Xeon E3-1220L v3

The Xeon E3-1220L v3 is a 2-core / 4-thread processor based on the Haswell-WS (2013−2014) architecture, manufactured on a 22 nm process node. It reaches a maximum boost clock of 1.5 GHz from a base frequency of 1.1 GHz— higher boost clocks directly translate to better single-threaded performance and responsiveness in gaming. With a massive 4096 kB (total) L3 cache (3D V-Cache technology), this processor has a significant gaming advantage — the large cache drastically reduces memory latency in game engines., plus 256 kB (per core) of L2 cache and 64 kB (per core) of L1 cache per core. In the PassMark benchmark (a comprehensive multi-threaded test), it scores 1,407, placing it in the Entry Level performance tier as a Legacy generation product.

The Xeon E3-1220L v3 fits into the LGA1150 socket and supports PCIe 3.0 with 16 total PCIe lanes for expansion cards and storage. It supports DDR3, DDR4 memory at speeds up to DDR3-1600 (faster RAM improves bandwidth-sensitive workloads), with a maximum capacity of 32 GB across 2 channels (dual-channel doubles bandwidth). It supports ECC memory, providing error-correcting capabilities — essential for mission-critical workloads and servers.

Virtualization: VT-P — enables running virtual machines efficiently (important for development and server workloads).

The Xeon E3-1220L v3 has a rated TDP (Thermal Design Power) of 13 Watt — this indicates the amount of heat generated under sustained load and determines what cooling solution is needed. No stock cooler is included — you will need to purchase an aftermarket cooler separately. Recommended cooling: Stock.

At an average price of $30 (MSRP: $193), the Xeon E3-1220L v3 delivers 47 PassMark points per dollar. It currently holds Rank #939 in the overall cost-benefit ranking — this ranking factors in performance-per-dollar relative to all available processors. Performance ranking position: #2841 out of all indexed processors.