Page Index

FX-8320 vs Xeon E3-1275

CPUCPUGPUGPU
AMD

FX-8320

8 Cores8 Thrd125 WWMax: 4 GHz2012

Popular choices:

•••••••••
VS
Intel

Xeon E3-1275

4 Cores8 Thrd95 WWMax: 3.8 GHz2011

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

FX-8320
8 / 8
5,472
0.0%
brand logoAthlon X4 830
brand logoAthlon X4 880K
brand logoRyzen Embedded R1606G
brand logoFX-8140
brand logoRyzen 7 5700
brand logoRyzen AI Max PRO 390
brand logoRyzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX
brand logoRyzen Threadripper PRO 7965WX
Xeon E3-1275
4 / 8
5,496
+0.4%
brand logoCore i7-4578U
brand logoCore i7-6567U
brand logoCore i5-2450P
brand logoCore i3-7350K
brand logoCore i7-11700K
brand logoCore Ultra 5 245K
brand logoXeon w7-3465X
brand logoXeon w9-3575X

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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

FX-8320

2012

Why buy it

  • ✅Better for gaming: +4.5% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
  • ✅100+% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
  • ✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon E3-1275.

Trade-offs

  • ❌Lower PassMark (5,472 vs 5,496).
  • ❌Launch MSRP is still $169 MSRP, while Xeon E3-1275 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
  • ❌31.6% higher power demand at 125W vs 95W.

Xeon E3-1275

2011

Why buy it

  • ✅+0.4% higher PassMark.
  • ✅Draws 95W instead of 125W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

  • ❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than FX-8320 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
  • ❌No boxed cooler included, unlike FX-8320.

Quick Answers

So, is FX-8320 better than Xeon E3-1275?
Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon E3-1275 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while FX-8320 is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.
Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?
For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon E3-1275 is the better fit. You are getting 0.4% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 8 threads.
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?
FX-8320 is the smarter buy today. FX-8320 is at an unclear MSRP at $169 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 4.5% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Xeon E3-1275 is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 0.4% better PassMark. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (32.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
FX-8320 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2012 vs 2011). That makes it the safer long-term pick.

Games Benchmarks

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.

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

PresetFX-8320Xeon E3-1275
1080p
low137 FPS137 FPS
medium137 FPS137 FPS
high118 FPS111 FPS
ultra98 FPS90 FPS
1440p
low137 FPS137 FPS
medium120 FPS117 FPS
high95 FPS92 FPS
ultra77 FPS74 FPS
4K
low65 FPS64 FPS
medium58 FPS57 FPS
high45 FPS45 FPS
ultra36 FPS35 FPS
Open FX-8320Open Xeon E3-1275
Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

PresetFX-8320Xeon E3-1275
1080p
low137 FPS137 FPS
medium137 FPS137 FPS
high137 FPS137 FPS
ultra137 FPS123 FPS
1440p
low137 FPS137 FPS
medium137 FPS137 FPS
high137 FPS134 FPS
ultra137 FPS110 FPS
4K
low137 FPS130 FPS
medium137 FPS115 FPS
high137 FPS93 FPS
ultra120 FPS68 FPS
Open FX-8320Open Xeon E3-1275
League of Legends

League of Legends

PresetFX-8320Xeon E3-1275
1080p
low137 FPS137 FPS
medium137 FPS137 FPS
high137 FPS137 FPS
ultra137 FPS137 FPS
1440p
low137 FPS137 FPS
medium137 FPS137 FPS
high137 FPS137 FPS
ultra137 FPS137 FPS
4K
low137 FPS137 FPS
medium137 FPS137 FPS
high137 FPS137 FPS
ultra137 FPS137 FPS
Open FX-8320Open Xeon E3-1275
Valorant

Valorant

PresetFX-8320Xeon E3-1275
1080p
low137 FPS137 FPS
medium137 FPS137 FPS
high137 FPS137 FPS
ultra137 FPS137 FPS
1440p
low137 FPS137 FPS
medium137 FPS137 FPS
high137 FPS137 FPS
ultra137 FPS137 FPS
4K
low137 FPS137 FPS
medium137 FPS137 FPS
high137 FPS137 FPS
ultra137 FPS137 FPS
Open FX-8320Open Xeon E3-1275
Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of FX-8320 and Xeon E3-1275

AMD

FX-8320

The FX-8320 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 23 October 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Vishera (2012−2015) architecture. It features 8 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L2 cache: 8192 kB. Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: AM3+. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 5,472 points. Launch price was $149.

Intel

Xeon E3-1275

The Xeon E3-1275 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 3 April 2011 (14 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 5,496 points. Launch price was $450.

⚡

Processing Power

The FX-8320 packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Xeon E3-1275 offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the FX-8320 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4 GHz on the FX-8320 versus 3.8 GHz on the Xeon E3-1275 — a 5.1% clock advantage for the FX-8320 (base: 3.5 GHz vs 3.4 GHz). The FX-8320 uses the Vishera (2012−2015) architecture (32 nm), while the Xeon E3-1275 uses Sandy Bridge (2011−2013) (32 nm). In PassMark, the FX-8320 scores 5,472 against the Xeon E3-1275's 5,496 — a 0.4% lead for the Xeon E3-1275.

FeatureFX-8320Xeon E3-1275
Cores / Threads
8 / 8+100%
4 / 8
Boost Clock
4 GHz+5%
3.8 GHz
Base Clock
3.5 GHz+3%
3.4 GHz
L3 Cache
—
8 MB (total)
L2 Cache
8192 kB+3100%
256 kB (per core)
Process
32 nm
32 nm
Architecture
Vishera (2012−2015)
Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
PassMark
5,472
5,496
Cinebench R23 Multi
4,500
—
Geekbench 6 Single
458
—
Geekbench 6 Multi
1,791
—
🧠

Memory & Platform

The FX-8320 uses the AM3+ socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Xeon E3-1275 uses LGA1155 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureFX-8320Xeon E3-1275
Socket
AM3+
LGA1155
PCIe Generation
PCIe 2.0
PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed
DDR3-1866
—
Max RAM Capacity
32 GB
—
RAM Channels
2
—
ECC Support
No
—
PCIe Lanes
16
—
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: AMD-V (FX-8320) / not specified (Xeon E3-1275). Primary use case: FX-8320 targets Productivity. Direct competitor: FX-8320 rivals Core i5-3570.

FeatureFX-8320Xeon E3-1275
Integrated GPU
No
—
Unlocked
Yes
—
AVX-512
No
—
Virtualization
AMD-V
—
Target Use
Productivity
—