Ryzen 3 1300X vs Xeon E3-1285L v3

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.

Ryzen 3 1300X

2017

Why buy it

✅+0.7% higher PassMark.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon E3-1285L v3.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E3-1285L v3 across 43 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E3-1285L v3, which brings 4 cores / 8 threads.
❌Launch MSRP is still $129 MSRP, while Xeon E3-1285L v3 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Xeon E3-1285L v3

2013

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.9% higher average FPS across 43 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 4 cores / 8 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (6,874 vs 6,923).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 3 1300X.

Ryzen 3 1300X

2017

Xeon E3-1285L v3

2013

Why buy it

✅+0.7% higher PassMark.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon E3-1285L v3.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.9% higher average FPS across 43 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 4 cores / 8 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E3-1285L v3 across 43 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E3-1285L v3, which brings 4 cores / 8 threads.
❌Launch MSRP is still $129 MSRP, while Xeon E3-1285L v3 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (6,874 vs 6,923).
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 3 1300X.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 3 1300X better than Xeon E3-1285L v3?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon E3-1285L v3 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Ryzen 3 1300X 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, Ryzen 3 1300X is the better fit. You are getting 0.7% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Ryzen 3 1300X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 3 1300X is at an unclear MSRP at $129 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you 0.7% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Xeon E3-1285L v3 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 7.9% average FPS lead across 43 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (53.7 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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?

Ryzen 3 1300X is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2017 vs 2013) and more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 4 threads instead of 4/8. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

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.

Ryzen 3 1300X Benchmark Check

Xeon E3-1285L v3 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 3 1300X	Xeon E3-1285L v3
1080p
low	173 FPS	167 FPS
medium	156 FPS	140 FPS
high	127 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	89 FPS
1440p
low	151 FPS	142 FPS
medium	124 FPS	118 FPS
high	98 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	75 FPS	73 FPS
4K
low	67 FPS	65 FPS
medium	59 FPS	57 FPS
high	46 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	35 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 1300X Open Xeon E3-1285L v3

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 3 1300X	Xeon E3-1285L v3
1080p
low	173 FPS	172 FPS
medium	169 FPS	172 FPS
high	157 FPS	160 FPS
ultra	124 FPS	125 FPS
1440p
low	169 FPS	171 FPS
medium	145 FPS	150 FPS
high	133 FPS	138 FPS
ultra	110 FPS	112 FPS
4K
low	132 FPS	134 FPS
medium	117 FPS	122 FPS
high	96 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	72 FPS	76 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 1300X Open Xeon E3-1285L v3

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 3 1300X	Xeon E3-1285L v3
1080p
low	173 FPS	172 FPS
medium	173 FPS	172 FPS
high	173 FPS	172 FPS
ultra	173 FPS	172 FPS
1440p
low	173 FPS	172 FPS
medium	173 FPS	172 FPS
high	173 FPS	172 FPS
ultra	173 FPS	172 FPS
4K
low	173 FPS	172 FPS
medium	173 FPS	172 FPS
high	160 FPS	172 FPS
ultra	128 FPS	172 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 1300X Open Xeon E3-1285L v3

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 3 1300X	Xeon E3-1285L v3
1080p
low	173 FPS	172 FPS
medium	173 FPS	172 FPS
high	173 FPS	172 FPS
ultra	173 FPS	172 FPS
1440p
low	173 FPS	172 FPS
medium	173 FPS	172 FPS
high	173 FPS	172 FPS
ultra	173 FPS	172 FPS
4K
low	173 FPS	172 FPS
medium	173 FPS	172 FPS
high	173 FPS	172 FPS
ultra	173 FPS	172 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 1300X Open Xeon E3-1285L v3

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 3 1300X and Xeon E3-1285L v3

Ryzen 3 1300X

The Ryzen 3 1300X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 27 July 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Zen (2017−2020) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 6,923 points. Launch price was $129.

Xeon E3-1285L v3

The Xeon E3-1285L 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 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 8192 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1150. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 6,874 points. Launch price was $809.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen 3 1300X packs 4 cores / 4 threads, matching the Xeon E3-1285L v3's 4 cores. Boost clocks reach 3.7 GHz on the Ryzen 3 1300X versus 3.9 GHz on the Xeon E3-1285L v3 — a 5.3% clock advantage for the Xeon E3-1285L v3 (base: 3.4 GHz vs 3.1 GHz). The Ryzen 3 1300X uses the Zen (2017−2020) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon E3-1285L v3 uses Haswell-WS (2013−2014) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 3 1300X scores 6,923 against the Xeon E3-1285L v3's 6,874 — a 0.7% lead for the Ryzen 3 1300X. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Ryzen 3 1300X vs 8192 kB (total) on the Xeon E3-1285L v3.

Feature	Ryzen 3 1300X	Xeon E3-1285L v3
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	4 / 8
Boost Clock	3.7 GHz	3.9 GHz+5%
Base Clock	3.4 GHz+10%	3.1 GHz
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)	8192 kB (total)
L2 Cache	512K (per core)+100%	256 kB (per core)
Process	14 nm-36%	22 nm
Architecture	Zen (2017−2020)	Haswell-WS (2013−2014)
PassMark	6,923	6,874
Cinebench R23 Multi	3,486	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,120	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	3,155	—

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Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 3 1300X uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E3-1285L v3 uses LGA1150 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.