Review Processor Xeon E3 1225: A Powerful Alternative for Your Desktop

Conclusions

The Xeon E3-1225 is unique in that its overall specification is similar to a Core i5 Sandybridge, yet the on-CPU graphics core is just as fast as the one found on a Core i7! In terms of performance, our test suggests that E3-1225’s Intel P3000 integrated graphics is identical to the HD3000 on the Core i7-2600K.
This processor is an appealing choice for users looking for an affordable server/ workstation processor. Its on-CPU graphics core eliminates the need to buy a dedicated graphics card, and it’s fast too. From our game benchmarks, it appears that E3-1225’s P3000 on-CPU graphics is just as fast as the Intel HD 3000 found on the Core i7-2600K.
Judging from the benchmarks, it might appear that Xeon E3-1225 is slightly behind the Core i7-2600K in terms of performance. However, it’s worth noting that the performance difference between them measures between 3-26% in real world benchmarks. The rather large 41% performance gap is only apparent in 3DMark Vantage, which is a synthetic benchmark.
Don’t forget the price. At US$ 197, the Xeon E3-1225 costs only 60% as much compared to a Core i7-2600K (US$ 317). Core i5-2400 occupies the same price range as the E3-1225, so it’s possible that the latter is a server/workstation-oriented version of the former.
Combine all the factors together (relatively affordable price, fast on-CPU graphics, plus compatibility with H67 motherboards) and suddenly the E3-1225 appears like an interesting alternative for your desktop. Aside from ECC memory, it also works with ordinary, non-ECC desktop memories.