Xeon E5-1680 v2 vs Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition

Xeon E5-1680 v2

8 Cores16 Thrd130 WWMax: 3.9 GHz2013

Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition

6 Cores12 Thrd130 WWMax: 3.3 GHz2011

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Xeon E5-1680 v2

8 / 16

12,396

0.0%

Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition

6 / 12

12,460

+0.5%

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 E5-1680 v2 is positioned at rank 943 and the Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition is on rank 951, so the Xeon E5-1680 v2 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 E5-1680 v2

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

28904%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

5457%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

4849%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

3746%

#528

Xeon E5-2687W v3

MSRP: $2141|Avg: $749

94%

#529

Xeon Max 9480

MSRP: $12980|Avg: $12980

89%

#943

Xeon E5-1680 v2

MSRP: $1723|Avg: $150

100%

#944

Opteron 144

MSRP: $65|Avg: $29

99%

#945

Opteron 4386

MSRP: $459|Avg: $459

99%

#946

Xeon E5-2640

MSRP: $885|Avg: N/A

99%

#947

Xeon E5-2643 v4

MSRP: $1552|Avg: $555

99%

#949

Xeon E5-2630 v2

MSRP: $1069|Avg: $1224

97%

#953

Xeon E5-1620

MSRP: $885|Avg: $70

92%

#955

Xeon E5462

MSRP: $342|Avg: $45

90%

#958

Xeon E5-4650 v2

MSRP: $1723|Avg: $48

88%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

24759%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

23395%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

16986%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

5117%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

4053%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

3546%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

2031%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

2004%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

1825%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

1825%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

1805%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

1756%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

1731%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

1724%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

1709%

#951

Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition

MSRP: $990|Avg: $150

100%

#952

Celeron E1200

MSRP: $53|Avg: $98

100%

#954

Core i5-660

MSRP: $196|Avg: $150

99%

#955

Athlon II X2 250

MSRP: $87|Avg: $15

99%

#956

Core i3-2120T

MSRP: $127|Avg: $38

98%

#957

Phenom II X3 720

MSRP: $130|Avg: $64

98%

#958

Pentium E6300

MSRP: $84|Avg: $15

98%

#959

Core i5-661

MSRP: $196|Avg: $40

97%

#960

Core i3-4150

MSRP: $281|Avg: $70

96%

#961

Core i5-750

MSRP: $210|Avg: $30

96%

#962

Core i3-2100T

MSRP: $127|Avg: $127

96%

#963

Pentium E2210

MSRP: $84|Avg: $15

95%

#964

Core i3-560

MSRP: $138|Avg: $10

95%

#965

Core i3-550

MSRP: $138|Avg: $5

94%

#966

Core i7-980

MSRP: $583|Avg: $50

94%

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 ($150) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon E5-1680 v2 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Xeon E5-1680 v2	Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge-EP (2013) / 22 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition ($150), 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 ($0 less, 0% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Xeon E5-1680 v2	Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+1%)
Upfront Cost	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing

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 E5-1680 v2 Benchmark Check

Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E5-1680 v2 and Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition

Xeon E5-1680 v2

The Xeon E5-1680 v2 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Ivy Bridge-EP (2013) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 25 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-800, DDR3-1066, DDR3-1333, DDR3-1600, DDR3-1866. Passmark benchmark score: 12,396 points. Launch price was $800.

Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition

The Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 14 November 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Max frequency: 3.3 GHz. L3 cache: 15 MB. L2 cache: 1,536 kB. Built on 32 nm process technology. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 12,460 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

The Xeon E5-1680 v2 packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Xeon E5-1680 v2 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.9 GHz on the Xeon E5-1680 v2 versus 3.3 GHz on the Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition — a 16.7% clock advantage for the Xeon E5-1680 v2. The Xeon E5-1680 v2 uses the Ivy Bridge-EP (2013) architecture (22 nm), while the Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5-1680 v2 scores 12,396 against the Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition's 12,460 — a 0.5% lead for the Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 750 vs 800, a 6.5% lead for the Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition that directly translates to higher frame rates. L3 cache: 25 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-1680 v2 vs 15 MB on the Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition.

Feature	Xeon E5-1680 v2	Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition
Cores / Threads	8 / 16+33%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	3.9 GHz+18%	3.3 GHz
Base Clock	3 GHz	—
L3 Cache	25 MB (total)+67%	15 MB
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	1,536 kB+500%
Process	22 nm-31%	32 nm
Architecture	Ivy Bridge-EP (2013)	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
PassMark	12,396	12,460
Cinebench R23 Multi	8,579	—
Geekbench 6 Single	750	800+7%
Geekbench 6 Multi	4,500	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both support up to DDR3-1866 memory speed. The Xeon E5-1680 v2 supports up to 256 GB of RAM compared to 64 GB — 120% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 4-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 40 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: C602,X79 (Xeon E5-1680 v2) and X79 (Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition).

Feature	Xeon E5-1680 v2	Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition
Socket	LGA2011	—
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0+50%	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1866	DDR3-1600
Max RAM Capacity	256 GB+300%	64 GB
RAM Channels	4	4
ECC Support	✅	❌
PCIe Lanes	40	40

🔧

Advanced Features

Both processors feature an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. Both support VT-x, VT-d, EPT virtualization. Primary use case: Xeon E5-1680 v2 targets Server/Workstation, Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition targets HEDT Desktop. Direct competitor: Xeon E5-1680 v2 rivals Core i7-4960X; Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition rivals FX-8350.

Feature	Xeon E5-1680 v2	Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	None	None
Unlocked	Yes	Yes
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	Server/Workstation	HEDT Desktop

💰

Value Analysis

The Xeon E5-1680 v2 launched at $1723 MSRP, while the Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition debuted at $990. At current prices ($150 vs $150), the Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition is $0 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Xeon E5-1680 v2 delivers 82.6 pts/$ vs 83.1 pts/$ for the Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition — making the Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition the 0.5% better value option.