Xeon E5-1620 v3 vs Ryzen 9 5900X

Xeon E5-1620 v3

4 Cores8 Thrd140 WWMax: 3.6 GHz2014

Ryzen 9 5900X

12 Cores24 Thrd105 WWMax: 4.8 GHz2020

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Xeon E5-1620 v3

4 / 8

6,959

0.0%

38,955

+459.8%

Ryzen Threadripper 9960X

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9975WX

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. The Xeon E5-1620 v3 is positioned at rank #577 in our cost-efficiency ranking, representing a Lower cost-benefit for your build. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

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 v3

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

8780%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

1658%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

1473%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

1138%

#348

Xeon Gold 6426Y

MSRP: $2145|Avg: N/A

99%

#349

EPYC 4565P

MSRP: $2730|Avg: $1980

99%

#351

Xeon W-2295

MSRP: $1333|Avg: $1400

98%

#352

Xeon 6741P

MSRP: $4421|Avg: $3780

96%

#353

EPYC 7452

MSRP: $2025|Avg: $2025

95%

#354

EPYC 7502P

MSRP: $2300|Avg: $1299

94%

#577

Xeon E5-1620 v3

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

100%

#583

Xeon E3-1245 v2

MSRP: $273|Avg: $204

98%

#590

Xeon W-2125

MSRP: $444|Avg: $42

95%

#592

EPYC 7261

MSRP: $501|Avg: $8

94%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Ryzen 9 5900X

#141

Core i9-13900K

MSRP: $599|Avg: $500

105%

#142

Core i3-14100

MSRP: $134|Avg: $131

104%

#143

Ryzen 5 3400G

MSRP: $149|Avg: $80

103%

#144

Core i7-10700KF

MSRP: $405|Avg: $160

103%

#145

Core i5-11600K

MSRP: $262|Avg: $170

103%

#146

Core i7-13700K

MSRP: $409|Avg: $400

103%

#147

Ryzen 5 PRO 3400G

MSRP: $149|Avg: $80

102%

#148

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X

MSRP: $329|Avg: $150

102%

#149

Core i9-12900KS

MSRP: $739|Avg: $385

102%

#150

Ryzen 5 5500X3D

MSRP: $185|Avg: $180

101%

#151

Core Ultra 7 265T

MSRP: $384|Avg: $362

101%

#152

Ryzen 3 3200GE

MSRP: $85|Avg: $64

101%

#153

Core i3-9100T

MSRP: $122|Avg: $50

101%

#154

Ryzen 5 4600G

MSRP: $154|Avg: $143

100%

#155

Core i7-13700T

MSRP: $384|Avg: $250

100%

#156

Ryzen 9 5900X

MSRP: $549|Avg: $350

100%

#157

Core i7-13700F

MSRP: $359|Avg: $345

100%

#158

Core i5-13600T

MSRP: $255|Avg: $255

99%

#159

Ryzen 5 3400GE

MSRP: $149|Avg: $80

99%

#160

Core i7-12700F

MSRP: $314|Avg: $275

99%

#161

Core i5-9400

MSRP: $192|Avg: $85

99%

#162

Core i3-13100

MSRP: $134|Avg: $128

99%

#163

Core i9-10910

MSRP: $488|Avg: $200

96%

#164

Core i5-14600T

MSRP: $255|Avg: $255

96%

#165

Core i5-11500T

MSRP: $192|Avg: $120

95%

#166

Ryzen 7 5700X3D

MSRP: $249|Avg: $249

95%

#167

Ryzen 3 8300GE

MSRP: $129|Avg: $129

95%

#168

Core i3-13100T

MSRP: $134|Avg: $122

94%

#169

Core i5-10600T

MSRP: $213|Avg: $110

94%

#170

Ryzen 3 3200G

MSRP: $100|Avg: $67

94%

#171

Core Ultra 9 285

MSRP: $589|Avg: $550

94%

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 Ryzen 9 5900X (2020) utilizes 7 nm, 12 nm technology and DDR4-3200, providing a fundamental performance advantage.

Insight	Xeon E5-1620 v3	Ryzen 9 5900X
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($189)	⚠️ Higher cost ($350)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Haswell-EP (2014−2015) / 22 nm)	✨ Modern (Vermeer (Zen3) (2020−2022) / 7 nm, 12 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Xeon E5-1620 v3 (2014) relies on 22 nm technology and DDR4-1333, DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866, DDR4-2133, placing it in a different performance category relative to modern standards.

Insight	Xeon E5-1620 v3	Ryzen 9 5900X
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+202%)
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($189)	⚠️ Higher cost ($350)

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 v3 Benchmark Check

Ryzen 9 5900X Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E5-1620 v3 and Ryzen 9 5900X

Xeon E5-1620 v3

The Xeon E5-1620 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 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 10 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 140 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1333, DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866, DDR4-2133. Passmark benchmark score: 6,959 points. Launch price was $800.

Ryzen 9 5900X

The Ryzen 9 5900X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 5 November 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Vermeer (Zen3) (2020−2022) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 38,955 points. Launch price was $549.

⚡

Processing Power

The Xeon E5-1620 v3 packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Ryzen 9 5900X offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the Ryzen 9 5900X has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.6 GHz on the Xeon E5-1620 v3 versus 4.8 GHz on the Ryzen 9 5900X — a 28.6% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 5900X (base: 3.5 GHz vs 3.7 GHz). The Xeon E5-1620 v3 uses the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Ryzen 9 5900X uses Vermeer (Zen3) (2020−2022) (7 nm, 12 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5-1620 v3 scores 6,959 against the Ryzen 9 5900X's 38,955 — a 139.4% lead for the Ryzen 9 5900X. L3 cache: 10 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-1620 v3 vs 64 MB on the Ryzen 9 5900X.

Feature	Xeon E5-1620 v3	Ryzen 9 5900X
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	12 / 24+200%
Boost Clock	3.6 GHz	4.8 GHz+33%
Base Clock	3.5 GHz	3.7 GHz+6%
L3 Cache	10 MB (total)	64 MB+540%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512K (per core)+100%
Process	22 nm	7 nm, 12 nm-68%
Architecture	Haswell-EP (2014−2015)	Vermeer (Zen3) (2020−2022)
PassMark	6,959	38,955+460%
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	21,000
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,174
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	11,888

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon E5-1620 v3 uses the LGA2011 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 9 5900X uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2133 memory speed. The Xeon E5-1620 v3 supports up to 768 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 142.9% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 4 (Xeon E5-1620 v3) vs 2 (Ryzen 9 5900X). PCIe lanes: 40 (Xeon E5-1620 v3) vs 24 (Ryzen 9 5900X) — the Xeon E5-1620 v3 offers 16 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel X99,Intel C612 (Xeon E5-1620 v3) and A320,B350,X370,B450,X470,B550,X570 (Ryzen 9 5900X).

Feature	Xeon E5-1620 v3	Ryzen 9 5900X
Socket	LGA2011	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2133	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	768 GB+500%	128 GB
RAM Channels	4+100%	2
ECC Support	✅	✅
PCIe Lanes	40+67%	24

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 9 5900X has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Xeon E5-1620 v3 supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Xeon E5-1620 v3) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 9 5900X). Primary use case: Xeon E5-1620 v3 targets Server, Ryzen 9 5900X targets Workstation. Direct competitor: Ryzen 9 5900X rivals Core i9-12900K.

Feature	Xeon E5-1620 v3	Ryzen 9 5900X
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	No	Yes
AVX-512	Yes	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	AMD-V
Target Use	Server	Workstation

💰

Value Analysis

The Xeon E5-1620 v3 launched at $294 MSRP, while the Ryzen 9 5900X debuted at $549. At current prices ($189 vs $350), the Xeon E5-1620 v3 is $161 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Xeon E5-1620 v3 delivers 36.8 pts/$ vs 111.3 pts/$ for the Ryzen 9 5900X — making the Ryzen 9 5900X the 100.6% better value option.