Xeon E5-2603 v3 vs Core i5-6287U

Xeon E5-2603 v3

6 Cores6 Thrd85 WWMax: 1.6 GHz2014

Core i5-6287U

2 Cores4 Thrd28 WWMax: 3.5 GHz2015

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Xeon E5-2603 v3

6 / 6

3,825

+0.6%

3,801

0.0%

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 v3 is positioned at rank 635 and the Core i5-6287U is on rank 470, so the Core i5-6287U 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 v3

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

10864%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

2051%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

1822%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

1408%

#380

Xeon Gold 6526Y

MSRP: $2878|Avg: N/A

99%

#382

Xeon Platinum 8352Y

MSRP: $3995|Avg: N/A

98%

#383

EPYC 7551P

MSRP: $2100|Avg: $329

95%

#384

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7985WX

MSRP: $7349|Avg: $7999

95%

#635

Xeon E5-2603 v3

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#636

Xeon E5-2680 v2

MSRP: $667|Avg: $462

100%

#640

Xeon W-2104

MSRP: $294|Avg: $309

98%

#643

Xeon E5-2620 v3

MSRP: $417|Avg: $80

97%

#650

Xeon E3-1275L v3

MSRP: $350|Avg: $29

95%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i5-6287U

#458

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

618%

#459

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

609%

#460

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

559%

#461

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

556%

#462

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

551%

#464

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

532%

#465

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

510%

#466

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

509%

#467

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

496%

#470

Core i5-6287U

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#472

Ryzen Embedded R1505G

MSRP: $80|Avg: $80

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 ($0) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon E5-2603 v3 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Xeon E5-2603 v3	Core i5-6287U
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Haswell-EP (2014−2015) / 22 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Skylake (2015−2016) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i5-6287U ($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.

Insight	Xeon E5-2603 v3	Core i5-6287U
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.

Xeon E5-2603 v3 Benchmark Check

Core i5-6287U Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E5-2603 v3 and Core i5-6287U

Xeon E5-2603 v3

The Xeon E5-2603 v3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture. It features 6 cores and 6 threads. Base frequency is 1.6 GHz, with boost up to 1.6 GHz. L3 cache: 15 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 85 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1600. Passmark benchmark score: 3,825 points. Launch price was $800.

Core i5-6287U

The Core i5-6287U is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture. It features 2 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1356. Thermal design power (TDP): 28 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 3,801 points. Launch price was $304.

⚡

Processing Power

The Xeon E5-2603 v3 packs 6 cores / 6 threads, while the Core i5-6287U offers 2 cores / 4 threads — the Xeon E5-2603 v3 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 1.6 GHz on the Xeon E5-2603 v3 versus 3.5 GHz on the Core i5-6287U — a 74.5% clock advantage for the Core i5-6287U (base: 1.6 GHz vs 3.1 GHz). The Xeon E5-2603 v3 uses the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Core i5-6287U uses Skylake (2015−2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5-2603 v3 scores 3,825 against the Core i5-6287U's 3,801 — a 0.6% lead for the Xeon E5-2603 v3. L3 cache: 15 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-2603 v3 vs 4 MB on the Core i5-6287U.

Feature	Xeon E5-2603 v3	Core i5-6287U
Cores / Threads	6 / 6+200%	2 / 4
Boost Clock	1.6 GHz	3.5 GHz+119%
Base Clock	1.6 GHz	3.1 GHz+94%
L3 Cache	15 MB (total)+275%	4 MB
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	512 kB+100%
Process	22 nm	14 nm-36%
Architecture	Haswell-EP (2014−2015)	Skylake (2015−2016)
PassMark	3,825	3,801
Geekbench 6 Single	—	816

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon E5-2603 v3 uses the LGA2011 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i5-6287U uses BGA1356 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Xeon E5-2603 v3	Core i5-6287U
Socket	LGA2011	BGA1356
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-2133
Max RAM Capacity	—	32 GB
RAM Channels	—	2
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	12

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Xeon E5-2603 v3) / VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-6287U). The Core i5-6287U includes integrated graphics (Iris Graphics 550), while the Xeon E5-2603 v3 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-6287U targets High Performance Laptop. Direct competitor: Core i5-6287U rivals FX-9800P.