CPU
GPU
Xeon X5680
Xeon E3-1230 v3
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 X5680 is positioned at rank 704 and the Xeon E3-1230 v3 is on rank 430, so the Xeon E3-1230 v3 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Xeon X5680
Performance Per Dollar Xeon E3-1230 v3
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Xeon X5680 | Xeon E3-1230 v3 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($13) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Westmere-EP (2010−2011) / 32 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Haswell-WS (2013−2014) / 22 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Xeon X5680 | Xeon E3-1230 v3 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($13) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
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 X5680 and Xeon E3-1230 v3
Xeon X5680
The Xeon X5680 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 14 February 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Westmere-EP (2010−2011) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.33 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1366. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 6,910 points. Launch price was $172.
Xeon E3-1230 v3
The Xeon E3-1230 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 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1150. Thermal design power (TDP): 80 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 6,837 points. Launch price was $240.
Processing Power
The Xeon X5680 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon E3-1230 v3 offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Xeon X5680 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.6 GHz on the Xeon X5680 versus 3.7 GHz on the Xeon E3-1230 v3 — a 2.7% clock advantage for the Xeon E3-1230 v3 (base: 3.33 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). The Xeon X5680 uses the Westmere-EP (2010−2011) architecture (32 nm), while the Xeon E3-1230 v3 uses Haswell-WS (2013−2014) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon X5680 scores 6,910 against the Xeon E3-1230 v3's 6,837 — a 1.1% lead for the Xeon X5680. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Xeon X5680 vs 8 MB (total) on the Xeon E3-1230 v3.
| Feature | Xeon X5680 | Xeon E3-1230 v3 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 6 / 12+50% | 4 / 8 |
| Boost Clock | 3.6 GHz | 3.7 GHz+3% |
| Base Clock | 3.33 GHz | 3.3 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 12 MB (total)+50% | 8 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 256 kB (per core) | 256K (per core) |
| Process | 32 nm | 22 nm-31% |
| Architecture | Westmere-EP (2010−2011) | Haswell-WS (2013−2014) |
| PassMark | 6,910+1% | 6,837 |
Memory & Platform
The Xeon X5680 uses the LGA1366 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Xeon E3-1230 v3 uses LGA1150 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Xeon X5680 | Xeon E3-1230 v3 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1366 | LGA1150 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 3.0+50% |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3-1333 | — |
| RAM Channels | 3 | — |
| ECC Support | ✅ | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Xeon X5680) / not specified (Xeon E3-1230 v3). Primary use case: Xeon X5680 targets Workstation. Direct competitor: Xeon X5680 rivals Core i7-980X.
| Feature | Xeon X5680 | Xeon E3-1230 v3 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | — |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | VT-x, VT-d, EPT | — |
| Target Use | Workstation | — |
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