Ryzen 5 3450U vs Xeon E5-1620 v2

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 5 3450U

2020

Why buy it

✅+0.4% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 2W instead of 130W, a 128W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 10 MB).

Xeon E5-1620 v2

2013

Why buy it

✅+150% larger total L3 cache (10 MB vs 4 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (6,523 vs 6,550).
❌Launch MSRP is still $294 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 3450U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌6400% higher power demand at 130W vs 2W.

Ryzen 5 3450U

2020

Xeon E5-1620 v2

2013

Why buy it

✅+0.4% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 2W instead of 130W, a 128W reduction.

Why buy it

✅+150% larger total L3 cache (10 MB vs 4 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (4 MB vs 10 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (6,523 vs 6,550).
❌Launch MSRP is still $294 MSRP, while Ryzen 5 3450U mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌6400% higher power demand at 130W vs 2W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 3450U better than Xeon E5-1620 v2?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon E5-1620 v2 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Ryzen 5 3450U 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 5 3450U 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?

Ryzen 5 3450U is still the faster CPU overall, but Xeon E5-1620 v2 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 5 3450U is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $294 MSRP, and it gives you 0.4% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Xeon E5-1620 v2 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 0.7% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data. Xeon E5-1620 v2 is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (22.2 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Ryzen 5 3450U is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2013) and more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 8 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 5 3450U Benchmark Check

Xeon E5-1620 v2 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 3450U	Xeon E5-1620 v2
1080p
low	164 FPS	163 FPS
medium	139 FPS	143 FPS
high	109 FPS	114 FPS
ultra	86 FPS	91 FPS
1440p
low	142 FPS	147 FPS
medium	112 FPS	120 FPS
high	87 FPS	94 FPS
ultra	69 FPS	75 FPS
4K
low	68 FPS	67 FPS
medium	57 FPS	58 FPS
high	45 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	35 FPS	36 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3450U Open Xeon E5-1620 v2

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 3450U	Xeon E5-1620 v2
1080p
low	106 FPS	163 FPS
medium	92 FPS	163 FPS
high	85 FPS	163 FPS
ultra	66 FPS	127 FPS
1440p
low	92 FPS	163 FPS
medium	80 FPS	155 FPS
high	74 FPS	142 FPS
ultra	60 FPS	115 FPS
4K
low	69 FPS	140 FPS
medium	62 FPS	127 FPS
high	50 FPS	107 FPS
ultra	37 FPS	80 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3450U Open Xeon E5-1620 v2

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 3450U	Xeon E5-1620 v2
1080p
low	164 FPS	163 FPS
medium	164 FPS	163 FPS
high	164 FPS	163 FPS
ultra	164 FPS	163 FPS
1440p
low	164 FPS	163 FPS
medium	164 FPS	163 FPS
high	164 FPS	163 FPS
ultra	164 FPS	163 FPS
4K
low	164 FPS	163 FPS
medium	164 FPS	163 FPS
high	164 FPS	163 FPS
ultra	164 FPS	163 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3450U Open Xeon E5-1620 v2

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 3450U	Xeon E5-1620 v2
1080p
low	164 FPS	163 FPS
medium	164 FPS	163 FPS
high	164 FPS	163 FPS
ultra	164 FPS	163 FPS
1440p
low	164 FPS	163 FPS
medium	164 FPS	163 FPS
high	164 FPS	163 FPS
ultra	164 FPS	163 FPS
4K
low	164 FPS	163 FPS
medium	164 FPS	163 FPS
high	164 FPS	163 FPS
ultra	164 FPS	163 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 3450U Open Xeon E5-1620 v2

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 3450U and Xeon E5-1620 v2

Ryzen 5 3450U

The Ryzen 5 3450U is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 1 May 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Picasso-U (Zen+) (2019−2020) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 4 MB. L2 cache: 2 MB. Built on 12 nm process technology. Socket: FP5. Thermal design power (TDP): 2 MB + 4 MB. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 6,550 points. Launch price was $149.

Xeon E5-1620 v2

The Xeon E5-1620 v2 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge-E (2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 10 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 6,523 points. Launch price was $315.

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Processing Power

Both the Ryzen 5 3450U and Xeon E5-1620 v2 share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.5 GHz on the Ryzen 5 3450U versus 3.9 GHz on the Xeon E5-1620 v2 — a 10.8% clock advantage for the Xeon E5-1620 v2 (base: 2.1 GHz vs 3.7 GHz). The Ryzen 5 3450U uses the Picasso-U (Zen+) (2019−2020) architecture (12 nm), while the Xeon E5-1620 v2 uses Ivy Bridge-E (2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 3450U scores 6,550 against the Xeon E5-1620 v2's 6,523 — a 0.4% lead for the Ryzen 5 3450U. L3 cache: 4 MB on the Ryzen 5 3450U vs 10 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-1620 v2.

Feature	Ryzen 5 3450U	Xeon E5-1620 v2
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	4 / 8
Boost Clock	3.5 GHz	3.9 GHz+11%
Base Clock	2.1 GHz	3.7 GHz+76%
L3 Cache	4 MB	10 MB (total)+150%
L2 Cache	2 MB+700%	256 kB (per core)
Process	12 nm-45%	22 nm
Architecture	Picasso-U (Zen+) (2019−2020)	Ivy Bridge-E (2013)
PassMark	6,550	6,523

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Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 3450U uses the FP5 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E5-1620 v2 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.