Xeon E3-1220 v2 vs Xeon L5640

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.

Xeon E3-1220 v2

2012

Why buy it

✅+0.5% higher PassMark.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon L5640 across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 12 MB).
❌15% higher power demand at 69W vs 60W.

Xeon L5640

2010

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.6% higher average FPS across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Draws 60W instead of 69W, a 9W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (4,659 vs 4,680).
❌Launch MSRP is still $996 MSRP, while Xeon E3-1220 v2 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Xeon E3-1220 v2

2012

Xeon L5640

2010

Why buy it

✅+0.5% higher PassMark.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.6% higher average FPS across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Draws 60W instead of 69W, a 9W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon L5640 across 5 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 12 MB).
❌15% higher power demand at 69W vs 60W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (4,659 vs 4,680).
❌Launch MSRP is still $996 MSRP, while Xeon E3-1220 v2 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon L5640 better than Xeon E3-1220 v2?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Xeon L5640 is ahead with a 5.6% average FPS lead across 5 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Xeon E3-1220 v2 pulls ahead with 0.5% better PassMark. Xeon L5640 also has the bigger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (12 MB vs 8 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon E3-1220 v2 is the better fit. You are getting 0.5% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 4 threads.

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

Xeon L5640 is the smarter buy today. Xeon L5640 is at an unclear MSRP at $996 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 5.6% average FPS lead across 5 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Xeon E3-1220 v2 is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 0.5% better PassMark. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (4.7 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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?

Xeon E3-1220 v2 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2012 vs 2010) and more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 4 threads instead of 6/12. 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.

Xeon E3-1220 v2 Benchmark Check

Xeon L5640 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Xeon E3-1220 v2	Xeon L5640
1080p
low	117 FPS	116 FPS
medium	117 FPS	116 FPS
high	107 FPS	105 FPS
ultra	85 FPS	87 FPS
1440p
low	117 FPS	116 FPS
medium	115 FPS	111 FPS
high	89 FPS	86 FPS
ultra	70 FPS	70 FPS
4K
low	65 FPS	61 FPS
medium	57 FPS	55 FPS
high	44 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	34 FPS	34 FPS

Open Xeon E3-1220 v2 Open Xeon L5640

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Xeon E3-1220 v2	Xeon L5640
1080p
low	117 FPS	116 FPS
medium	117 FPS	116 FPS
high	117 FPS	116 FPS
ultra	101 FPS	116 FPS
1440p
low	117 FPS	116 FPS
medium	117 FPS	116 FPS
high	112 FPS	116 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	107 FPS
4K
low	109 FPS	116 FPS
medium	98 FPS	116 FPS
high	77 FPS	104 FPS
ultra	57 FPS	74 FPS

Open Xeon E3-1220 v2 Open Xeon L5640

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Xeon E3-1220 v2	Xeon L5640
1080p
low	117 FPS	116 FPS
medium	117 FPS	116 FPS
high	117 FPS	116 FPS
ultra	117 FPS	116 FPS
1440p
low	117 FPS	116 FPS
medium	117 FPS	116 FPS
high	117 FPS	116 FPS
ultra	117 FPS	116 FPS
4K
low	117 FPS	116 FPS
medium	117 FPS	116 FPS
high	117 FPS	116 FPS
ultra	117 FPS	116 FPS

Open Xeon E3-1220 v2 Open Xeon L5640

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Xeon E3-1220 v2	Xeon L5640
1080p
low	117 FPS	116 FPS
medium	117 FPS	116 FPS
high	117 FPS	116 FPS
ultra	117 FPS	116 FPS
1440p
low	117 FPS	116 FPS
medium	117 FPS	116 FPS
high	117 FPS	116 FPS
ultra	117 FPS	116 FPS
4K
low	117 FPS	116 FPS
medium	117 FPS	116 FPS
high	117 FPS	116 FPS
ultra	117 FPS	116 FPS

Open Xeon E3-1220 v2 Open Xeon L5640

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E3-1220 v2 and Xeon L5640

Xeon E3-1220 v2

The Xeon E3-1220 v2 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 14 May 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 4 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1155. Thermal design power (TDP): 69 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 4,680 points. Launch price was $220.

Xeon L5640

The Xeon L5640 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 16 March 2010 (15 years ago). It is based on the Westmere-EP (2010−2011) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.26 GHz, with boost up to 2.8 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1366. Thermal design power (TDP): 60 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 4,659 points. Launch price was $200.

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Processing Power

The Xeon E3-1220 v2 packs 4 cores / 4 threads, while the Xeon L5640 offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Xeon L5640 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.5 GHz on the Xeon E3-1220 v2 versus 2.8 GHz on the Xeon L5640 — a 22.2% clock advantage for the Xeon E3-1220 v2 (base: 3.1 GHz vs 2.26 GHz). The Xeon E3-1220 v2 uses the Ivy Bridge (2012−2013) architecture (22 nm), while the Xeon L5640 uses Westmere-EP (2010−2011) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E3-1220 v2 scores 4,680 against the Xeon L5640's 4,659 — a 0.4% lead for the Xeon E3-1220 v2. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Xeon E3-1220 v2 vs 12 MB (total) on the Xeon L5640.

Feature	Xeon E3-1220 v2	Xeon L5640
Cores / Threads	4 / 4	6 / 12+50%
Boost Clock	3.5 GHz+25%	2.8 GHz
Base Clock	3.1 GHz+37%	2.26 GHz
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)	12 MB (total)+50%
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	256 kB (per core)
Process	22 nm-31%	32 nm
Architecture	Ivy Bridge (2012−2013)	Westmere-EP (2010−2011)
PassMark	4,680	4,659

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Memory & Platform

The Xeon E3-1220 v2 uses the LGA1155 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon L5640 uses LGA1366 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Xeon E3-1220 v2	Xeon L5640
Socket	LGA1155	LGA1366
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR3 1333 MHz
Max RAM Capacity	—	288 GB
RAM Channels	—	3
ECC Support	—	Yes
PCIe Lanes	—	0