Xeon E3-1231 v3 vs i7-6900K

Aggregate performance score

Core i7-6900K
2016
8 cores / 16 threads, 140 Watt
9.11
+105%
Xeon E3-1231 v3
2014
4 cores / 8 threads, 80 Watt
4.44

Core i7-6900K outperforms Xeon E3-1231 v3 by a whopping 105% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-6900K and Xeon E3-1231 v3 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking8421332
Place by popularitynot in top-100not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation1.043.36
Market segmentDesktop processorServer
Seriesno dataXeon (Desktop)
Power efficiency6.155.25
Architecture codenameBroadwell-E (2016)Haswell-WS (2013−2014)
Release date31 May 2016 (8 years ago)11 May 2014 (10 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)$1,020$240

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Xeon E3-1231 v3 has 223% better value for money than i7-6900K.

Detailed specifications

Core i7-6900K and Xeon E3-1231 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 cores8 (Octa-Core)4 (Quad-Core)
Threads168
Base clock speed3.2 GHz3.4 GHz
Boost clock speed4 GHz3.8 GHz
Bus rateno data5 GT/s
L1 cache32 KB (per core)64K (per core)
L2 cache256 KB (per core)256K (per core)
L3 cache20 MB (shared)8 MB (shared)
Chip lithography14 nm22 nm
Die sizeno data160 mm2
Maximum case temperature (TCase)72 °Cno data
Number of transistorsno data1,400 million
64 bit support++
Windows 11 compatibility--
Unlocked multiplier+-

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-6900K and Xeon E3-1231 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 i7-6900K and Xeon E3-1231 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)++
My WiFino data-
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 i7-6900K and Xeon E3-1231 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 i7-6900K and Xeon E3-1231 v3 are enumerated here.

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

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-6900K and Xeon E3-1231 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 i7-6900K and Xeon E3-1231 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.

i7-6900K 9.11
+105%
Xeon E3-1231 v3 4.44

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.

i7-6900K 14470
+105%
Xeon E3-1231 v3 7053

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.

i7-6900K 1285
+7.4%
Xeon E3-1231 v3 1196

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.

i7-6900K 7196
+90.2%
Xeon E3-1231 v3 3784

Gaming performance

Pros & cons summary


Performance score 9.11 4.44
Recency 31 May 2016 11 May 2014
Physical cores 8 4
Threads 16 8
Chip lithography 14 nm 22 nm
Power consumption (TDP) 140 Watt 80 Watt

i7-6900K has a 105.2% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 2 years, 100% more physical cores and 100% more threads, and a 57.1% more advanced lithography process.

Xeon E3-1231 v3, on the other hand, has 75% lower power consumption.

The Core i7-6900K is our recommended choice as it beats the Xeon E3-1231 v3 in performance tests.

Note that Core i7-6900K is a desktop processor while Xeon E3-1231 v3 is a server/workstation one.


Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-6900K and Xeon E3-1231 v3, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

Vote for your favorite

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Intel Core i7-6900K
Core i7-6900K
Intel Xeon E3-1231 v3
Xeon E3-1231 v3

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Community ratings

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Questions & comments

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