CPU
GPU
Xeon E5-2603
A10-9600P
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 is positioned at rank 825 and the A10-9600P is on rank 572, so the A10-9600P offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5-2603
Performance Per Dollar A10-9600P
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Xeon E5-2603 | A10-9600P |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($50) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge-EP (2012) / 32 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) / 28 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Xeon E5-2603 | A10-9600P |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($50) |
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.
Path of Exile 2
Counter-Strike 2
League of Legends
Valorant
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E5-2603 and A10-9600P
Xeon E5-2603
The Xeon E5-2603 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 6 March 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge-EP (2012) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 1.8 GHz, with boost up to 1.8 GHz. L3 cache: 10240 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 80 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,325 points. Launch price was $207.
A10-9600P
The A10-9600P is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 2014-01-01. It is based on the Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.3 GHz. L2 cache: 2048 kB. Built on 28 nm process technology. Socket: FP4. Thermal design power (TDP): 2 MB. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 2,333 points. Launch price was $130.
Processing Power
Both the Xeon E5-2603 and A10-9600P share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.8 GHz on the Xeon E5-2603 versus 3.3 GHz on the A10-9600P — a 58.8% clock advantage for the A10-9600P (base: 1.8 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Xeon E5-2603 uses the Sandy Bridge-EP (2012) architecture (32 nm), while the A10-9600P uses Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) (28 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5-2603 scores 2,325 against the A10-9600P's 2,333 — a 0.3% lead for the A10-9600P.
| Feature | Xeon E5-2603 | A10-9600P |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 4 / 4 | 4 / 4 |
| Boost Clock | 1.8 GHz | 3.3 GHz+83% |
| Base Clock | 1.8 GHz | 2.4 GHz+33% |
| L3 Cache | 10240 kB (total) | — |
| L2 Cache | 256 kB (per core) | 2048 kB+700% |
| Process | 32 nm | 28 nm-13% |
| Architecture | Sandy Bridge-EP (2012) | Bristol Ridge (2016−2019) |
| PassMark | 2,325 | 2,333 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 469 |
Memory & Platform
The Xeon E5-2603 uses the LGA2011 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the A10-9600P uses FP4 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Xeon E5-2603 | A10-9600P |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA2011 | FP4 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 3.0+50% |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR4-1866 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 16 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 2 |
| ECC Support | — | ❌ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 8 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Xeon E5-2603) / AMD-V (A10-9600P). The A10-9600P includes integrated graphics (Radeon R5), while the Xeon E5-2603 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: A10-9600P targets Laptop. Direct competitor: A10-9600P rivals Core i3-6006U.
| Feature | Xeon E5-2603 | A10-9600P |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | Yes |
| IGPU Model | — | Radeon R5 |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | AMD-V |
| Target Use | — | Laptop |
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