Xeon E5-2665 vs Core i3-N300
Xeon E5-2665
Core i3-N300
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 E5-2665 is positioned at rank 348 and the Core i3-N300 is on rank 761, so the Xeon E5-2665 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5-2665
Performance Per Dollar Core i3-N300
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Xeon E5-2665 | Core i3-N300 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($309) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge-EP (2012) / 32 nm) | ✨ Modern (Alder Lake-N (2023) / Intel 7 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Xeon E5-2665 | Core i3-N300 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($309) |
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.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E5-2665 and Core i3-N300
Xeon E5-2665
The Xeon E5-2665 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 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.1 GHz. L3 cache: 20480 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 115 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 8,293 points. Launch price was $142.
Core i3-N300
The Core i3-N300 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Alder Lake-N (2023) architecture. It features 8 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 0.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per module). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1264. Thermal design power (TDP): 7 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200, DDR5-4800, LPDDR5-4800. Passmark benchmark score: 8,283 points. Launch price was $309.
Processing Power
The Xeon E5-2665 packs 8 cores / 16 threads, matching the Core i3-N300's 8 cores. Boost clocks reach 3.1 GHz on the Xeon E5-2665 versus 3.8 GHz on the Core i3-N300 — a 20.3% clock advantage for the Core i3-N300 (base: 2.4 GHz vs 0.1 GHz). The Xeon E5-2665 uses the Sandy Bridge-EP (2012) architecture (32 nm), while the Core i3-N300 uses Alder Lake-N (2023) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5-2665 scores 8,293 against the Core i3-N300's 8,283 — a 0.1% lead for the Xeon E5-2665. L3 cache: 20480 kB (total) on the Xeon E5-2665 vs 6 MB (total) on the Core i3-N300.
| Feature | Xeon E5-2665 | Core i3-N300 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 8 / 16 | 8 / 8 |
| Boost Clock | 3.1 GHz | 3.8 GHz+23% |
| Base Clock | 2.4 GHz+2300% | 0.1 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 20480 kB (total)+233% | 6 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 256 kB (per core) | 2 MB (per module)+700% |
| Process | 32 nm | Intel 7 nm-78% |
| Architecture | Sandy Bridge-EP (2012) | Alder Lake-N (2023) |
| PassMark | 8,293 | 8,283 |
Memory & Platform
The Xeon E5-2665 uses the LGA2011 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Core i3-N300 uses FCBGA1264 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Xeon E5-2665 | Core i3-N300 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA2011 | FCBGA1264 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 5.0 | PCIe 5.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3-1600 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 384 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 4 | — |
| ECC Support | ✅ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 40 | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Xeon E5-2665) / not specified (Core i3-N300). Primary use case: Xeon E5-2665 targets Server.
| Feature | Xeon E5-2665 | Core i3-N300 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | — |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | Yes | — |
| Virtualization | VT-x, VT-d | — |
| Target Use | Server | — |
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