Xeon E5-2603 v2
VS
Core i5-5300U

Xeon E5-2603 v2 vs Core i5-5300U

Intel

Xeon E5-2603 v2

4 Cores4 Thrd80 WWMax: 1.8 GHz2013
VS
Intel

Core i5-5300U

2 Cores4 Thrd512 WWMax: 2.9 GHz2015

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 E5-2603 v2 is positioned at rank 757 and the Core i5-5300U is on rank 758, so the Xeon E5-2603 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 E5-2603 v2

#1
Xeon Platinum 8454H
MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A
15192%
#6
Xeon Gold 6240R
MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A
2868%
#10
Xeon 6337P
MSRP: $60|Avg: $5
2548%
#15
EPYC 9174F
MSRP: $194|Avg: $30
1969%
#436
Xeon Gold 5218T
MSRP: $1572|Avg: $1349
100%
#437
Xeon 6960P
MSRP: $9625|Avg: $9625
99%
#438
EPYC 9555
MSRP: $9826|Avg: $7973
99%
#439
Xeon Gold 6338
MSRP: $2990|Avg: $1604
98%
#440
Xeon Gold 6538N
MSRP: $3351|Avg: $170
98%
#441
EPYC 7F52
MSRP: $3100|Avg: $1826
98%
#442
EPYC 7542
MSRP: $3400|Avg: $899
98%
#443
EPYC 9655
MSRP: $11852|Avg: $11852
96%
#444
Xeon 6781P
MSRP: $8960|Avg: $8960
96%
#445
Xeon Gold 6338N
MSRP: $3200|Avg: $3200
96%
#757
Xeon E5-2603 v2
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#758
Xeon E3-1281 v3
MSRP: $555|Avg: $636
100%
#768
Xeon E3-1270L v4
MSRP: $581|Avg: $636
96%
#772
Xeon E3-1545M v5
MSRP: $581|Avg: $636
96%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i5-5300U

#746
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
1083%
#747
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
1067%
#748
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
980%
#749
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
975%
#750
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
966%
#752
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
933%
#753
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
895%
#754
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
893%
#755
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
869%
#758
Core i5-5300U
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#762
Core i3-N300
MSRP: $309|Avg: $309
99%
#767
Core i7-1250U
MSRP: $426|Avg: N/A
98%
#773
Core i7-9750HF
MSRP: $395|Avg: $395
97%
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 ($0) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon E5-2603 v2 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.
InsightXeon E5-2603 v2Core i5-5300U
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Better multi-core power
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price
Equivalent pricing
Equivalent pricing
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge-EP (2013) / 22 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Broadwell-U (2015) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i5-5300U ($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 ($0 less, NaN% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.
InsightXeon E5-2603 v2Core i5-5300U
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E5-2603 v2 and Core i5-5300U

Intel

Xeon E5-2603 v2

The Xeon E5-2603 v2 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge-EP (2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.8 GHz, with boost up to 1.8 GHz. L3 cache: 10 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 80 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,735 points. Launch price was $240.

Intel

Core i5-5300U

The Core i5-5300U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 March 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Broadwell-U (2015) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 2.9 GHz. L3 cache: 3 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1168. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,709 points. Launch price was $281.

Processing Power

The Xeon E5-2603 v2 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Core i5-5300U offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the Xeon E5-2603 v2 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 1.8 GHz on the Xeon E5-2603 v2 versus 2.9 GHz on the Core i5-5300U — a 46.8% clock advantage for the Core i5-5300U (base: 1.8 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The Xeon E5-2603 v2 uses the Ivy Bridge-EP (2013) architecture (22 nm), while the Core i5-5300U uses Broadwell-U (2015) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5-2603 v2 scores 2,735 against the Core i5-5300U's 2,709 — a 1% lead for the Xeon E5-2603 v2. L3 cache: 10 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-2603 v2 vs 3 MB (total) on the Core i5-5300U.

FeatureXeon E5-2603 v2Core i5-5300U
Cores / Threads
4 / 4+100%
2 / 4
Boost Clock
1.8 GHz
2.9 GHz+61%
Base Clock
1.8 GHz
2.3 GHz+28%
L3 Cache
10 MB (total)+233%
3 MB (total)
L2 Cache
256 kB (per core)
256K (per core)
Process
22 nm
14 nm-36%
Architecture
Ivy Bridge-EP (2013)
Broadwell-U (2015)
PassMark
2,735
2,709
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon E5-2603 v2 uses the LGA2011 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i5-5300U uses FCBGA1168 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureXeon E5-2603 v2Core i5-5300U
Socket
LGA2011
FCBGA1168
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0
PCIe 3.0