Xeon X3230
VS
Opteron 3250 HE

Xeon X3230 vs Opteron 3250 HE

VS
AMD

Opteron 3250 HE

4 Cores4 Thrd45 WWMax: 3.5 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 X3230 is positioned at rank 865 and the Opteron 3250 HE is on rank 253, so the Opteron 3250 HE 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 X3230

#1
Xeon Platinum 8454H
MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A
20256%
#6
Xeon Gold 6240R
MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A
3824%
#10
Xeon 6337P
MSRP: $60|Avg: $5
3398%
#15
EPYC 9174F
MSRP: $194|Avg: $30
2625%
#485
Xeon Gold 6258R
MSRP: $3950|Avg: $1400
100%
#486
EPYC 9175F
MSRP: $4256|Avg: $3703
100%
#488
EPYC 9534
MSRP: $8803|Avg: $2999
99%
#489
EPYC 9654
MSRP: $11805|Avg: $5345
98%
#490
EPYC 7H12
MSRP: $6950|Avg: $1340
98%
#491
EPYC 7742
MSRP: $6950|Avg: $800
97%
#492
Xeon Platinum 8352M
MSRP: $4471|Avg: $4471
97%
#493
Xeon Platinum 8570
MSRP: $9595|Avg: $9595
95%
#494
EPYC 9184X
MSRP: $4928|Avg: $3750
94%
#865
Xeon X3230
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#871
Xeon 6315P
MSRP: $1166|Avg: $160
98%
#877
Xeon X5687
MSRP: $552|Avg: $189
95%
#878
Xeon E5-2630 v4
MSRP: $1171|Avg: $130
95%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Opteron 3250 HE

#1
Xeon Platinum 8454H
MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A
4033%
#6
Xeon Gold 6240R
MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A
761%
#10
Xeon 6337P
MSRP: $60|Avg: $5
677%
#15
EPYC 9174F
MSRP: $194|Avg: $30
523%
#218
Xeon Gold 5512U
MSRP: $1230|Avg: N/A
98%
#219
Xeon D-1733NT
MSRP: $300|Avg: $300
96%
#253
Opteron 3250 HE
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#255
Ryzen 3 PRO 1200
MSRP: $109|Avg: $80
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 ($0) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon X3230 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.
InsightXeon X3230Opteron 3250 HE
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
Equivalent pricing
Equivalent pricing
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Legacy / 65 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Zurich (2012) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Opteron 3250 HE ($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 ($0 less, NaN% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.
InsightXeon X3230Opteron 3250 HE
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
Equivalent pricing
Equivalent pricing

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 X3230 and Opteron 3250 HE

Intel

Xeon X3230

The Xeon X3230 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. Base frequency: 2.66 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB L2 Cache. Built on 65 nm process technology. Socket: LGA775. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Passmark benchmark score: 2,052 points. Launch price was $800.

AMD

Opteron 3250 HE

The Opteron 3250 HE is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 20 March 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Zurich (2012) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB (total). L2 cache: 4 MB. Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: AM3+. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 2,061 points. Launch price was $99.

Processing Power

The Opteron 3250 HE is built on the Zurich (2012) architecture. In PassMark, the Xeon X3230 scores 2,052 against the Opteron 3250 HE's 2,061 — a 0.4% lead for the Opteron 3250 HE. L3 cache: 8 MB L2 Cache on the Xeon X3230 vs 4 MB (total) on the Opteron 3250 HE.

FeatureXeon X3230Opteron 3250 HE
Cores / Threads
4 / 4
Boost Clock
3.5 GHz
Base Clock
2.66 GHz+6%
2.5 GHz
L3 Cache
8 MB L2 Cache+100%
4 MB (total)
L2 Cache
4 MB
Process
65 nm
32 nm-51%
Architecture
Zurich (2012)
PassMark
2,052
2,061
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon X3230 uses the LGA775 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Opteron 3250 HE uses AM3+ (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureXeon X3230Opteron 3250 HE
Socket
LGA775
AM3+
PCIe Generation
PCIe 2.0
PCIe 2.0