Xeon E5-2680 vs Core i3-10305

Xeon E5-2680

8 Cores16 Thrd130 WWMax: 3.5 GHz2012

Core i3-10305

4 Cores8 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.5 GHz2021

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Xeon E5-2680

8 / 16

9,289

+0.9%

9,210

0.0%

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. The Xeon E5-2680 is positioned at rank #1014 in our cost-efficiency ranking, representing a Lower cost-benefit for your build. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

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 E5-2680

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

72161%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

13625%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

12105%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

9351%

#541

Xeon E5-4669 v4

MSRP: $7007|Avg: $300

87%

#1014

Xeon E5-2680

MSRP: $3226|Avg: $40

100%

#1016

Xeon E5-4640

MSRP: $2725|Avg: N/A

89%

#1018

Xeon E5-4650

MSRP: $3616|Avg: $71

83%

#1019

Xeon E5-4650L

MSRP: $3616|Avg: N/A

82%

#1020

Xeon E5-4655 v4

MSRP: $4616|Avg: N/A

82%

#1021

Xeon E-2224

MSRP: $3226|Avg: $195

77%

#1022

Athlon MP 2400+

MSRP: $151|Avg: $20

70%

#1023

Xeon E5-2650L v2

MSRP: $4115|Avg: $1078

64%

#1024

Xeon E5-2640 v2

MSRP: $4115|Avg: $530

64%

#1025

Opteron 142

MSRP: $292|Avg: $20

53%

#1026

Athlon MP 2800+

MSRP: $275|Avg: $10

48%

#1027

Xeon L3110

MSRP: $1000|Avg: $950

47%

#1028

Xeon 2.66

MSRP: $337|Avg: $10

46%

#1029

Xeon X5272

MSRP: $1172|Avg: $76

43%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i3-10305

#188

Ryzen 5 PRO 4655G

MSRP: $165|Avg: $165

107%

#189

Ryzen 7 4700GE

MSRP: $299|Avg: $200

107%

#190

Core i5-10400T

MSRP: $182|Avg: $100

106%

#191

Core i5-10600KF

MSRP: $250|Avg: $145

106%

#192

Ryzen 3 PRO 3200GE

MSRP: $99|Avg: $70

106%

#193

Core i9-12900F

MSRP: $494|Avg: $370

105%

#194

Core i5-12400

MSRP: $209|Avg: $195

105%

#195

Ryzen 5 7400

MSRP: $229|Avg: $229

104%

#196

Ryzen 9 9900X3D

MSRP: $599|Avg: $589

104%

#197

Ryzen 5 5600X3D

MSRP: $229|Avg: $229

104%

#198

Core i3-9350KF

MSRP: $173|Avg: $80

103%

#199

Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE

MSRP: $220|Avg: $220

103%

#200

Core i3-9300

MSRP: $143|Avg: $75

103%

#201

Ryzen 7 3800XT

MSRP: $399|Avg: $249

102%

#202

Core i5-11400T

MSRP: $182|Avg: $140

101%

#203

Core i3-10305

MSRP: $149|Avg: $100

100%

#204

Core i3-9320

MSRP: $154|Avg: $80

100%

#205

Core i3-10105

MSRP: $122|Avg: $90

99%

#206

Core i3-13100E

MSRP: $150|Avg: $150

99%

#207

Core i9-13900F

MSRP: $524|Avg: $536

99%

#208

Processor 300

MSRP: $82|Avg: $80

99%

#209

Ryzen 5 2600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $145

98%

#210

Ryzen 5 2400GE

MSRP: $169|Avg: $80

98%

#211

Core i9-14900KS

MSRP: $749|Avg: $670

98%

#212

Ryzen 7 7800X3D

MSRP: $449|Avg: $384

97%

#213

Core i3-8100T

MSRP: $117|Avg: $59

97%

#214

Core i7-13700E

MSRP: $390|Avg: $380

97%

#215

Ryzen 7 PRO 5750G

MSRP: $430|Avg: $270

96%

#216

Core i7-9700

MSRP: $333|Avg: $150

96%

#217

Core i5-13500TE

MSRP: $235|Avg: $250

95%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Generational Difference: This comparison involves processors from different technological eras. The Core i3-10305 (2021) utilizes 14 nm technology and DDR4-2666, providing a fundamental performance advantage.

Insight	Xeon E5-2680	Core i3-10305
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	✅ More affordable ($40)	⚠️ Higher cost ($100)
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge-EP (2012) / 32 nm)	✨ Modern (Comet Lake-R (2021) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Xeon E5-2680 (2012) relies on 32 nm technology and DDR3, placing it in a different performance category relative to modern standards.

Insight	Xeon E5-2680	Core i3-10305
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+152%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($40)	⚠️ Higher cost ($100)

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 E5-2680 Benchmark Check

Core i3-10305 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E5-2680 and Core i3-10305

Xeon E5-2680

The Xeon E5-2680 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 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 20 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 9,289 points. Launch price was $1,723.

Core i3-10305

The Core i3-10305 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 16 March 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Comet Lake-R (2021) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 9,210 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

The Xeon E5-2680 packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Core i3-10305 offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Xeon E5-2680 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.5 GHz on the Xeon E5-2680 versus 4.5 GHz on the Core i3-10305 — a 25% clock advantage for the Core i3-10305 (base: 2.7 GHz vs 3.8 GHz). The Xeon E5-2680 uses the Sandy Bridge-EP (2012) architecture (32 nm), while the Core i3-10305 uses Comet Lake-R (2021) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5-2680 scores 9,289 against the Core i3-10305's 9,210 — a 0.9% lead for the Xeon E5-2680. L3 cache: 20 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-2680 vs 8 MB (total) on the Core i3-10305.

Feature	Xeon E5-2680	Core i3-10305
Cores / Threads	8 / 16+100%	4 / 8
Boost Clock	3.5 GHz	4.5 GHz+29%
Base Clock	2.7 GHz	3.8 GHz+41%
L3 Cache	20 MB (total)+150%	8 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256 kB (per core)
Process	32 nm	14 nm-56%
Architecture	Sandy Bridge-EP (2012)	Comet Lake-R (2021)
PassMark	9,289	9,210
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,536

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon E5-2680 uses the LGA2011 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Core i3-10305 uses LGA1200 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR3-1600 on the Xeon E5-2680 versus DDR4-2666 on the Core i3-10305 — the Core i3-10305 supports 28.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon E5-2680 supports up to 384 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 100% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 4 (Xeon E5-2680) vs 2 (Core i3-10305). PCIe lanes: 40 (Xeon E5-2680) vs 16 (Core i3-10305) — the Xeon E5-2680 offers 24 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Intel X79,Intel C602 (Xeon E5-2680) and Z490,B460 (Core i3-10305).

Feature	Xeon E5-2680	Core i3-10305
Socket	LGA2011	LGA1200
PCIe Generation	PCIe 2.0	PCIe 3.0+50%
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1600	DDR4-2666+33%
Max RAM Capacity	384 GB+200%	128 GB
RAM Channels	4+100%	2
ECC Support	✅	❌
PCIe Lanes	40+150%	16

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Xeon E5-2680) / VT-x, VT-d (Core i3-10305). The Core i3-10305 includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the Xeon E5-2680 requires a dedicated GPU.

Feature	Xeon E5-2680	Core i3-10305
Integrated GPU	No	Yes
IGPU Model	—	UHD Graphics 630
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	—	No
Virtualization	—	VT-x, VT-d

💰

Value Analysis

The Xeon E5-2680 launched at $3226 MSRP, while the Core i3-10305 debuted at $149. At current prices ($40 vs $100), the Xeon E5-2680 is $60 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Xeon E5-2680 delivers 232.2 pts/$ vs 92.1 pts/$ for the Core i3-10305 — making the Xeon E5-2680 the 86.4% better value option.