Xeon E5-2643
VS
Core i7-3615QM

Xeon E5-2643 vs Core i7-3615QM

Intel

Xeon E5-2643

4 Cores8 Thrd130 WWMax: 3.5 GHz2012
VS
Intel

Core i7-3615QM

4 Cores8 Thrd45 WWMax: 3.3 GHz2012

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 E5-2643 is positioned at rank 1009 and the Core i7-3615QM is on rank 307, so the Core i7-3615QM 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 E5-2643

#1
Xeon Platinum 8454H
MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A
61669%
#6
Xeon Gold 6240R
MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A
11644%
#10
Xeon 6337P
MSRP: $60|Avg: $5
10345%
#15
EPYC 9174F
MSRP: $194|Avg: $30
7992%
#540
Xeon E7-8891 v3
MSRP: $6841|Avg: $418
94%
#541
Xeon E5-4669 v4
MSRP: $7007|Avg: $300
74%
#1009
Xeon E5-2643
MSRP: $1552|Avg: $50
100%
#1010
Xeon E5-2637
MSRP: $885|Avg: $40
100%
#1011
Xeon W3570
MSRP: $999|Avg: $15
97%
#1013
Xeon E5-4620
MSRP: $2141|Avg: $400
92%
#1014
Xeon E5-2680
MSRP: $3226|Avg: $40
85%
#1016
Xeon E5-4640
MSRP: $2725|Avg: N/A
76%
#1018
Xeon E5-4650
MSRP: $3616|Avg: $71
71%
#1019
Xeon E5-4655 v4
MSRP: $4616|Avg: N/A
70%
#1020
Xeon E5-4650L
MSRP: $3616|Avg: N/A
70%
#1021
Xeon E-2224
MSRP: $3226|Avg: $195
66%
#1022
Athlon MP 2400+
MSRP: $151|Avg: $20
60%
#1023
Xeon E5-2650L v2
MSRP: $4115|Avg: $1078
55%
#1024
Xeon E5-2640 v2
MSRP: $4115|Avg: $530
55%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-3615QM

#295
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
454%
#296
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
448%
#297
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
411%
#298
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
409%
#299
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
405%
#301
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
391%
#302
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
375%
#303
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
375%
#304
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
365%
#307
Core i7-3615QM
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
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 ($50) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon E5-2643 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.
InsightXeon E5-2643Core i7-3615QM
Gaming
Superior gaming performance
Lower gaming performance
Workstation
Better multi-core power
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price
⚠️ Higher cost ($50)
More affordable ($0)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge-EP (2012) / 32 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-3615QM ($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 ($50 less, 100% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.
InsightXeon E5-2643Core i7-3615QM
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
⚠️ Higher cost ($50)
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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E5-2643 and Core i7-3615QM

Intel

Xeon E5-2643

The Xeon E5-2643 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 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 10240 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 5,228 points. Launch price was $218.

Intel

Core i7-3615QM

The Core i7-3615QM is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 29 April 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.3 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1224. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 5,167 points. Launch price was $378.

Processing Power

Both the Xeon E5-2643 and Core i7-3615QM share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.5 GHz on the Xeon E5-2643 versus 3.3 GHz on the Core i7-3615QM — a 5.9% clock advantage for the Xeon E5-2643 (base: 3.3 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The Xeon E5-2643 uses the Sandy Bridge-EP (2012) architecture (32 nm), while the Core i7-3615QM uses Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5-2643 scores 5,228 against the Core i7-3615QM's 5,167 — a 1.2% lead for the Xeon E5-2643. L3 cache: 10240 kB (total) on the Xeon E5-2643 vs 6 MB (total) on the Core i7-3615QM.

FeatureXeon E5-2643Core i7-3615QM
Cores / Threads
4 / 8
4 / 8
Boost Clock
3.5 GHz+6%
3.3 GHz
Base Clock
3.3 GHz+43%
2.3 GHz
L3 Cache
10240 kB (total)+67%
6 MB (total)
L2 Cache
256 kB (per core)
256K (per core)
Process
32 nm
22 nm-31%
Architecture
Sandy Bridge-EP (2012)
Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)
PassMark
5,228+1%
5,167
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon E5-2643 uses the LGA2011 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Core i7-3615QM uses FCBGA1224 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureXeon E5-2643Core i7-3615QM
Socket
LGA2011
FCBGA1224
PCIe Generation
PCIe 5.0+67%
PCIe 3.0