Xeon E3-1230 v3 vs i7-6950X

VS

Aggregate performance score

Core i7-6950X
2016
10 cores / 20 threads, 140 Watt
10.92
+155%
Xeon E3-1230 v3
2013
4 cores / 8 threads, 80 Watt
4.29

Core i7-6950X outperforms Xeon E3-1230 v3 by a whopping 155% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-6950X and Xeon E3-1230 v3 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking7191371
Place by popularitynot in top-100not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation0.893.13
Market segmentDesktop processorServer
SeriesIntel Core i7 (Desktop)Xeon (Desktop)
Power efficiency7.385.07
Architecture codenameBroadwell-E (2016)Haswell-WS (2013−2014)
Release date31 May 2016 (8 years ago)2 June 2013 (11 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)$1,723$240

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Xeon E3-1230 v3 has 252% better value for money than i7-6950X.

Detailed specifications

Core i7-6950X and Xeon E3-1230 v3 basic parameters such as number of cores, number of threads, base frequency and turbo boost clock, lithography, cache size and multiplier lock state. These parameters indirectly say of CPU speed, though for more precise assessment you have to consider their test results.

Physical cores10 (Deca-Core)4 (Quad-Core)
Threads208
Base clock speed3 GHz3.3 GHz
Boost clock speed4 GHz3.7 GHz
Bus rate9.6 GT/s / QPI5 GT/s
L1 cache32K (per core)64 KB (per core)
L2 cache256K (per core)256K (per core)
L3 cache25 MB (shared)8 MB (shared)
Chip lithography14 nm22 nm
Die size246 mm2160 mm2
Maximum case temperature (TCase)72 °Cno data
Number of transistors3,800 million1,400 million
64 bit support++
Windows 11 compatibility--
Unlocked multiplier+-

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-6950X and Xeon E3-1230 v3 compatibility with other computer components: motherboard (look for socket type), power supply unit (look for power consumption) etc. Useful when planning a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. Note that power consumption of some processors can well exceed their nominal TDP, even without overclocking. Some can even double their declared thermals given that the motherboard allows to tune the CPU power parameters.

Number of CPUs in a configuration11
SocketFCLGA2011FCLGA1150
Power consumption (TDP)140 Watt80 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-6950X and Xeon E3-1230 v3. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensionsno dataIntel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2
AES-NI++
AVX++
vProno data+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)++
Turbo Boost Technology2.02.0
Hyper-Threading Technology++
TSX-+
Idle States++
Thermal Monitoring-+
Flex Memory Accessno data+
SIPP-+
Smart Response+no data
Turbo Boost Max 3.0+no data
Fast Memory Accessno data+

Security technologies

Core i7-6950X and Xeon E3-1230 v3 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT++
EDB++
Secure Keyno data+
Identity Protection-+
OS Guardno data+
Anti-Theftno data+

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-6950X and Xeon E3-1230 v3 are enumerated here.

AMD-V-+
VT-d++
VT-x++
EPT++

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-6950X and Xeon E3-1230 v3. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory typesDDR4DDR3
Maximum memory size128 GB32 GB
Max memory channels42
Maximum memory bandwidthno data25.6 GB/s
ECC memory support-+

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-6950X and Xeon E3-1230 v3.

PCIe version3.03.0
PCI Express lanes4016

Synthetic benchmark performance

Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.


Combined synthetic benchmark score

This is our combined benchmark performance rating. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.

i7-6950X 10.92
+155%
Xeon E3-1230 v3 4.29

Passmark

Passmark CPU Mark is a widespread benchmark, consisting of 8 different types of workload, including integer and floating point math, extended instructions, compression, encryption and physics calculation. There is also one separate single-threaded scenario measuring single-core performance.

i7-6950X 17340
+154%
Xeon E3-1230 v3 6819

GeekBench 5 Single-Core

GeekBench 5 Single-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses only a single CPU core.

i7-6950X 1316
+13.2%
Xeon E3-1230 v3 1163

GeekBench 5 Multi-Core

GeekBench 5 Multi-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses all available CPU cores.

i7-6950X 8570
+130%
Xeon E3-1230 v3 3721

Cinebench 10 32-bit single-core

Cinebench R10 is an ancient ray tracing benchmark for processors by Maxon, authors of Cinema 4D. Its single core version uses just one CPU thread to render a futuristic looking motorcycle.

i7-6950X 6231
+13.2%
Xeon E3-1230 v3 5506

Cinebench 10 32-bit multi-core

Cinebench Release 10 Multi Core is a variant of Cinebench R10 using all the processor threads. Possible number of threads is limited by 16 in this version.

i7-6950X 40378
+86%
Xeon E3-1230 v3 21708

3DMark06 CPU

3DMark06 is a discontinued DirectX 9 benchmark suite from Futuremark. Its CPU part contains two scenarios, one dedicated to artificial intelligence pathfinding, another to game physics using PhysX package.

i7-6950X 10658
+33.3%
Xeon E3-1230 v3 7996

Cinebench 11.5 64-bit multi-core

Cinebench Release 11.5 Multi Core is a variant of Cinebench R11.5 which uses all the processor threads. A maximum of 64 threads is supported in this version.

i7-6950X 20
+153%
Xeon E3-1230 v3 8

Cinebench 15 64-bit multi-core

Cinebench Release 15 Multi Core is a variant of Cinebench R15 which uses all the processor threads.

i7-6950X 1859
+155%
Xeon E3-1230 v3 729

Cinebench 15 64-bit single-core

Cinebench R15 (standing for Release 15) is a benchmark made by Maxon, authors of Cinema 4D. It was superseded by later versions of Cinebench, which use more modern variants of Cinema 4D engine. The Single Core version (sometimes called Single-Thread) only uses a single processor thread to render a room full of reflective spheres and light sources.

i7-6950X 156
+7.2%
Xeon E3-1230 v3 145

Cinebench 11.5 64-bit single-core

Cinebench R11.5 is an old benchmark by Maxon, authors of Cinema 4D. It was superseded by later versions of Cinebench, which use more modern variants of Cinema 4D engine. The Single Core version loads a single thread with ray tracing to render a glossy room full of crystal spheres and light sources.

i7-6950X 1.9
+14.5%
Xeon E3-1230 v3 1.66

Geekbench 3 32-bit multi-core

i7-6950X 31129
+130%
Xeon E3-1230 v3 13527

Geekbench 3 32-bit single-core

i7-6950X 3387
Xeon E3-1230 v3 3507
+3.5%

Gaming performance

Pros & cons summary


Performance score 10.92 4.29
Recency 31 May 2016 2 June 2013
Physical cores 10 4
Threads 20 8
Chip lithography 14 nm 22 nm
Power consumption (TDP) 140 Watt 80 Watt

i7-6950X has a 154.5% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 2 years, 150% more physical cores and 150% more threads, and a 57.1% more advanced lithography process.

Xeon E3-1230 v3, on the other hand, has 75% lower power consumption.

The Core i7-6950X is our recommended choice as it beats the Xeon E3-1230 v3 in performance tests.

Note that Core i7-6950X is a desktop processor while Xeon E3-1230 v3 is a server/workstation one.


Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-6950X and Xeon E3-1230 v3, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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Intel Core i7-6950X
Core i7-6950X
Intel Xeon E3-1230 v3
Xeon E3-1230 v3

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Community ratings

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