Xeon E5-1620 v3 vs Xeon E3-1286L v3

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 v3 is positioned at rank 577 and the Xeon E3-1286L v3 is on rank 424, so the Xeon E3-1286L 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 E5-1620 v3

#1

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

8780%

#6

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 Xeon E3-1286L v3

#1

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

5998%

#4

Xeon W-11865MLE

MSRP: $467|Avg: $350

98%

#6

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

1132%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

1006%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

777%

#281

EPYC 7402P

MSRP: $1280|Avg: $1090

99%

#282

Xeon w5-3525

MSRP: $1339|Avg: $1392

98%

#283

Xeon W-1290T

MSRP: $546|Avg: $494

97%

#284

Xeon D-1581

MSRP: $400|Avg: $400

95%

#424

Xeon E3-1286L v3

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#425

Xeon E5-4620 v2

MSRP: $273|Avg: $30

100%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Xeon E3-1286L v3 leads in gaming performance. However, the Xeon E5-1620 v3 is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.4% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Xeon E5-1620 v3	Xeon E3-1286L v3
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($189)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Haswell-EP (2014−2015) / 22 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Legacy / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Xeon E5-1620 v3	Xeon E3-1286L v3
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($189)	✅ 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 v3 Benchmark Check

Xeon E3-1286L v3 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E5-1620 v3 and Xeon E3-1286L v3

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.

Xeon E3-1286L v3

The Xeon E3-1286L v3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB Intel® Smart Cache. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1150. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3L-1333, DDR3L-1600. Passmark benchmark score: 6,929 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Xeon E5-1620 v3 and Xeon E3-1286L v3 share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.6 GHz on the Xeon E5-1620 v3 versus 4 GHz on the Xeon E3-1286L v3 — a 10.5% clock advantage for the Xeon E3-1286L v3 (base: 3.5 GHz vs 3.2 GHz). The Xeon E5-1620 v3 is built on the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture. In PassMark, the Xeon E5-1620 v3 scores 6,959 against the Xeon E3-1286L v3's 6,929 — a 0.4% lead for the Xeon E5-1620 v3. L3 cache: 10 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-1620 v3 vs 8 MB Intel® Smart Cache on the Xeon E3-1286L v3.

Feature	Xeon E5-1620 v3	Xeon E3-1286L v3
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 8
Boost Clock	3.6 GHz	4 GHz+11%
Base Clock	3.5 GHz+9%	3.2 GHz
L3 Cache	10 MB (total)+25%	8 MB Intel® Smart Cache
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	—
Process	22 nm	22 nm
Architecture	Haswell-EP (2014−2015)	—
PassMark	6,959	6,929

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Memory & Platform

The Xeon E5-1620 v3 uses the LGA2011 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E3-1286L v3 uses LGA1150 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.