Xeon E5-2603 vs Xeon E5472

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 Xeon E5472 is on rank 822, so the Xeon E5472 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

#1

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

17870%

#6

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

3374%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

2998%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

2316%

#469

EPYC 9554

MSRP: $9087|Avg: $2795

99%

#470

Xeon Gold 6338T

MSRP: $3139|Avg: $1795

98%

#471

Xeon E5-2650 v4

MSRP: $1166|Avg: $45

98%

#472

EPYC 9845

MSRP: $13564|Avg: $8670

97%

#473

EPYC 7F32

MSRP: $2100|Avg: $179

95%

#474

EPYC 9654P

MSRP: $10625|Avg: $5345

94%

#475

EPYC 9965

MSRP: $14813|Avg: $10000

93%

#825

Xeon E5-2603

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#827

Xeon W3565

MSRP: $294|Avg: $69

99%

#837

Xeon W3550

MSRP: $294|Avg: $30

95%

#839

Xeon E5-2450

MSRP: $694|Avg: $795

93%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5472

#1

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

17808%

#6

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

3362%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

2987%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

2308%

#469

EPYC 9554

MSRP: $9087|Avg: $2795

98%

#470

Xeon Gold 6338T

MSRP: $3139|Avg: $1795

98%

#471

Xeon E5-2650 v4

MSRP: $1166|Avg: $45

98%

#472

EPYC 9845

MSRP: $13564|Avg: $8670

97%

#473

EPYC 7F32

MSRP: $2100|Avg: $179

95%

#822

Xeon E5472

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#824

Xeon E5-1660 v3

MSRP: $1080|Avg: $198

100%

#827

Xeon W3565

MSRP: $294|Avg: $69

99%

#837

Xeon W3550

MSRP: $294|Avg: $30

95%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Xeon E5472 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Xeon E5-2603 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.3% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Xeon E5-2603	Xeon E5472
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge-EP (2012) / 32 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Harpertown (2007−2008) / 45 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Xeon E5-2603	Xeon E5472
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 Benchmark Check

Xeon E5472 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

No prediction data available

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

No prediction data available

Counter-Strike 2

No prediction data available

League of Legends

No prediction data available

League of Legends

Valorant

No prediction data available

Valorant

No prediction data available

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E5-2603 and Xeon E5472

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.

Xeon E5472

The Xeon E5472 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 November 2007 (18 years ago). It is based on the Harpertown (2007−2008) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB L2 Cache. L2 cache: 6 MB (total). Built on 45 nm process technology. Socket: LGA771. Thermal design power (TDP): 80 Watt. Memory support: DDR2, DDR3 Depends on motherboard. Passmark benchmark score: 2,333 points. Launch price was $1,022.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Xeon E5-2603 and Xeon E5472 share an identical 4-core/4-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.8 GHz on the Xeon E5-2603 versus 3 GHz on the Xeon E5472 — a 50% clock advantage for the Xeon E5472 (base: 1.8 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Xeon E5-2603 uses the Sandy Bridge-EP (2012) architecture (32 nm), while the Xeon E5472 uses Harpertown (2007−2008) (45 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5-2603 scores 2,325 against the Xeon E5472's 2,333 — a 0.3% lead for the Xeon E5472. L3 cache: 10240 kB (total) on the Xeon E5-2603 vs 12 MB L2 Cache on the Xeon E5472.

Feature	Xeon E5-2603	Xeon E5472
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	4 / 4
Boost Clock	1.8 GHz	3 GHz+67%
Base Clock	1.8 GHz	3 GHz+67%
L3 Cache	10240 kB (total)	12 MB L2 Cache+20%
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	6 MB (total)+2300%
Process	32 nm-29%	45 nm
Architecture	Sandy Bridge-EP (2012)	Harpertown (2007−2008)
PassMark	2,325	2,333

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon E5-2603 uses the LGA2011 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Xeon E5472 uses LGA771 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.