CPU Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Xeon E5630 has an average benchmark score of 1110, while the AMD Athlon X4 845 scores 1106. The Xeon sits at the 31st percentile of all CPUs, and the Athlon also sits at the 31st percentile, placing both in the same performance tier.

Q: How do the two chips compare in multi-core rendering?

A: In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the Xeon E5630 scores 3226 versus the Athlon’s 3215, a 0.3% lead for Intel. In Cinebench R20 multi-core, the Xeon scores 1354 against 1350 for AMD, also a 0.3% advantage.

Q: Is there any benchmark where the AMD Athlon X4 845 wins?

A: No. Across all five head-to-head Cinebench tests, the Intel Xeon E5630 wins every round, though the margins are extremely narrow, the largest delta is 0.5% in Cinebench R20 single-core.

Q: What are the core and thread counts for each processor?

A: The Intel Xeon E5630 has 4 cores and 8 threads. The AMD Athlon X4 845 also has 4 cores but only 4 threads, meaning Intel offers simultaneous multithreading while AMD does not.

Q: Which processor has the higher clock speed?

A: The AMD Athlon X4 845 has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 3.80 GHz. The Intel Xeon E5630 runs at 2.53 GHz base and 2.80 GHz boost, so AMD has substantially higher raw frequencies.

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: No. The Intel Xeon E5630 supports ECC memory and uses a triple-channel DDR3 memory bus. The AMD Athlon X4 845 does not support ECC and uses a dual-channel DDR3 bus with a specified bandwidth of 34.1 GB/s.

The Verdict

The benchmark data paints a picture of near-total parity, with the Intel Xeon E5630 taking a clean sweep of all five head-to-head Cinebench tests by margins of 0.3% to 0.5%. That said, a 0.5% difference in single-core performance and a 0.3% difference in multi-core workloads is effectively noise in real-world use; neither chip offers a meaningful performance advantage over the other.

The choice between these two comes down to platform characteristics, not speed. The Xeon E5630 is a server/workstation part with 8 threads, ECC memory support, triple-channel DDR3, and a 12 MB shared L3 cache. The Athlon X4 845 is a desktop part with 4 threads, no ECC support, dual-channel DDR3 with 34.1 GB/s bandwidth, and no L3 cache at all. Users who need ECC memory or the extra thread count for heavily threaded workloads should pick the Xeon. Users who prefer a lower 65W TDP, an unlocked multiplier, and PCIe Gen 3 with 8 CPU lanes should pick the Athlon.

Neither processor is a winner on raw performance, the data shows a statistical tie. The Intel Xeon E5630 edges out the Athlon in every benchmark, but the deltas are so small that the average benchmark score difference (1110 versus 1106) is just 0.4%. The Athlon’s higher clock speeds (3.50/3.80 GHz versus 2.53/2.80 GHz) compensate for its lack of SMT in most workloads, but not quite enough to overtake Intel in any test. For buyers, the deciding factor should be platform features rather than benchmark scores.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking result is the Cinebench R15 multi-core test, where both processors score exactly 324. This is a dead heat, and it sets the tone for the entire comparison, the two chips are remarkably close across every workload.

In Cinebench R20 multi-core, the Intel Xeon E5630 scores 1354 versus the Athlon’s 1350, a 0.3% lead. The same 0.3% margin appears in Cinebench R23 multi-core, where Intel scores 3226 and AMD scores 3215. These results are consistent: Intel’s 8 threads provide a small but measurable advantage over AMD’s 4 threads in multi-threaded rendering, even though the Athlon runs at significantly higher clock speeds.

Single-core tests show an even tighter race. In Cinebench R20 single-core, the Xeon scores 191 against the Athlon’s 190, a 0.5% delta, the largest margin of any test in this comparison. Cinebench R23 single-core shows the Xeon at 455 and the Athlon at 453, a 0.4% lead for Intel. Given that the Athlon has a 1.0 GHz base clock advantage and a 1.0 GHz boost clock advantage, the fact that Intel still wins single-core tests is noteworthy; it suggests the Westmere architecture’s per-core efficiency largely offsets the clock speed deficit.

The overall win tally is 5-0 in favor of the Intel Xeon E5630, but the average benchmark scores tell the real story: 1110 for Intel versus 1106 for AMD. That 4-point gap is less than a 0.4% difference, putting both chips squarely in the same performance class. The nearest rivals for the Xeon include the Intel Core i7-5557U at 1110 (0% delta) and the Intel Xeon E5-2609 v3 at 1109 (0.1% delta). The Athlon’s nearest rivals include the AMD Opteron 3280 at 1106 (0% delta) and the AMD PRO A12-8870 at 1107 (-0.1% delta). Both chips sit in a dense cluster of similarly performing processors.

Specification Differences

The two processors diverge most clearly on clocks, threads, and platform features. The AMD Athlon X4 845 runs at a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 3.80 GHz, while the Intel Xeon E5630 operates at 2.53 GHz base and 2.80 GHz boost. This is a 38% advantage in base clock and a 36% advantage in boost clock for AMD, yet it does not translate into a benchmark win.

Thread count is another differentiator: the Xeon offers 8 threads across 4 cores, whereas the Athlon offers 4 threads across 4 cores. This explains why Intel wins multi-core tests despite the clock disadvantage. The Xeon also supports ECC memory, while the Athlon does not. Memory bus width differs as well, the Xeon uses triple-channel DDR3, and the Athlon uses dual-channel DDR3 with a specified bandwidth of 34.1 GB/s.

The TDP ratings favor AMD: the Athlon is rated at 65W, while the Xeon is rated at 80W. Socket compatibility is entirely different, with Intel on Socket 1366 and AMD on Socket FM2+. The Athlon has an unlocked multiplier, making it overclockable, while the Xeon’s multiplier is locked. PCIe support also differs, with the Xeon offering Gen 2 and the Athlon offering Gen 3 with 8 CPU lanes. The Athlon’s transistor count is 3,100 million versus 1,170 million for the Xeon, and the die sizes are 250 mm² versus 239 mm² respectively.

Architecture Differences

The Intel Xeon E5630 is built on the Westmere architecture (codename Westmere-EP) using a 32 nm process at Intel’s foundry. The AMD Athlon X4 845 uses the Excavator architecture (codename Carrizo) on a 28 nm process at GlobalFoundries. The node difference is modest, but the architectural philosophies are quite distinct.

Cache hierarchies differ substantially. The Xeon has a three-tier cache design: 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and a 12 MB shared L3 cache. The Athlon has a simpler design: 320 KB L1 total and 2 MB L2 total, with no L3 cache at all. The Xeon’s 12 MB shared L3 cache is a significant advantage for workloads that benefit from large shared pools of fast memory, though the Athlon’s higher clocks help compensate.

The core counts are identical at 4, but the Xeon adds simultaneous multithreading to reach 8 threads, while the Athlon runs 4 threads natively. The Xeon’s memory controller supports triple-channel DDR3 with ECC, whereas the Athlon’s dual-channel DDR3 controller lacks ECC and provides a stated bandwidth of 34.1 GB/s. The Athlon’s Excavator design includes a larger transistor count (3,100 million versus 1,170 million) and a slightly larger die (250 mm² versus 239 mm²), reflecting its integrated design on a 28 nm process.

The Xeon is a server/workstation part released on 2010-03-15, while the Athlon is a desktop part released on 2016-02-01. Both are end-of-life products. The Xeon’s generation is listed as Xeon (Westmere-EP), and the Athlon’s as Athlon (Carrizo). The Xeon uses PCIe Gen 2, and the Athlon uses PCIe Gen 3 with 8 CPU lanes. Neither processor includes integrated graphics. The part numbers are SLBVB for the Xeon and AD845XACI43KA for the Athlon.