Xeon E3-1281 v3 vs Core i7-4790

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-4790 and Xeon E3-1281 v3 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in performance ranking	1192	1172
Place by popularity	65	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	2.43	1.06
Market segment	Desktop processor	Server
Series	Core i7 (Desktop)	no data
Architecture codename	Haswell (2013−2015)	no data
Release date	1 May 2014 (10 years ago)	1 April 2014 (10 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$303	no data
Current price	$119 (0.4x MSRP)	$546

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

i7-4790 has 129% better value for money than Xeon E3-1281 v3.

Detailed specifications

Core i7-4790 and Xeon E3-1281 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 cores	4 (Quad-Core)	4 (Quad-Core)
Threads	8	8
Base clock speed	3.6 GHz	3.7 GHz
Boost clock speed	4 GHz	4.1 GHz
L1 cache	64K (per core)	no data
L2 cache	256K (per core)	no data
L3 cache	8 MB (shared)	8 MB Intel® Smart Cache
Chip lithography	22 nm	22 nm
Die size	177 mm2	no data
Maximum core temperature	73 °C	no data
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	72 °C	no data
Number of transistors	1,400 million	no data
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	-
Unlocked multiplier	No	No

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-4790 and Xeon E3-1281 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 configuration	1	1
Socket	FCLGA1150	FCLGA1150
Power consumption (TDP)	84 Watt	82 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-4790 and Xeon E3-1281 v3. 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® AVX2
AES-NI	+	+
AVX	+	no data
vPro	+	no data
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	no data	+
SIPP	+	+
FDI	+	no data
Fast Memory Access	no data	+
Status	Discontinued	Discontinued

Security technologies

Core i7-4790 and Xeon E3-1281 v3 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	+	+
EDB	+	+
Secure Key	+	+
Identity Protection	+	+
OS Guard	+	+
Anti-Theft	+	+

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-4790 and Xeon E3-1281 v3 are enumerated here.

AMD-V	+	no data
VT-d	+	+
VT-x	+	+
EPT	+	+

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-4790 and Xeon E3-1281 v3. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

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

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card	Intel HD Graphics 4600	no data
Max video memory	2 GB	no data
Quick Sync Video	+	no data
Clear Video HD	+	no data
Graphics max frequency	1.2 GHz	no data
InTru 3D	+	no data

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Core i7-4790 and Xeon E3-1281 v3 integrated GPUs.

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

Graphics image quality

Maximum display resolutions supported by Core i7-4790 and Xeon E3-1281 v3 integrated GPUs, including resolutions over different interfaces.

Max resolution over HDMI 1.4	4096x2304@24Hz	no data
Max resolution over eDP	3840x2160@60Hz	no data
Max resolution over DisplayPort	3840x2160@60Hz	no data
Max resolution over VGA	1920x1200@60Hz	no data

Graphics API support

APIs supported by Core i7-4790 and Xeon E3-1281 v3 integrated GPUs, sometimes API versions are included.

DirectX	11.2/12	no data
OpenGL	4.3	no data

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-4790 and Xeon E3-1281 v3.

PCIe version	Up to 3.0	3.0
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.

Xeon E3-1281 v3 outperforms Core i7-4790 by 2% based on our aggregated benchmark results.

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Pros & cons summary

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Performance score	4.70	4.81
Power consumption (TDP)	84 Watt	82 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-4790 and Xeon E3-1281 v3, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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