Xeon Phi 7210
VS
Xeon E3-1280 v3

Xeon Phi 7210 vs Xeon E3-1280 v3

Intel

Xeon Phi 7210

64 Cores256 Thrd215 WWMax: 1.5 GHz2016
VS
Intel

Xeon E3-1280 v3

4 Cores8 Thrd82 WWMax: 4 GHz2013

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 Phi 7210 is positioned at rank 999 and the Xeon E3-1280 v3 is on rank 496, so the Xeon E3-1280 v3 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 Phi 7210

#1
Xeon Platinum 8454H
MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A
53563%
#6
Xeon Gold 6240R
MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A
10113%
#10
Xeon 6337P
MSRP: $60|Avg: $5
8985%
#15
EPYC 9174F
MSRP: $194|Avg: $30
6941%
#537
Xeon Platinum 8180
MSRP: $10009|Avg: $2363
98%
#538
Xeon Platinum 8280M
MSRP: $10009|Avg: $6223
97%
#539
Xeon Platinum 8280
MSRP: $10009|Avg: $2940
95%
#540
Xeon E7-8891 v3
MSRP: $6841|Avg: $418
81%
#999
Xeon Phi 7210
MSRP: $1881|Avg: $150
100%
#1000
Xeon D-1567
MSRP: $2702|Avg: $230
100%
#1001
Xeon E-2126G
MSRP: $2702|Avg: $230
99%
#1004
Xeon D-1531
MSRP: $2057|Avg: $250
96%
#1005
Xeon 5130
MSRP: $316|Avg: $10
96%
#1007
Xeon E5-4640 v3
MSRP: $2859|Avg: $300
94%
#1008
Xeon E5440
MSRP: $690|Avg: $37
88%
#1009
Xeon E5-2643
MSRP: $1552|Avg: $50
87%
#1010
Xeon E5-2637
MSRP: $885|Avg: $40
87%
#1011
Xeon W3570
MSRP: $999|Avg: $15
84%
#1013
Xeon E5-4620
MSRP: $2141|Avg: $400
80%
#1014
Xeon E5-2680
MSRP: $3226|Avg: $40
74%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E3-1280 v3

#1
Xeon Platinum 8454H
MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A
7164%
#6
Xeon Gold 6240R
MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A
1353%
#10
Xeon 6337P
MSRP: $60|Avg: $5
1202%
#15
EPYC 9174F
MSRP: $194|Avg: $30
928%
#309
Xeon W-2255
MSRP: $778|Avg: $350
100%
#310
Xeon Silver 4316
MSRP: $1126|Avg: $1200
100%
#311
Xeon w7-3545
MSRP: $2039|Avg: $2039
99%
#312
EPYC 7643P
MSRP: $2722|Avg: $2722
98%
#313
Xeon w5-3435X
MSRP: $1589|Avg: $163
98%
#314
Xeon Gold 6312U
MSRP: $1645|Avg: N/A
98%
#496
Xeon E3-1280 v3
MSRP: $250|Avg: $44
100%
#497
Xeon W-2123
MSRP: $294|Avg: $342
100%
#500
Xeon E3-1230 v2
MSRP: $215|Avg: $268
99%
#505
Xeon D-1521
MSRP: $199|Avg: $241
99%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Trade-off: The Xeon E3-1280 v3 leads in gaming performance. However, the Xeon Phi 7210 is the stronger candidate for professional workloads, offering 0.7% greater multi-core processing power.
InsightXeon Phi 7210Xeon E3-1280 v3
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Better multi-core power
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price
⚠️ Higher cost ($150)
More affordable ($44)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Knights Landing (2016) / 14 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Haswell-WS (2013−2014) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Efficiency: Even within a comparison of older hardware, the Xeon E3-1280 v3 stands out as the superior choice. It is effectively 71% cheaper ($44 vs $150) while identifying as the stronger performer.
InsightXeon Phi 7210Xeon E3-1280 v3
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Better overall value (+238%)
Upfront Cost
⚠️ Higher cost ($150)
More affordable ($44)

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 Phi 7210 and Xeon E3-1280 v3

Intel

Xeon Phi 7210

The Xeon Phi 7210 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Knights Landing (2016) architecture. It features 64 cores and 256 threads. Base frequency is 1.3 GHz, with boost up to 1.5 GHz. L3 cache: 0 kB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 215 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 7,306 points. Launch price was $800.

Intel

Xeon E3-1280 v3

The Xeon E3-1280 v3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 June 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Haswell-WS (2013−2014) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 8192 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1150. Thermal design power (TDP): 82 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 7,252 points. Launch price was $800.

Processing Power

The Xeon Phi 7210 packs 64 cores / 256 threads, while the Xeon E3-1280 v3 offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Xeon Phi 7210 has 60 more cores. Boost clocks reach 1.5 GHz on the Xeon Phi 7210 versus 4 GHz on the Xeon E3-1280 v3 — a 90.9% clock advantage for the Xeon E3-1280 v3 (base: 1.3 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Xeon Phi 7210 uses the Knights Landing (2016) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon E3-1280 v3 uses Haswell-WS (2013−2014) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon Phi 7210 scores 7,306 against the Xeon E3-1280 v3's 7,252 — a 0.7% lead for the Xeon Phi 7210. L3 cache: 0 kB (total) on the Xeon Phi 7210 vs 8192 kB (total) on the Xeon E3-1280 v3.

FeatureXeon Phi 7210Xeon E3-1280 v3
Cores / Threads
64 / 256+1500%
4 / 8
Boost Clock
1.5 GHz
4 GHz+167%
Base Clock
1.3 GHz
3.6 GHz+177%
L3 Cache
0 kB (total)
8192 kB (total)
L2 Cache
512 kB (per core)+100%
256 kB (per core)
Process
14 nm-36%
22 nm
Architecture
Knights Landing (2016)
Haswell-WS (2013−2014)
PassMark
7,306
7,252
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon Phi 7210 uses the LGA3647 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E3-1280 v3 uses LGA1150 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureXeon Phi 7210Xeon E3-1280 v3
Socket
LGA3647
LGA1150
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0
PCIe 3.0
💰

Value Analysis

The Xeon Phi 7210 launched at $1881 MSRP, while the Xeon E3-1280 v3 debuted at $250. At current prices ($150 vs $44), the Xeon E3-1280 v3 is $106 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Xeon Phi 7210 delivers 48.7 pts/$ vs 164.8 pts/$ for the Xeon E3-1280 v3 — making the Xeon E3-1280 v3 the 108.8% better value option.

FeatureXeon Phi 7210Xeon E3-1280 v3
MSRP
$1881
$250-87%
Avg Price (30d)
$150
$44-71%
Performance per Dollar
48.7
164.8+238%
Release Date
2016
2013