Intel Xeon E5 E5-2620 v3 6-core LGA2011-3

The E5-2620 v3 scores 7743 in multi-thread PassMark, which is solid for a used server chip that can be had for as little as USD 49. Single-thread performance is weak at 1689, and gaming is a lost cause at 23.7/100. Buy it for cheap ECC server builds, not for anything that needs per-core speed.

The multi-thread PassMark score of 7743 is the headline number here. That's solidly middle of the pack in our database, which sounds unimpressive until you remember this thing launched over a decade ago and costs less than a pizza dinner for two. The 12 threads help with virtualization and parallel workloads, and the 15MB of L3 cache gives it enough breathing room for database tasks and file serving. The 8 GT/s QPI link also means dual-socket boards can pair two of these without choking on interconnect bandwidth.

Single-thread performance is where the age really shows. A 1689 PassMark single-thread score puts it well below average, and that 2.4GHz base clock means latency-sensitive tasks feel sluggish. The 3.2GHz boost helps a bit, but this is not a chip you want for anything that depends on raw per-core speed. Gaming is a lost cause, our scoring puts it at 23.7 out of 100, which is one of the weakest results we've seen for that use case. Keep this chip in the server room where it belongs.

Against something like the AMD Ryzen 5 7600, this Xeon gets absolutely demolished in single-thread performance and gaming. The Ryzen 5 is a modern desktop chip with vastly better per-core speed, but it also costs several times more and doesn't support ECC memory on most boards. The Dell Xeon E5-2637 V2 is a closer comparison, another used server part, but with fewer cores and a higher clock. The E5-2620 v3 wins on multi-thread throughput and memory capacity, while the E5-2637 V2 might edge it out in single-thread tasks. For pure budget server builds, the E5-2620 v3 is the better value in most cases.

This is where the E5-2620 v3 gets interesting. US listings range from USD 49 to USD 170, which is a massive spread for the same silicon. At the low end, you're getting 12 threads and ECC support for less than the cost of a decent keyboard. At the high end, you're overpaying for nostalgia. The EUR market is tighter, EUR 73 to EUR 98, and the GBP listing at 110 is not a deal worth chasing. If you're in the US, hunt for the sub-USD 60 listings and you've got a genuinely compelling budget server chip. The affordability percentile ranking near the top of our database backs this up.

The E5-2620 v3 is a Haswell-EP era Xeon that still has a pulse in 2025, mostly because it's dirt cheap on the used market. You're looking at 6 cores, 12 threads, a 2.4GHz base clock, and a 3.2GHz boost. The PassMark numbers tell the real story: 7743 multi-thread and 1689 single-thread. That single-thread score lands in the bottom half of our database, which means everyday desktop snappiness isn't this chip's strong suit.

But here's the thing. This is a server part, and for server workloads it's not embarrassing. The multi-thread score sits right around average, and the 15MB of L3 cache plus support for up to 768GB of ECC DDR4 means it can chew through memory-hungry tasks without falling over. The 85W TDP is also pretty reasonable for a six-core Xeon from 2014. If you're building a cheap home lab or a NAS that needs ECC memory, this chip starts to make a lot of sense.

Skip this chip if you want a responsive desktop experience or any kind of gaming. The single-thread PassMark score of 1689 is well below average, and the 2.4GHz base clock will make even basic tasks feel sluggish compared to any modern processor. Also skip it if you don't want to deal with aging LGA2011-3 motherboards, which are becoming harder to source and often lack modern features like NVMe boot support out of the box. If you need strong per-core performance, look at a used Ryzen or a newer Xeon E3 instead.

The E5-2620 v3 is a one-trick pony, but it's a pretty good trick. If you need cheap ECC memory support, lots of RAM capacity, and enough threads for a home server or NAS, this chip delivers at a price that's hard to argue with. The 7743 multi-thread PassMark score means it won't choke on Plex transcodes, file serving, or light virtualization. Just don't expect it to feel snappy in a desktop environment, and forget about gaming entirely. At USD 49, it's a steal. At USD 170, keep walking.