Xeon E5-1620 v4
VS
Core i7-4950HQ

Xeon E5-1620 v4 vs Core i7-4950HQ

Intel

Xeon E5-1620 v4

4 Cores8 Thrd140 WWMax: 3.8 GHz2016
VS
Intel

Core i7-4950HQ

4 Cores8 Thrd47 WWMax: 3.6 GHz2013

Performance Spectrum - CPU

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 E5-1620 v4 is positioned at rank 959 and the Core i7-4950HQ is on rank 236, so the Core i7-4950HQ 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 v4

#1
Xeon Platinum 8454H
MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A
33040%
#6
Xeon Gold 6240R
MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A
6238%
#10
Xeon 6337P
MSRP: $60|Avg: $5
5542%
#15
EPYC 9174F
MSRP: $194|Avg: $30
4282%
#530
Xeon E5-2689 v4
MSRP: $2723|Avg: $100
100%
#531
EPYC 7543
MSRP: $10257|Avg: $468
98%
#532
Xeon Platinum 8368Q
MSRP: $7719|Avg: $7719
96%
#533
Xeon Gold 6250
MSRP: $3400|Avg: $2000
96%
#534
Xeon E5-2699 v4
MSRP: $4115|Avg: $400
96%
#959
Xeon E5-1620 v4
MSRP: $1166|Avg: $160
100%
#963
Xeon E5-2660
MSRP: $1329|Avg: $65
97%
#964
Xeon E5-2667 v3
MSRP: $2057|Avg: $150
96%
#966
Xeon E3110
MSRP: $214|Avg: $158
96%
#969
Xeon L3406
MSRP: $189|Avg: $30
93%
#970
Xeon E5-2687W v2
MSRP: $2112|Avg: $62
93%
#972
Xeon L5430
MSRP: $390|Avg: $380
92%
#973
Xeon E5-2470
MSRP: $1440|Avg: $125
92%
#974
Xeon E5-2670
MSRP: $1552|Avg: $60
91%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-4950HQ

#64
Ryzen AI Max PRO 390
MSRP: $600|Avg: $600
97%
#224
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
396%
#225
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
390%
#226
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
358%
#227
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
357%
#228
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
354%
#230
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
341%
#231
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
327%
#232
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
327%
#233
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
318%
#236
Core i7-4950HQ
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
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 ($160) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon E5-1620 v4 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.
InsightXeon E5-1620 v4Core i7-4950HQ
Gaming
Superior gaming performance
Lower gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
⚠️ Higher cost ($160)
More affordable ($0)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Broadwell-EP (2016) / 14 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Crystalwell (2013−2014) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-4950HQ ($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 ($160 less, 100% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.
InsightXeon E5-1620 v4Core i7-4950HQ
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
⚠️ Higher cost ($160)
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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E5-1620 v4 and Core i7-4950HQ

Intel

Xeon E5-1620 v4

The Xeon E5-1620 v4 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 20 June 2016 (9 years ago). It is based on the Broadwell-EP (2016) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 10 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 140 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866, DDR4-2133, DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 7,338 points. Launch price was $294.

Intel

Core i7-4950HQ

The Core i7-4950HQ is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 7 June 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Crystalwell (2013−2014) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 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: 7,405 points. Launch price was $657.

Processing Power

Both the Xeon E5-1620 v4 and Core i7-4950HQ share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.8 GHz on the Xeon E5-1620 v4 versus 3.6 GHz on the Core i7-4950HQ — a 5.4% clock advantage for the Xeon E5-1620 v4 (base: 3.5 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Xeon E5-1620 v4 uses the Broadwell-EP (2016) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i7-4950HQ uses Crystalwell (2013−2014) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5-1620 v4 scores 7,338 against the Core i7-4950HQ's 7,405 — a 0.9% lead for the Core i7-4950HQ. L3 cache: 10 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-1620 v4 vs 8 MB (total) on the Core i7-4950HQ.

FeatureXeon E5-1620 v4Core i7-4950HQ
Cores / Threads
4 / 8
4 / 8
Boost Clock
3.8 GHz+6%
3.6 GHz
Base Clock
3.5 GHz+46%
2.4 GHz
L3 Cache
10 MB (total)+25%
8 MB (total)
L2 Cache
256K (per core)
256K (per core)
Process
14 nm-36%
22 nm
Architecture
Broadwell-EP (2016)
Crystalwell (2013−2014)
PassMark
7,338
7,405
Cinebench R23 Multi
3,317
Geekbench 6 Single
842
Geekbench 6 Multi
3,317
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon E5-1620 v4 uses the LGA2011 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-4950HQ uses BGA1364 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureXeon E5-1620 v4Core i7-4950HQ
Socket
LGA2011
BGA1364
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0
PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed
DDR3L-1600
Max RAM Capacity
32 GB
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
16
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Xeon E5-1620 v4) / Yes (Core i7-4950HQ). The Core i7-4950HQ includes integrated graphics (Iris Pro Graphics 5200), while the Xeon E5-1620 v4 requires a dedicated GPU.

FeatureXeon E5-1620 v4Core i7-4950HQ
Integrated GPU
Yes
IGPU Model
Iris Pro Graphics 5200
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
Yes