Ryzen 3 3100 vs Xeon E5-2663 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 3100

2020

Why buy it

✅Draws 65W instead of 105W, a 40W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 25 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2663 V3, which brings 10 cores / 20 threads.
❌Launch MSRP is still $99 MSRP, while Xeon E5-2663 V3 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Xeon E5-2663 V3

2014

Why buy it

✅+56.3% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 10 cores / 20 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (11,777 vs 11,928).
❌61.5% higher power demand at 105W vs 65W.

Ryzen 3 3100

2020

Xeon E5-2663 V3

2014

Why buy it

✅Draws 65W instead of 105W, a 40W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅+56.3% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 10 cores / 20 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 25 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2663 V3, which brings 10 cores / 20 threads.
❌Launch MSRP is still $99 MSRP, while Xeon E5-2663 V3 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (11,777 vs 11,928).
❌61.5% higher power demand at 105W vs 65W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 3 3100 better than Xeon E5-2663 V3?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon E5-2663 V3 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Ryzen 3 3100 is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 3 3100 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 1.4% more average FPS across 2 shared CPU game tests.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 3 3100 is the better fit. You are getting 1.3% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 8 threads.

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

Ryzen 3 3100 is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 3 3100 is at an unclear MSRP at $99 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 1.4% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (120.5 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 3100 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2014) and more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 8 threads instead of 10/20. 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 3100 Benchmark Check

Xeon E5-2663 V3 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 3 3100	Xeon E5-2663 V3
1080p
low	166 FPS	163 FPS
medium	136 FPS	141 FPS
high	118 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	94 FPS
1440p
low	144 FPS	136 FPS
medium	115 FPS	115 FPS
high	94 FPS	91 FPS
ultra	72 FPS	74 FPS
4K
low	68 FPS	63 FPS
medium	58 FPS	57 FPS
high	46 FPS	44 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	35 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 3100 Open Xeon E5-2663 V3

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 3 3100	Xeon E5-2663 V3
1080p
low	271 FPS	294 FPS
medium	228 FPS	294 FPS
high	191 FPS	258 FPS
ultra	147 FPS	213 FPS
1440p
low	231 FPS	284 FPS
medium	200 FPS	260 FPS
high	169 FPS	227 FPS
ultra	133 FPS	185 FPS
4K
low	165 FPS	184 FPS
medium	148 FPS	168 FPS
high	118 FPS	146 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	116 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 3100 Open Xeon E5-2663 V3

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 3 3100	Xeon E5-2663 V3
1080p
low	298 FPS	294 FPS
medium	298 FPS	294 FPS
high	298 FPS	294 FPS
ultra	298 FPS	294 FPS
1440p
low	298 FPS	294 FPS
medium	298 FPS	294 FPS
high	298 FPS	294 FPS
ultra	298 FPS	294 FPS
4K
low	298 FPS	294 FPS
medium	268 FPS	294 FPS
high	226 FPS	290 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	240 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 3100 Open Xeon E5-2663 V3

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 3 3100	Xeon E5-2663 V3
1080p
low	298 FPS	294 FPS
medium	298 FPS	294 FPS
high	298 FPS	294 FPS
ultra	298 FPS	294 FPS
1440p
low	298 FPS	294 FPS
medium	298 FPS	294 FPS
high	298 FPS	294 FPS
ultra	298 FPS	294 FPS
4K
low	298 FPS	294 FPS
medium	298 FPS	294 FPS
high	298 FPS	294 FPS
ultra	298 FPS	294 FPS

Open Ryzen 3 3100 Open Xeon E5-2663 V3

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 3 3100 and Xeon E5-2663 V3

Ryzen 3 3100

The Ryzen 3 3100 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 24 April 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 11,928 points. Launch price was $99.

Xeon E5-2663 V3

The Xeon E5-2663 V3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture. It features 10 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 25 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011-3. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2133. Passmark benchmark score: 11,777 points. Launch price was $800.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen 3 3100 packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Xeon E5-2663 V3 offers 10 cores / 20 threads — the Xeon E5-2663 V3 has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.9 GHz on the Ryzen 3 3100 versus 3.5 GHz on the Xeon E5-2663 V3 — a 10.8% clock advantage for the Ryzen 3 3100 (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2.8 GHz). The Ryzen 3 3100 uses the Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) architecture (7 nm), while the Xeon E5-2663 V3 uses Haswell-EP (2014−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 3 3100 scores 11,928 against the Xeon E5-2663 V3's 11,777 — a 1.3% lead for the Ryzen 3 3100. L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 3 3100 vs 25 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-2663 V3.

Feature	Ryzen 3 3100	Xeon E5-2663 V3
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	10 / 20+150%
Boost Clock	3.9 GHz+11%	3.5 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+29%	2.8 GHz
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)	25 MB (total)+56%
L2 Cache	512K (per core)+100%	256K (per core)
Process	7 nm-68%	22 nm
Architecture	Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020)	Haswell-EP (2014−2015)
PassMark	11,928+1%	11,777

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Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 3 3100 uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon E5-2663 V3 uses LGA2011-3 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.