715%

#594

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

708%

#596

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

684%

#597

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

656%

#598

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

655%

#599

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

637%

#602

Core i3-8100H

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#608

Ryzen AI 5 330

MSRP: $350|Avg: $350

99%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Generational Difference: This comparison involves processors from different technological eras. The Core i3-8100H (2018) utilizes 14 nm technology and DDR4, providing a fundamental performance advantage.

Insight	Xeon E5-1603 v3	Core i3-8100H
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($40)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Haswell-EP (2014−2015) / 22 nm)	✨ Modern (Coffee Lake-H (2018−2019) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Xeon E5-1603 v3 (2014) relies on 22 nm technology and DDR4-1333, DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866, placing it in a different performance category relative to modern standards.

Insight	Xeon E5-1603 v3	Core i3-8100H
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($40)	✅ 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 E5-1603 v3 Benchmark Check

Core i3-8100H Benchmark Check

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Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E5-1603 v3 and Core i3-8100H

Xeon E5-1603 v3

The Xeon E5-1603 v3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 2.8 GHz. L3 cache: 10 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011-3. Thermal design power (TDP): 140 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1333, DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866. Passmark benchmark score: 4,460 points. Launch price was $800.

Core i3-8100H

The Core i3-8100H is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 July 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-H (2018−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1440. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 4,435 points. Launch price was $225.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Xeon E5-1603 v3 and Core i3-8100H share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.8 GHz on the Xeon E5-1603 v3 versus 3 GHz on the Core i3-8100H — a 6.9% clock advantage for the Core i3-8100H (base: 2.8 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Xeon E5-1603 v3 uses the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Core i3-8100H uses Coffee Lake-H (2018−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5-1603 v3 scores 4,460 against the Core i3-8100H's 4,435 — a 0.6% lead for the Xeon E5-1603 v3. L3 cache: 10 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-1603 v3 vs 6 MB on the Core i3-8100H.

Feature	Xeon E5-1603 v3	Core i3-8100H
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	4 / 4
Boost Clock	2.8 GHz	3 GHz+7%
Base Clock	2.8 GHz	3 GHz+7%
L3 Cache	10 MB (total)+67%	6 MB
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	1 MB+300%
Process	22 nm	14 nm-36%
Architecture	Haswell-EP (2014−2015)	Coffee Lake-H (2018−2019)
PassMark	4,460	4,435

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon E5-1603 v3 uses the LGA2011-3 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i3-8100H uses BGA1440 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Xeon E5-1603 v3	Core i3-8100H
Socket	LGA2011-3	BGA1440
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-2666
Max RAM Capacity	—	64 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Xeon E5-1603 v3) / VT-x, VT-d (Core i3-8100H). The Core i3-8100H includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the Xeon E5-1603 v3 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i3-8100H targets Mobile.