
Xeon E5-1650 vs Xeon E3-1285L v4

Xeon E5-1650

Xeon E3-1285L v4
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 E5-1650 is positioned at rank 371 and the Xeon E3-1285L v4 is on rank 366, so the Xeon E3-1285L v4 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5-1650
Performance Per Dollar Xeon E3-1285L v4
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Xeon E5-1650 | Xeon E3-1285L v4 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge-E (2011−2013) / 32 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Broadwell-DT (2015) / 14 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Xeon E5-1650 | Xeon E3-1285L v4 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
Performance Check
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 E5-1650 and Xeon E3-1285L v4

Xeon E5-1650
The Xeon E5-1650 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 6 March 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge-E (2011−2013) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 12288 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 8,056 points. Launch price was $175.

Xeon E3-1285L v4
The Xeon E3-1285L v4 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Broadwell-DT (2015) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1150. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3L-1333, DDR3L-1600, DDR3L-1866. Passmark benchmark score: 8,092 points. Launch price was $800.
Processing Power
The Xeon E5-1650 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon E3-1285L v4 offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Xeon E5-1650 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.8 GHz on the Xeon E5-1650 versus 3.8 GHz on the Xeon E3-1285L v4 — identical boost frequencies (base: 3.2 GHz vs 3.4 GHz). The Xeon E5-1650 uses the Sandy Bridge-E (2011−2013) architecture (32 nm), while the Xeon E3-1285L v4 uses Broadwell-DT (2015) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5-1650 scores 8,056 against the Xeon E3-1285L v4's 8,092 — a 0.4% lead for the Xeon E3-1285L v4. L3 cache: 12288 kB (total) on the Xeon E5-1650 vs 6 MB (total) on the Xeon E3-1285L v4.
| Feature | Xeon E5-1650 | Xeon E3-1285L v4 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 6 / 12+50% | 4 / 8 |
| Boost Clock | 3.8 GHz | 3.8 GHz |
| Base Clock | 3.2 GHz | 3.4 GHz+6% |
| L3 Cache | 12288 kB (total)+100% | 6 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 256 kB (per core) | 256K (per core) |
| Process | 32 nm | 14 nm-56% |
| Architecture | Sandy Bridge-E (2011−2013) | Broadwell-DT (2015) |
| PassMark | 8,056 | 8,092 |
Memory & Platform
The Xeon E5-1650 uses the LGA2011 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Xeon E3-1285L v4 uses LGA1150 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Xeon E5-1650 | Xeon E3-1285L v4 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA2011 | LGA1150 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 5.0 | PCIe 5.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3-1600 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 384 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 4 | — |
| ECC Support | ✅ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 40 | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Xeon E5-1650) / not specified (Xeon E3-1285L v4). Primary use case: Xeon E5-1650 targets Workstation.
| Feature | Xeon E5-1650 | Xeon E3-1285L v4 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | — |
| Unlocked | Yes | — |
| AVX-512 | Yes | — |
| Virtualization | VT-x, VT-d | — |
| Target Use | Workstation | — |
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