Xeon E5-1620 v2 vs Core i7-4980HQ

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 E5-1620 v2 is positioned at rank 594 and the Core i7-4980HQ is on rank 417, so the Core i7-4980HQ 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 E5-1620 v2

#1

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

9366%

#6

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

1768%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

1571%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

1214%

#355

Xeon w7-3455

MSRP: $2489|Avg: $2625

99%

#356

EPYC 9334

MSRP: $2990|Avg: $1810

99%

#357

Xeon w9-3575X

MSRP: $3789|Avg: $675

98%

#358

Xeon w7-3465X

MSRP: $2889|Avg: $468

98%

#359

Xeon Gold 6530

MSRP: $2128|Avg: $1846

97%

#359

EPYC 9354

MSRP: $3420|Avg: $2498

97%

#361

Xeon Silver 4114

MSRP: $612|Avg: $30

96%

#362

EPYC 7532

MSRP: $2380|Avg: $225

96%

#363

Xeon W-2191B

MSRP: $1333|Avg: $39

96%

#364

Xeon Gold 5320

MSRP: $1780|Avg: $1834

95%

#594

Xeon E5-1620 v2

MSRP: $294|Avg: $50

100%

#605

Xeon E3-1270 v3

MSRP: $339|Avg: $410

96%

#607

Xeon E3-1235

MSRP: $240|Avg: $270

96%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-4980HQ

#125

Core i7-13700H

MSRP: $502|Avg: N/A

100%

#405

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

561%

#406

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

553%

#407

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

507%

#408

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

505%

#409

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

500%

#411

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

483%

#412

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

463%

#413

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

463%

#414

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

450%

#417

Core i7-4980HQ

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#421

Core i5-9400H

MSRP: $182|Avg: N/A

99%

#426

Celeron 2981U

MSRP: $137|Avg: N/A

99%

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 ($50) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon E5-1620 v2 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Xeon E5-1620 v2	Core i7-4980HQ
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($50)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge-E (2013) / 22 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Crystalwell (2013−2014) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-4980HQ ($0), 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 ($50 less, 100% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Xeon E5-1620 v2	Core i7-4980HQ
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($50)	✅ 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 E5-1620 v2 Benchmark Check

Core i7-4980HQ Benchmark Check

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Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E5-1620 v2 and Core i7-4980HQ

Xeon E5-1620 v2

The Xeon E5-1620 v2 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge-E (2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 10 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 6,523 points. Launch price was $315.

Core i7-4980HQ

The Core i7-4980HQ is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Crystalwell (2013−2014) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1364. Thermal design power (TDP): 47 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 6,539 points. Launch price was $623.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Xeon E5-1620 v2 and Core i7-4980HQ share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.9 GHz on the Xeon E5-1620 v2 versus 4 GHz on the Core i7-4980HQ — a 2.5% clock advantage for the Core i7-4980HQ (base: 3.7 GHz vs 2.8 GHz). The Xeon E5-1620 v2 uses the Ivy Bridge-E (2013) architecture (22 nm), while the Core i7-4980HQ uses Crystalwell (2013−2014) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5-1620 v2 scores 6,523 against the Core i7-4980HQ's 6,539 — a 0.2% lead for the Core i7-4980HQ. L3 cache: 10 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-1620 v2 vs 8 MB (total) on the Core i7-4980HQ.

Feature	Xeon E5-1620 v2	Core i7-4980HQ
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 8
Boost Clock	3.9 GHz	4 GHz+3%
Base Clock	3.7 GHz+32%	2.8 GHz
L3 Cache	10 MB (total)+25%	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	22 nm	22 nm
Architecture	Ivy Bridge-E (2013)	Crystalwell (2013−2014)
PassMark	6,523	6,539

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon E5-1620 v2 uses the LGA2011 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-4980HQ uses BGA1364 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.