i5-2550K vs Xeon E3-1246 v3

Primary details

Comparing Xeon E3-1246 v3 and Core i5-2550K processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	1291	1717
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	no data	1.65
Market segment	Server	Desktop processor
Power efficiency	5.17	2.59
Architecture codename	no data	Sandy Bridge (2011−2013)
Release date	1 April 2014 (10 years ago)	January 2012 (12 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	no data	$189

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Detailed specifications

Xeon E3-1246 v3 and Core i5-2550K 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 cores	4 (Quad-Core)	4 (Quad-Core)
Threads	8	4
Base clock speed	3.5 GHz	3.4 GHz
Boost clock speed	3.9 GHz	3.8 GHz
Bus rate	5 GT/s	5 GT/s
L1 cache	no data	64 KB (per core)
L2 cache	no data	256 KB (per core)
L3 cache	8 MB Intel® Smart Cache	6144 KB (shared)
Chip lithography	22 nm	32 nm
Die size	no data	216 mm2
Maximum core temperature	no data	73 °C
Number of transistors	no data	1160 million
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	-
Unlocked multiplier	-	+

Compatibility

Information on Xeon E3-1246 v3 and Core i5-2550K 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 configuration	1	1
Socket	FCLGA1150	FCLGA1155,LGA1155
Power consumption (TDP)	84 Watt	95 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Xeon E3-1246 v3 and Core i5-2550K. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2	Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX
AES-NI	+	+
AVX	-	+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
My WiFi	-	no data
Turbo Boost Technology	2.0	2.0
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	-
TSX	+	-
Idle States	+	+
Thermal Monitoring	+	+
Flex Memory Access	+	+
SIPP	+	-
FDI	+	-
Fast Memory Access	+	+

Security technologies

Xeon E3-1246 v3 and Core i5-2550K technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	+	-
EDB	+	+
Secure Key	+	no data
Identity Protection	+	+
OS Guard	+	no data
Anti-Theft	+	no data

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Xeon E3-1246 v3 and Core i5-2550K are enumerated here.

VT-d	+	-
VT-x	+	+
EPT	+	+

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Xeon E3-1246 v3 and Core i5-2550K. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3L-1333, DDR3L-1600	DDR3
Maximum memory size	32 GB	32 GB
Max memory channels	2	2
Maximum memory bandwidth	25.6 GB/s	21 GB/s
ECC memory support	+	-

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Max video memory	1.7 GB	no data
Quick Sync Video	+	+
Clear Video HD	+	-
Graphics max frequency	1.2 GHz	no data
Execution Units	20	no data
InTru 3D	+	-

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Xeon E3-1246 v3 and Core i5-2550K integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supported	3	no data
eDP	+	no data
DisplayPort	+	-
HDMI	+	-
VGA	+	no data

Graphics image quality

Maximum display resolutions supported by Xeon E3-1246 v3 and Core i5-2550K integrated GPUs, including resolutions over different interfaces.

Max resolution over HDMI 1.4	3840x2160@60Hz	no data
Max resolution over DisplayPort	3840x2160@60Hz	no data
Max resolution over VGA	2880x1800@60Hz	no data

Graphics API support

APIs supported by Xeon E3-1246 v3 and Core i5-2550K integrated GPUs, sometimes API versions are included.

DirectX	11.2	no data
OpenGL	4.3	no data

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Xeon E3-1246 v3 and Core i5-2550K.

PCIe version	3.0	2.0
PCI Express lanes	16	16

Synthetic benchmark performance

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

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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.

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Pros & cons summary

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Performance score	4.68	2.65
Threads	8	4
Chip lithography	22 nm	32 nm
Power consumption (TDP)	84 Watt	95 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Xeon E3-1246 v3 and Core i5-2550K, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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