Xeon E3-1280

Details and Benchmarks for Intel Xeon E3-1280

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Benchmark Results

Combined benchmark scores based on multiple data points, giving a quick overview of this processor's performance.

Overall Score

Overall score for Xeon E3-1280 based on all benchmark results gathered. Look at this like a meta score, you will find more specific workload ratings below.

4,695 Rank: 1108
Rank Name Score Visual
1104 Core i3-4160T 4,701
+0.1%
1105 Xeon X3470 4,699
+0.1%
1106 Core i5-6442EQ 4,696
+0%
1107 Core i5-2400 4,695
+0%
1108 Xeon E3-1280 4,695
1109 Core i5-3380M 4,694
+-0%
1110 Core i3-4330T 4,694
+-0%
1111 Core M 5Y51 4,693
+-0%
1112 Celeron G3930T 4,693
+-0%
1113 Xeon W3570 4,690
-0.1%

View full ranking →

Multicore Score

Multicore performance score for Xeon E3-1280 based on multi-threaded benchmark results.

4,658 Rank: 1022
Rank Name Score Visual
1018 Core i5 760 4,661
+0.1%
1019 Pentium G3470 4,659
+0%
1020 Core i7-2710QE 4,658
+0%
1021 Xeon E3-1280 v2 4,658
+0%
1022 Xeon E3-1280 4,658
1023 Phenom II X6 1100T 4,656
+-0%
1024 Xeon X5677 4,655
-0.1%
1025 Xeon E5-1607 v4 4,654
-0.1%
1026 FX-6200 4,653
-0.1%
1027 Celeron B800 4,652
-0.1%

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Singlecore Score

Single-core performance score for Xeon E3-1280 based on single-threaded benchmark results.

4,720 Rank: 1139
Rank Name Score Visual
1135 Pentium G3220 4,728
+0.2%
1136 Core i3-3220 4,722
+0%
1137 Core i7-2820QM 4,720
+0%
1138 Core i3-7020U 4,720
+0%
1139 Xeon E3-1280 4,720
1140 Core m5-6Y54 4,718
+-0%
1141 A10-9700 4,714
-0.1%
1142 Pentium G3240 4,713
-0.1%
1143 Core i5-2320 4,710
-0.2%
1144 Xeon E5-2630 v2 4,709
-0.2%

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Workload Scores

Performance scores grouped by workload type, normalized and aggregated from multiple raw benchmark results.

Number Crunching

Aggregated score for Xeon E3-1280 based on integer math, floating point math, and prime number computation benchmarks.

4,637 Rank: 870
Rank Name Score Visual
866 Core i5-7440HQ 4,637
+0%
867 Core i5-6600T 4,637
+0%
868 Core i5-3550 4,637
+0%
869 Core i7-4700MQ 4,637
+0%
870 Xeon E3-1280 4,637
871 Core i3-9100T 4,636
+-0%
872 Core i7-4702HQ 4,636
+-0%
873 Core i5-3570S 4,636
+-0%
874 Xeon E5645 4,635
+-0%
875 Xeon Bronze 3104 4,634
-0.1%

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Data Processing

Aggregated score for Xeon E3-1280 based on data encryption, data compression, and string sorting benchmarks.

4,670 Rank: 753
Rank Name Score Visual
749 Core i7-2700K 4,672
+0%
750 Xeon X5650 4,672
+0%
751 Core i5-1035G4 4,671
+0%
752 Ryzen 3 PRO 3200GE 4,670
+0%
753 Xeon E3-1280 4,670
754 Core i7-6820HK 4,669
+-0%
755 Xeon E3-1505M v5 4,668
+-0%
756 Ryzen 3 2200G 4,668
+-0%
757 Core i7-3940XM 4,668
+-0%
758 Ryzen 3 PRO 2200G 4,667
-0.1%

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Physics & Compute

Aggregated score for Xeon E3-1280 based on physics simulation and extended instruction set (SSE/AVX) benchmarks.

4,636 Rank: 875
Rank Name Score Visual
871 Core i7-2700K 4,637
+0%
872 Core i5-1030NG7 4,637
+0%
873 Core i7-6822EQ 4,636
+0%
874 Core i3-7350K 4,636
+0%
875 Xeon E3-1280 4,636
876 Core i3-1115G4E 4,636
+0%
877 Ryzen 5 3550H 4,635
+-0%
878 Core i7-3615QM 4,634
+-0%
879 Core i7-2600K 4,633
-0.1%
880 Core i3-7320 4,632
-0.1%

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Xeon E3-1280 Details

The Intel Xeon E3-1280 represents a server-grade processor from the early 2010s, part of the Sandy Bridge generation, and was launched in April 2011. As of March 2026, this CPU is well over a decade old, placing it firmly in the category of legacy hardware. While it was once a high-performance option for workstations and light server environments, its relevance today is largely confined to legacy systems, retro builds, or budget-oriented retro computing projects. Despite its age, the Xeon E3-1280 remains notable for its integrated support for ECC memory and virtualization features, which were key selling points for mission-critical applications at the time of its release.

Designed for the server and workstation market, the Xeon E3-1280 features four cores based on the Sandy Bridge microarchitecture, manufactured on a 32 nm process. It operates at a base frequency of 3.5 GHz with a turbo boost up to 3.9 GHz, and it supports simultaneous multithreading, allowing it to handle eight threads concurrently. The processor is packaged in the FC-LGA10 socket and uses Socket 1155, making it compatible with a range of older motherboards. It features 8 MB of L3 cache, 0.061 MiB of L1 cache, and 0.244 MiB of L2 cache, providing a balanced cache hierarchy for its era.

With a TDP of 95 W, the Xeon E3-1280 requires adequate cooling, especially in systems where sustained performance is needed. It supports dual-channel DDR3 memory and includes advanced features such as Intel Hyper-Threading, Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-x), and IOMMU for direct hardware passthrough. The processor also supports AES encryption, AVX, AVX2, and other instruction sets, enabling it to run modern software from its time, though performance is limited by today's standards.

In terms of benchmark performance, the Xeon E3-1280 holds an overall score of 4695, ranking #1107 out of 2060 processors in the PassMark database. Its single-core score is 4720, placing it at #1137, while its multicore score stands at 4658, ranking #1020. These results show that while it was competitive among mid-tier processors of its time, it now lags significantly behind modern CPUs. It is outperformed by contemporary processors like the Ryzen 9 9950X3D and Core Ultra 9 285K, which dominate the top of the rankings with scores over 8,500 in single-core and 12,000 in multicore.

The Xeon E3-1280 lacks integrated graphics, requiring a discrete GPU for any visual output. This, combined with its high power consumption and outdated architecture, limits its use in modern desktop environments. However, it remains a viable option for legacy server deployments, embedded systems, or enthusiasts maintaining older hardware ecosystems. For users needing a reliable, ECC-capable CPU in a low-cost setup, the Xeon E3-1280 may still offer value—though its performance is no longer competitive in mainstream computing.
Frequently Compared

AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 45 views

AMD A10-4600M 37 views

Intel Atom Z520 37 views

Intel Core 2 Duo E8600 36 views

Intel Xeon W3505 34 views

AMD A10-5757M 33 views

AMD Ryzen 5 3600 32 views

AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 3900 30 views

AMD Ryzen 5 3500X 29 views

Intel Xeon E5-2660 v4 29 views

Intel Xeon E3-1280

Main Specifications

Designer: Intel
Name: Xeon E3-1280
Cores: 4
Threads: 8
Base Frequency: 3500 MHz
Clock Multiplier: 35x (locked)
Core Name: Sandy Bridge
Socket: Socket 1155
Package: FC-LGA10
Target Segment: Server
TDP: 95 W

Cache Specifications

L1 Cache: 62.464 KiB
L2 Cache: 0.244 MiB
L3 Cache: 7.629 MiB

Memory Specifications

Supported Memory Type: DDR3

Physical Specifications

Process: 32 nm
Die Area: 216 mm²
Manufacturer: Intel

CPU Features

MMX EMMX SSE SSE2 SSE3 SSSE3 SSE4.1 SSE4.2 AVX AVX2 ABM BMI1 BMI2 FMA3 AES RdRand ADX CLMUL F16C x86-16 x86-32 x86-64 Real Protected SMM FPU NX EIST TXT VT-x VT-d SSE4a SHA AMD-Vi AMD-V SenseMI SMT
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