Xeon E5-1603 v3 vs Core i5-3450

Xeon E5-1603 v3

4 Cores4 Thrd140 WWMax: 2.8 GHz2014

Core i5-3450

4 Cores4 Thrd77 WWMax: 3.5 GHz2012

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Xeon E5-1603 v3

4 / 4

4,460

0.0%

4,517

+1.3%

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 E5-1603 v3 is positioned at rank 683 and the Core i5-3450 is on rank 696, so the Xeon E5-1603 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 E5-1603 v3

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

12719%

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 i5-3450

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

12697%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

11998%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

8711%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

2624%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

2079%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

1818%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

1042%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

1028%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

936%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

936%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

925%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

900%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

888%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

884%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

876%

#391

Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX

MSRP: $1299|Avg: $1300

97%

#695

FX-4300

MSRP: $122|Avg: $25

100%

#696

Core i5-3450

MSRP: $184|Avg: $95

100%

#697

Celeron G550

MSRP: $52|Avg: $15

100%

#699

Core i3-4370T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $138

99%

#700

FX-6200

MSRP: $169|Avg: $25

99%

#701

FX-4150

MSRP: $137|Avg: $20

99%

#702

Core i5-2450P

MSRP: $177|Avg: $30

98%

#703

Core i5-4690T

MSRP: $192|Avg: $98

98%

#704

Core i5-4430S

MSRP: $182|Avg: $90

98%

#705

Core i5-4440S

MSRP: $182|Avg: $30

98%

#708

Core i3-4360T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $40

97%

#710

Core i5-3470S

MSRP: $184|Avg: $37

97%

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 ($40) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon E5-1603 v3 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Xeon E5-1603 v3	Core i5-3450
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($40)	⚠️ Higher cost ($95)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Haswell-EP (2014−2015) / 22 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i5-3450 ($95), 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 ($55 less, 138% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Xeon E5-1603 v3	Core i5-3450
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+135%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($40)	⚠️ Higher cost ($95)

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 i5-3450 Benchmark Check

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E5-1603 v3 and Core i5-3450

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 i5-3450

The Core i5-3450 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 29 April 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 6144 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 77 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 4,517 points. Launch price was $186.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Xeon E5-1603 v3 and Core i5-3450 share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.8 GHz on the Xeon E5-1603 v3 versus 3.5 GHz on the Core i5-3450 — a 22.2% clock advantage for the Core i5-3450 (base: 2.8 GHz vs 3.1 GHz). The Xeon E5-1603 v3 uses the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Core i5-3450 uses Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5-1603 v3 scores 4,460 against the Core i5-3450's 4,517 — a 1.3% lead for the Core i5-3450. L3 cache: 10 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-1603 v3 vs 6144 kB (total) on the Core i5-3450.

Feature	Xeon E5-1603 v3	Core i5-3450
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	4 / 4
Boost Clock	2.8 GHz	3.5 GHz+25%
Base Clock	2.8 GHz	3.1 GHz+11%
L3 Cache	10 MB (total)+67%	6144 kB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256 kB (per core)
Process	22 nm	22 nm
Architecture	Haswell-EP (2014−2015)	Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)
PassMark	4,460	4,517+1%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon E5-1603 v3 uses the LGA2011-3 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i5-3450 uses LGA1155 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Xeon E5-1603 v3	Core i5-3450
Socket	LGA2011-3	LGA1155
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	—	1600
Max RAM Capacity	—	32
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Xeon E5-1603 v3) / true (Core i5-3450). The Core i5-3450 includes integrated graphics (Intel HD Graphics 2500), while the Xeon E5-1603 v3 requires a dedicated GPU.

Feature	Xeon E5-1603 v3	Core i5-3450
Integrated GPU	—	Yes
IGPU Model	—	Intel HD Graphics 2500
Virtualization	—	true

💰

Value Analysis

The Xeon E5-1603 v3 launched at $273 MSRP, while the Core i5-3450 debuted at $184. At current prices ($40 vs $95), the Xeon E5-1603 v3 is $55 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Xeon E5-1603 v3 delivers 111.5 pts/$ vs 47.5 pts/$ for the Core i5-3450 — making the Xeon E5-1603 v3 the 80.4% better value option.