Xeon E5-2609 v3 vs Xeon E5-2603 v4

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 E5-2609 v3 is positioned at rank 728 and the Xeon E5-2603 v4 is on rank 589, so the Xeon E5-2603 v4 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 E5-2609 v3

#1

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

14244%

#6

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

2689%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

2389%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

1846%

#423

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5995WX

MSRP: $6499|Avg: $3444

100%

#424

Xeon W-2155

MSRP: $1440|Avg: $150

99%

#425

Xeon 6740E

MSRP: $5265|Avg: $3949

99%

#425

Xeon Gold 6348

MSRP: $3583|Avg: $2097

99%

#427

EPYC 7702P

MSRP: $4425|Avg: N/A

99%

#428

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7995WX

MSRP: $9999|Avg: $9879.97

98%

#429

EPYC 7552

MSRP: $4025|Avg: $1650

98%

#431

Xeon Platinum 8360Y

MSRP: $5383|Avg: N/A

98%

#728

Xeon E5-2609 v3

MSRP: $306|Avg: $306

100%

#731

Xeon Bronze 3106

MSRP: $395|Avg: $395

100%

#735

Xeon L5609

MSRP: $229|Avg: $229

99%

#737

Xeon E3-1245 v3

MSRP: $490|Avg: $490

98%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5-2603 v4

#1

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

9200%

#6

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

1737%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

1543%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

1192%

#354

EPYC 7502P

MSRP: $2300|Avg: $1299

99%

#355

Xeon w7-3455

MSRP: $2489|Avg: $2625

98%

#356

EPYC 9334

MSRP: $2990|Avg: $1810

97%

#357

Xeon w9-3575X

MSRP: $3789|Avg: $675

96%

#358

Xeon w7-3465X

MSRP: $2889|Avg: $468

96%

#359

Xeon Gold 6530

MSRP: $2128|Avg: $1846

96%

#359

EPYC 9354

MSRP: $3420|Avg: $2498

96%

#361

Xeon Silver 4114

MSRP: $612|Avg: $30

95%

#589

Xeon E5-2603 v4

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#590

Xeon W-2125

MSRP: $444|Avg: $42

100%

#592

EPYC 7261

MSRP: $501|Avg: $8

98%

#594

Xeon E5-1620 v2

MSRP: $294|Avg: $50

98%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Xeon E5-2609 v3 leads in gaming performance. However, the Xeon E5-2603 v4 is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 1.2% greater multi-core processing power.

Insight	Xeon E5-2609 v3	Xeon E5-2603 v4
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($306)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Haswell-EP (2014−2015) / 22 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Broadwell (2015−2019) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Xeon E5-2609 v3	Xeon E5-2603 v4
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($306)	✅ More affordable ($0)

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 E5-2609 v3 Benchmark Check

Xeon E5-2603 v4 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E5-2609 v3 and Xeon E5-2603 v4

Xeon E5-2609 v3

The Xeon E5-2609 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 1.9 GHz, with boost up to 1.9 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: 4,465 points. Launch price was $800.

Xeon E5-2603 v4

The Xeon E5-2603 v4 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 20 June 2016 (9 years ago). It is based on the Broadwell (2015−2019) architecture. It features 6 cores and 6 threads. Base frequency is 1.7 GHz, with boost up to 1.7 GHz. L3 cache: 15 MB. L2 cache: 1.5 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 85 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866. Passmark benchmark score: 4,517 points. Launch price was $213.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Xeon E5-2609 v3 and Xeon E5-2603 v4 share an identical 6-core/6-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 1.9 GHz on the Xeon E5-2609 v3 versus 1.7 GHz on the Xeon E5-2603 v4 — a 11.1% clock advantage for the Xeon E5-2609 v3 (base: 1.9 GHz vs 1.7 GHz). The Xeon E5-2609 v3 uses the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Xeon E5-2603 v4 uses Broadwell (2015−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5-2609 v3 scores 4,465 against the Xeon E5-2603 v4's 4,517 — a 1.2% lead for the Xeon E5-2603 v4. L3 cache: 15 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-2609 v3 vs 15 MB on the Xeon E5-2603 v4.

Feature	Xeon E5-2609 v3	Xeon E5-2603 v4
Cores / Threads	6 / 6	6 / 6
Boost Clock	1.9 GHz+12%	1.7 GHz
Base Clock	1.9 GHz+12%	1.7 GHz
L3 Cache	15 MB (total)	15 MB
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	1.5 MB+500%
Process	22 nm	14 nm-36%
Architecture	Haswell-EP (2014−2015)	Broadwell (2015−2019)
PassMark	4,465	4,517+1%