i3-550 vs Xeon E3-1220 v2

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Aggregate performance score

Xeon E3-1220 v2
2012
4 cores / 4 threads, 69 Watt
2.95
+192%
Core i3-550
2010
2 cores / 4 threads, 73 Watt
1.01

Xeon E3-1220 v2 outperforms Core i3-550 by a whopping 192% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

Primary details

Comparing Xeon E3-1220 v2 and Core i3-550 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking16542462
Place by popularitynot in top-100not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation1.580.12
Market segmentServerDesktop processor
Power efficiency4.041.31
Architecture codenameIvy Bridge (2012−2013)Clarkdale (2010−2011)
Release date14 May 2012 (12 years ago)30 May 2010 (14 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)$220$101

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Xeon E3-1220 v2 has 1217% better value for money than i3-550.

Detailed specifications

Xeon E3-1220 v2 and Core i3-550 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 cores4 (Quad-Core)2 (Dual-core)
Threads44
Base clock speed3.1 GHz3.2 GHz
Boost clock speed3.5 GHz3.2 GHz
Bus rate5 GT/s2.5 GT/s
L1 cache64 KB (per core)64 KB (per core)
L2 cache256 KB (per core)256 KB (per core)
L3 cache8 MB (shared)4 MB (shared)
Chip lithography22 nm32 nm
Die size160 mm281 mm2
Maximum core temperatureno data73 °C
Number of transistors1,400 million382 million
64 bit support++
Windows 11 compatibility--

Compatibility

Information on Xeon E3-1220 v2 and Core i3-550 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
SocketFCLGA1155FCLGA1156
Power consumption (TDP)69 Watt73 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Xeon E3-1220 v2 and Core i3-550. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensionsIntel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVXIntel® SSE4.2
AES-NI+-
AVX+-
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)++
Turbo Boost Technology2.0-
Hyper-Threading Technology-+
Idle States++
Thermal Monitoring+-
Flex Memory Access+no data
Demand Based Switching+-
PAEno data36 Bit
FDIno data+
Fast Memory Access+no data

Security technologies

Xeon E3-1220 v2 and Core i3-550 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT+-
EDB++
Identity Protection+-

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Xeon E3-1220 v2 and Core i3-550 are enumerated here.

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

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Xeon E3-1220 v2 and Core i3-550. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory typesDDR3DDR3
Maximum memory size32.77 GB16.38 GB
Max memory channels22
Maximum memory bandwidth25.6 GB/s21 GB/s
ECC memory support+-

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics cardno dataIntel HD Graphics for Previous Generation Intel Processors
Clear Video HDno data+

Graphics interfaces

Available interfaces and connections of Xeon E3-1220 v2 and Core i3-550 integrated GPUs.

Number of displays supportedno data2

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Xeon E3-1220 v2 and Core i3-550.

PCIe version3.02.0
PCI Express lanesno data16

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.

Xeon E3-1220 v2 2.95
+192%
i3-550 1.01

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.

Xeon E3-1220 v2 4681
+191%
i3-550 1610

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.

Xeon E3-1220 v2 589
+37.6%
i3-550 428

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.

Xeon E3-1220 v2 1826
+109%
i3-550 872

Gaming performance

Pros & cons summary


Performance score 2.95 1.01
Recency 14 May 2012 30 May 2010
Physical cores 4 2
Chip lithography 22 nm 32 nm
Power consumption (TDP) 69 Watt 73 Watt

Xeon E3-1220 v2 has a 192.1% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 1 year, 100% more physical cores, a 45.5% more advanced lithography process, and 5.8% lower power consumption.

The Xeon E3-1220 v2 is our recommended choice as it beats the Core i3-550 in performance tests.

Be aware that Xeon E3-1220 v2 is a server/workstation processor while Core i3-550 is a desktop one.


Should you still have questions on choice between Xeon E3-1220 v2 and Core i3-550, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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Intel Xeon E3-1220 v2
Xeon E3-1220 v2
Intel Core i3-550
Core i3-550

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Community ratings

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Questions & comments

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