Xeon E5-2640 v2 vs Xeon E3-1270L v4

Xeon E5-2640 v2

8 Cores16 Thrd95 WWMax: 2.5 GHz2013

Xeon E3-1270L v4

4 Cores8 Thrd45 WWMax: 3.6 GHz2015

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Xeon E5-2640 v2

8 / 16

7,625

0.0%

7,662

+0.5%

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 E5-2640 v2 is positioned at rank 1023 and the Xeon E3-1270L v4 is on rank 768, so the Xeon E3-1270L 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 E5-2640 v2

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

112337%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

21210%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

18844%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

14558%

#1023

Xeon E5-2640 v2

MSRP: $4115|Avg: $530

100%

#1024

Xeon E5-2650L v2

MSRP: $4115|Avg: $1078

100%

#1025

Opteron 142

MSRP: $292|Avg: $20

82%

#1026

Athlon MP 2800+

MSRP: $275|Avg: $10

75%

#1027

Xeon L3110

MSRP: $1000|Avg: $950

72%

#1028

Xeon 2.66

MSRP: $337|Avg: $10

71%

#1029

Xeon X5272

MSRP: $1172|Avg: $76

67%

#1030

Xeon Platinum 8260L

MSRP: $7500|Avg: $750

37%

#1031

Xeon 3.20

MSRP: $851|Avg: $10

37%

#1032

Xeon X5355

MSRP: $4491|Avg: $4000

24%

#1033

Xeon E5420

MSRP: $7214|Avg: $6500

15%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E3-1270L v4

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

15756%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

2975%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

2643%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

2042%

#443

EPYC 9655

MSRP: $11852|Avg: $11852

100%

#444

Xeon 6781P

MSRP: $8960|Avg: $8960

100%

#445

Xeon Gold 6338N

MSRP: $3200|Avg: $3200

100%

#446

Xeon Gold 5117

MSRP: $1286|Avg: $300

100%

#447

EPYC 73F3

MSRP: $3521|Avg: $2100

99%

#448

EPYC 9384X

MSRP: $5529|Avg: $4157

99%

#449

EPYC 8534P

MSRP: $5529|Avg: $5529

99%

#450

EPYC 9565

MSRP: $10486|Avg: $8233

98%

#450

EPYC 7663

MSRP: $6366|Avg: $6366

98%

#768

Xeon E3-1270L v4

MSRP: $581|Avg: $636

100%

#771

Xeon E3-1545M v5

MSRP: $581|Avg: $636

100%

#775

Xeon E5-2407 v2

MSRP: $250|Avg: $39

99%

#782

Xeon X3440

MSRP: $215|Avg: $16

98%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Xeon E3-1270L v4 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Xeon E5-2640 v2 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.5% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Xeon E5-2640 v2	Xeon E3-1270L v4
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($530)	⚠️ Higher cost ($636)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge-EP (2013) / 22 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Broadwell-DT (2015) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Value Proposition: While both processors are considered legacy components by modern standards, the Xeon E5-2640 v2 holds the technical lead in efficiency. Priced at $530 (vs $636), it costs 17% less. While offering basic entry-level performance, it results in a 19% higher cost efficiency score compared to the Xeon E3-1270L v4.

Insight	Xeon E5-2640 v2	Xeon E3-1270L v4
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+19%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($530)	⚠️ Higher cost ($636)

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 E5-2640 v2 Benchmark Check

Xeon E3-1270L v4 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E5-2640 v2 and Xeon E3-1270L v4

Xeon E5-2640 v2

The Xeon E5-2640 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 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 2.5 GHz. L3 cache: 20 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 7,625 points. Launch price was $728.

Xeon E3-1270L v4

The Xeon E3-1270L v4 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Broadwell-DT (2015) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1150. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3L-1333, DDR3L-1600, DDR3L-1866. Passmark benchmark score: 7,662 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The Xeon E5-2640 v2 packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Xeon E3-1270L v4 offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Xeon E5-2640 v2 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.5 GHz on the Xeon E5-2640 v2 versus 3.6 GHz on the Xeon E3-1270L v4 — a 36.1% clock advantage for the Xeon E3-1270L v4 (base: 2 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Xeon E5-2640 v2 uses the Ivy Bridge-EP (2013) architecture (22 nm), while the Xeon E3-1270L v4 uses Broadwell-DT (2015) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5-2640 v2 scores 7,625 against the Xeon E3-1270L v4's 7,662 — a 0.5% lead for the Xeon E3-1270L v4. L3 cache: 20 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-2640 v2 vs 6 MB (total) on the Xeon E3-1270L v4.

Feature	Xeon E5-2640 v2	Xeon E3-1270L v4
Cores / Threads	8 / 16+100%	4 / 8
Boost Clock	2.5 GHz	3.6 GHz+44%
Base Clock	2 GHz	3 GHz+50%
L3 Cache	20 MB (total)+233%	6 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	22 nm	14 nm-36%
Architecture	Ivy Bridge-EP (2013)	Broadwell-DT (2015)
PassMark	7,625	7,662
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,289
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	4,271

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon E5-2640 v2 uses the LGA2011 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Xeon E3-1270L v4 uses LGA1150 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR3-1600 memory speed. The Xeon E5-2640 v2 supports up to 768 GB of RAM compared to 32 GB — 184% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 4 (Xeon E5-2640 v2) vs 2 (Xeon E3-1270L v4). PCIe lanes: 40 (Xeon E5-2640 v2) vs 16 (Xeon E3-1270L v4) — the Xeon E5-2640 v2 offers 24 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel X79,Intel C602 (Xeon E5-2640 v2) and C226 (Xeon E3-1270L v4).

Feature	Xeon E5-2640 v2	Xeon E3-1270L v4
Socket	LGA2011	LGA1150
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+67%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1600	DDR3-1866
Max RAM Capacity	768 GB+2300%	32 GB
RAM Channels	4+100%	2
ECC Support	✅	✅
PCIe Lanes	40+150%	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Xeon E5-2640 v2) / VT-x, VT-d (Xeon E3-1270L v4). Primary use case: Xeon E3-1270L v4 targets Workstation. Direct competitor: Xeon E3-1270L v4 rivals Core i7-4790T.

Feature	Xeon E5-2640 v2	Xeon E3-1270L v4
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	—	Workstation

💰

Value Analysis

The Xeon E5-2640 v2 launched at $4115 MSRP, while the Xeon E3-1270L v4 debuted at $581. At current prices ($530 vs $636), the Xeon E5-2640 v2 is $106 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Xeon E5-2640 v2 delivers 14.4 pts/$ vs 12.0 pts/$ for the Xeon E3-1270L v4 — making the Xeon E5-2640 v2 the 17.7% better value option.