Ryzen 3 1300X vs Xeon E5-1620 v3

CPU

GPU

Ryzen 3 1300X

4 Cores4 Thrd65 WWMax: 3.7 GHz2017

Popular choices:

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Xeon E5-1620 v3

4 Cores8 Thrd140 WWMax: 3.6 GHz2014

Popular choices:

•••••••••

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Ryzen 3 1300X

4 / 4

6,923

0.0%

Athlon 300U

Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE

Ryzen Threadripper 3970X

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7965WX

Xeon E5-1620 v3

4 / 8

6,959

+0.5%

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.

Ryzen 3 1300X

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.6% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $165 less on MSRP ($129 MSRP vs $294 MSRP).
✅Delivers 126.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 53.7 vs 23.7 PassMark/$ ($129 MSRP vs $294 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 140W, a 75W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon E5-1620 v3.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (6,923 vs 6,959).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 10 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-1620 v3, which brings 4 cores / 8 threads and 40 PCIe lanes.

Xeon E5-1620 v3

2014

Why buy it

✅+0.5% higher PassMark.
✅+25% larger total L3 cache (10 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 4 cores / 8 threads, plus 40 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅66.7% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 3 1300X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 23.7 vs 53.7 PassMark/$ ($294 MSRP vs $129 MSRP).
❌115.4% higher power demand at 140W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 3 1300X.

Ryzen 3 1300X

2017

Xeon E5-1620 v3

2014

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.6% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $165 less on MSRP ($129 MSRP vs $294 MSRP).
✅Delivers 126.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 53.7 vs 23.7 PassMark/$ ($129 MSRP vs $294 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 140W, a 75W reduction.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Yes), unlike Xeon E5-1620 v3.

Why buy it

✅+0.5% higher PassMark.
✅+25% larger total L3 cache (10 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 4 cores / 8 threads, plus 40 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅66.7% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (6,923 vs 6,959).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 10 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-1620 v3, which brings 4 cores / 8 threads and 40 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 3 1300X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 23.7 vs 53.7 PassMark/$ ($294 MSRP vs $129 MSRP).
❌115.4% higher power demand at 140W vs 65W.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 3 1300X.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 3 1300X better than Xeon E5-1620 v3?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon E5-1620 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, Xeon E5-1620 v3 is the better fit. You are getting 0.5% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 8 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 25% larger total L3 cache (10 MB vs 8 MB).

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

Ryzen 3 1300X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 3 1300X is $165 cheaper on MSRP at $129 MSRP versus $294 MSRP, and it gives you a 3.6% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Xeon E5-1620 v3 is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 0.5% better PassMark. It is also 126.7% better value on MSRP (53.7 vs 23.7 PassMark/$), 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 2014). 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.

Ryzen 3 1300X Benchmark Check

Xeon E5-1620 v3 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 3 1300X	Xeon E5-1620 v3
1080p
low	173 FPS	168 FPS
medium	156 FPS	143 FPS
high	127 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	92 FPS
1440p
low	151 FPS	142 FPS
medium	124 FPS	119 FPS
high	98 FPS	94 FPS
ultra	75 FPS	75 FPS
4K
low	67 FPS	64 FPS
medium	59 FPS	57 FPS
high	46 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	36 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 1300X Open Xeon E5-1620 v3

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 3 1300X	Xeon E5-1620 v3
1080p
low	173 FPS	170 FPS
medium	169 FPS	149 FPS
high	157 FPS	141 FPS
ultra	124 FPS	109 FPS
1440p
low	169 FPS	147 FPS
medium	145 FPS	127 FPS
high	133 FPS	120 FPS
ultra	110 FPS	96 FPS
4K
low	132 FPS	114 FPS
medium	117 FPS	102 FPS
high	96 FPS	79 FPS
ultra	72 FPS	56 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 1300X Open Xeon E5-1620 v3

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 3 1300X	Xeon E5-1620 v3
1080p
low	173 FPS	174 FPS
medium	173 FPS	174 FPS
high	173 FPS	174 FPS
ultra	173 FPS	174 FPS
1440p
low	173 FPS	174 FPS
medium	173 FPS	174 FPS
high	173 FPS	174 FPS
ultra	173 FPS	174 FPS
4K
low	173 FPS	174 FPS
medium	173 FPS	174 FPS
high	160 FPS	174 FPS
ultra	128 FPS	174 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 1300X Open Xeon E5-1620 v3

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 3 1300X	Xeon E5-1620 v3
1080p
low	173 FPS	174 FPS
medium	173 FPS	174 FPS
high	173 FPS	174 FPS
ultra	173 FPS	174 FPS
1440p
low	173 FPS	174 FPS
medium	173 FPS	174 FPS
high	173 FPS	174 FPS
ultra	173 FPS	174 FPS
4K
low	173 FPS	174 FPS
medium	173 FPS	174 FPS
high	173 FPS	174 FPS
ultra	173 FPS	174 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 1300X Open Xeon E5-1620 v3

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 3 1300X and Xeon E5-1620 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 E5-1620 v3

The Xeon E5-1620 v3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 10 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 140 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1333, DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866, DDR4-2133. Passmark benchmark score: 6,959 points. Launch price was $800.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen 3 1300X packs 4 cores / 4 threads, matching the Xeon E5-1620 v3's 4 cores. Boost clocks reach 3.7 GHz on the Ryzen 3 1300X versus 3.6 GHz on the Xeon E5-1620 v3 — a 2.7% clock advantage for the Ryzen 3 1300X (base: 3.4 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Ryzen 3 1300X uses the Zen (2017−2020) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon E5-1620 v3 uses Haswell-EP (2014−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 3 1300X scores 6,923 against the Xeon E5-1620 v3's 6,959 — a 0.5% lead for the Xeon E5-1620 v3. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Ryzen 3 1300X vs 10 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-1620 v3.

Feature	Ryzen 3 1300X	Xeon E5-1620 v3
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	4 / 8
Boost Clock	3.7 GHz+3%	3.6 GHz
Base Clock	3.4 GHz	3.5 GHz+3%
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)	10 MB (total)+25%
L2 Cache	512K (per core)+100%	256K (per core)
Process	14 nm-36%	22 nm
Architecture	Zen (2017−2020)	Haswell-EP (2014−2015)
PassMark	6,923	6,959
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 E5-1620 v3 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2666 memory speed. The Xeon E5-1620 v3 supports up to 768 GB of RAM compared to 64 GB — 169.2% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Ryzen 3 1300X) vs 4 (Xeon E5-1620 v3). PCIe lanes: 24 (Ryzen 3 1300X) vs 40 (Xeon E5-1620 v3) — the Xeon E5-1620 v3 offers 16 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: A320,B350,X370,B450,X470,X570 (Ryzen 3 1300X) and Intel X99,Intel C612 (Xeon E5-1620 v3).

Feature	Ryzen 3 1300X	Xeon E5-1620 v3
Socket	AM4	LGA2011
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR4-2133
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	768 GB+1100%
RAM Channels	2	4+100%
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	24	40+67%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 3 1300X has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Xeon E5-1620 v3 supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: AMD-V (Ryzen 3 1300X) vs VT-x, VT-d (Xeon E5-1620 v3). Primary use case: Ryzen 3 1300X targets Gaming, Xeon E5-1620 v3 targets Server.

Feature	Ryzen 3 1300X	Xeon E5-1620 v3
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	Yes	No
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	AMD-V	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Gaming	Server

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 3 1300X launched at $129 MSRP, while the Xeon E5-1620 v3 debuted at $294. On MSRP ($129 vs $294), the Ryzen 3 1300X is $165 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 3 1300X delivers 53.7 pts/$ vs 23.7 pts/$ for the Xeon E5-1620 v3 — making the Ryzen 3 1300X the 77.6% better value option.