Xeon E5-2470 vs Core i7-3960X

Xeon E5-2470

8 Cores16 Thrd95 WWMax: 3.1 GHz2012

Core i7-3960X

6 Cores12 Thrd130 WWMax: 3.9 GHz2011

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Xeon E5-2470

8 / 16

8,329

0.0%

8,402

+0.9%

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 E5-2470 is positioned at rank 973 and the Core i7-3960X is on rank 1024, so the Xeon E5-2470 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 E5-2470

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

35956%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

6789%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

6031%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

4660%

#535

Xeon W-3245M

MSRP: $5002|Avg: $5002

99%

#536

Xeon W-3265M

MSRP: $6300|Avg: $3500

98%

#973

Xeon E5-2470

MSRP: $1440|Avg: $125

100%

#974

Xeon E5-2670

MSRP: $1552|Avg: $60

99%

#976

Xeon X3470

MSRP: $589|Avg: $16

98%

#979

Xeon E5-2689

MSRP: $1800|Avg: $18

95%

#980

Xeon E5-2450L

MSRP: $1106|Avg: $78

95%

#981

Xeon X3480

MSRP: $612|Avg: $48

94%

#982

Xeon E5-2687W

MSRP: $1885|Avg: $70

92%

#983

Xeon E5-4610

MSRP: $1219|Avg: $50

92%

#985

Xeon X7550

MSRP: $1500|Avg: $1400

91%

#986

Xeon E7540

MSRP: $1980|Avg: $146

91%

#987

Xeon E7530

MSRP: $1391|Avg: $146

90%

#988

Xeon E5-4627 v4

MSRP: $2500|Avg: $200

90%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-3960X

Ryzen 9 7950X

MSRP: $194|Avg: $20

37065%

Core i9-10900T

MSRP: $120|Avg: $5

35023%

Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE

MSRP: $423|Avg: $5

25429%

Ryzen Threadripper 3960X

MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85

7661%

Ryzen 9 9950X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $129

6068%

Ryzen 5 8400F

MSRP: $303|Avg: $55

5308%

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $60

3040%

Ryzen 5 2600X

MSRP: $229|Avg: $55

3001%

Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $60

2732%

#10

Core Ultra 5 245KF

MSRP: $294|Avg: $189

2732%

#11

Ryzen 5 5500

MSRP: $159|Avg: $85

2701%

#12

Ryzen 5 3600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $80

2629%

#13

Core i3-9100E

MSRP: $202|Avg: $30

2592%

#14

Core Ultra 5 245K

MSRP: $319|Avg: $200

2581%

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

2558%

#396

Ryzen Embedded R2314

MSRP: $300|Avg: $762

91%

#1024

Core i7-3960X

MSRP: $999|Avg: $60

100%

#1025

Celeron 2.70

MSRP: $49|Avg: $49

99%

#1027

A10 PRO-7850B

MSRP: $426|Avg: $140

96%

#1028

Core 2 Quad Q8200

MSRP: $224|Avg: $36

96%

#1029

A12-9800E

MSRP: $426|Avg: $150

95%

#1030

Phenom II X6 1065T

MSRP: $426|Avg: $170

95%

#1031

Celeron 440

MSRP: $59|Avg: $10

95%

#1032

A8-3820

MSRP: $280|Avg: $200

93%

#1033

Core i7-860S

MSRP: $299|Avg: $96

92%

#1035

PRO A10-8770E

MSRP: $395|Avg: $210

90%

#1036

Core 2 Duo E4700

MSRP: $133|Avg: $10

90%

#1037

Athlon 64 X2 5800+

MSRP: $230|Avg: $20

90%

#1038

Phenom II X2 B53

MSRP: $150|Avg: $15

90%

#1039

Core 2 Quad Q9300

MSRP: $266|Avg: $27

90%

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 ($125) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon E5-2470 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Xeon E5-2470	Core i7-3960X
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($125)	✅ More affordable ($60)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge-EN (2012) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge-E (2011−2013) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-3960X ($60), 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 ($65 less, 52% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Xeon E5-2470	Core i7-3960X
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+110%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($125)	✅ More affordable ($60)

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 E5-2470 Benchmark Check

Core i7-3960X Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E5-2470 and Core i7-3960X

Xeon E5-2470

The Xeon E5-2470 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 14 May 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge-EN (2012) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.1 GHz. L3 cache: 20480 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1356. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 8,329 points. Launch price was $1,480.

Core i7-3960X

The Core i7-3960X is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 14 November 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge-E (2011−2013) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 15 MB (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: 8,402 points. Launch price was $861.

⚡

Processing Power

The Xeon E5-2470 packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Core i7-3960X offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Xeon E5-2470 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.1 GHz on the Xeon E5-2470 versus 3.9 GHz on the Core i7-3960X — a 22.9% clock advantage for the Core i7-3960X (base: 2.3 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). The Xeon E5-2470 uses the Sandy Bridge-EN (2012) architecture (32 nm), while the Core i7-3960X uses Sandy Bridge-E (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5-2470 scores 8,329 against the Core i7-3960X's 8,402 — a 0.9% lead for the Core i7-3960X. L3 cache: 20480 kB (total) on the Xeon E5-2470 vs 15 MB (total) on the Core i7-3960X.

Feature	Xeon E5-2470	Core i7-3960X
Cores / Threads	8 / 16+33%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	3.1 GHz	3.9 GHz+26%
Base Clock	2.3 GHz	3.3 GHz+43%
L3 Cache	20480 kB (total)+33%	15 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	256 kB (per core)
Process	32 nm	32 nm
Architecture	Sandy Bridge-EN (2012)	Sandy Bridge-E (2011−2013)
PassMark	8,329	8,402
Geekbench 6 Single	—	658
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	4,973

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon E5-2470 uses the LGA1356 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i7-3960X uses LGA2011 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Xeon E5-2470	Core i7-3960X
Socket	LGA1356	LGA2011
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR3-1600
Max RAM Capacity	—	64 GB
RAM Channels	—	4
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	40

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Xeon E5-2470) / Yes (Core i7-3960X).

Feature	Xeon E5-2470	Core i7-3960X
Integrated GPU	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	Yes

💰

Value Analysis

The Xeon E5-2470 launched at $1440 MSRP, while the Core i7-3960X debuted at $999. At current prices ($125 vs $60), the Core i7-3960X is $65 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Xeon E5-2470 delivers 66.6 pts/$ vs 140.0 pts/$ for the Core i7-3960X — making the Core i7-3960X the 71% better value option.