AMD Ryzen 5 1500X vs Intel Xeon E3-1285L v4 Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 5 1500X and Intel Xeon E3-1285L v4 are both 65W, 4-core, 8-thread processors, yet they represent fundamentally different design philosophies and market intents. Benchmark data places them in a statistical tie by average score—1992 for the AMD part versus 1991 for the Intel—a mere 0.1% difference. However, their performance profiles diverge sharply depending on the workload generation, making this a contest of architectural priorities rather than a simple speed comparison.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking result is the generational split in the Cinebench scores. In the Cinebench R15 suite, the Ryzen 5 1500X dominates decisively. Its multicore score of 805 eclipses the Xeon’s 693, a 16.2% advantage. The single-core gap is even more pronounced: 154 versus 97, giving the AMD chip a 58.8% lead. These are substantial margins, indicating that in legacy or single-threaded applications, the Ryzen 5 1500X is the clear performer. The data suggests the Zen architecture’s core efficiency, despite its lower boost clock, was significantly ahead of the older Broadwell design in these specific tests.

The tables turn dramatically in the newer Cinebench R23 benchmark. Here, the Intel Xeon E3-1285L v4 posts a multicore score of 6884, which is 33.2% higher than the Ryzen’s 4597. This is a monumental swing. The Intel part also wins the R23 single-core test, albeit narrowly, with 971 against 947, a 2.5% margin. This reversal indicates that the Xeon’s architecture scales much better with the workload changes in the R23 test, likely due to improved instruction handling and memory latency characteristics under sustained loads. While the Ryzen 5 1500X wins the R15 tests by a combined average of 37.5%, the Xeon’s R23 multicore victory is so large that it completely reshapes the overall performance picture.

The average benchmark score for each processor—1992 for the Ryzen and 1991 for the Xeon—masks this bipolar behavior. In the nearestRivals data, the two processors are listed with a deltaPct of 0.1% relative to each other, confirming their overall parity. Yet, a user relying on R15 results would conclude the Ryzen is vastly superior, while someone using R23 would reach the opposite conclusion. The Xeon’s R23 multicore result is its strongest asset, suggesting that modern, heavily threaded rendering workloads favor the Intel cache and memory hierarchy, while the Ryzen’s strengths lie in older and lighter-threaded tasks.

Architecture Differences

The two CPUs are built on the same 14 nm process node, but that is where the fabrication similarities end. The Ryzen 5 1500X is manufactured by GlobalFoundries, while the Xeon E3-1285L v4 is an Intel product. The transistor counts differ massively: the AMD chip integrates 4,800 million transistors on a 213 mm² die, while the Intel chip has only 1,400 million transistors on a smaller 160 mm² die. This suggests the Zen design is more complex, with a larger portion of the die dedicated to the 16 MB of shared L3 cache, compared to the Xeon’s 6 MB.

The cache topology is a critical differentiator. The Ryzen 5 1500X features a larger L1 cache at 96 KB per core and a larger L2 cache at 512 KB per core, versus 64 KB and 256 KB per core for the Xeon. This gives the AMD processor a significant per-core cache advantage, which likely contributes to its R15 single-core dominance. The Xeon, however, relies on a much smaller cache footprint, which may hurt it in latency-sensitive workloads but appears to be more efficient in the R23 test’s specific data access patterns.

Memory support is another fundamental split. The Ryzen 5 1500X uses DDR4 memory with a dual-channel bus, delivering a theoretical bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s. The Xeon E3-1285L v4 is limited to DDR3, also on a dual-channel bus, with a peak bandwidth of 29.9 GB/s. This 42.7% bandwidth advantage for the AMD part should theoretically benefit memory-intensive tasks, yet the R23 results show the opposite, indicating that bandwidth alone is not the limiting factor in these benchmarks. Both processors support ECC memory, but the Xeon includes integrated Intel Iris Pro P6300 graphics, while the Ryzen 5 1500X has none.

The sockets and platforms are entirely incompatible. The Ryzen 5 1500X uses AMD Socket AM4, is part of the 1000 series, and has an unlocked multiplier. The Xeon uses Intel Socket 1150, is a server/workstation part with a locked multiplier, and is now end-of-life. The Ryzen 5 1500X remains in active production. The release dates also differ by nearly two years, with the AMD part launching in April 2017 and the Intel part in June 2015.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 1500X has an average benchmark score of 1992, while the Intel Xeon E3-1285L v4 scores 1991, a difference of 0.1% in favor of AMD.

Q: How do the processors compare in the Cinebench R15 multicore test?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 1500X scores 805, which is 16.2% higher than the Intel Xeon E3-1285L v4’s score of 693.

Q: In which benchmark does the Intel Xeon E3-1285L v4 have its biggest victory?

A: The Xeon’s largest win is in Cinebench R23 multicore, where it scores 6884, a 33.2% advantage over the Ryzen 5 1500X’s score of 4597.

Q: What is the difference in memory bandwidth support?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 1500X supports DDR4 with a bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s, while the Intel Xeon E3-1285L v4 supports DDR3 with a bandwidth of 29.9 GB/s.

Q: Are both processors on the same manufacturing process node?

A: Yes, both the AMD Ryzen 5 1500X and the Intel Xeon E3-1285L v4 are built on a 14 nm process node, though by different foundries.

Q: Which processor includes integrated graphics?

A: The Intel Xeon E3-1285L v4 includes Intel Iris Pro P6300 integrated graphics; the AMD Ryzen 5 1500X does not include any integrated graphics.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every specification except for core count, thread count, TDP, and process node. The AMD Ryzen 5 1500X has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 3.70 GHz, while the Intel Xeon E3-1285L v4 has a slightly lower base clock of 3.40 GHz but a higher boost clock of 3.80 GHz. The AMD part uses the Zen architecture on the AMD Socket AM4, while the Intel part uses the Broadwell architecture on the Intel Socket 1150. The Ryzen 5 1500X has 4,800 million transistors on a 213 mm² die, whereas the Xeon has 1,400 million transistors on a 160 mm² die.

Cache sizes differ across all levels: the Ryzen has 96 KB L1, 512 KB L2, and 16 MB L3 per core/shared, while the Xeon has 64 KB L1, 256 KB L2, and 6 MB L3. Memory support is DDR4 for AMD and DDR3 for Intel, with bandwidths of 42.7 GB/s and 29.9 GB/s, respectively. The Ryzen 5 1500X is a desktop part with an unlocked multiplier, while the Xeon is a server/workstation part with a locked multiplier. The Ryzen 5 1500X is still in active production, while the Xeon is end-of-life. The launch MSRP for the Ryzen 5 1500X was $189, and for the Xeon E3-1285L v4 it was $445. The Ryzen 5 1500X supports PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU, while the Xeon also supports PCIe Gen 3 but without specifying lane count in the data.

The Verdict

The data presents a clear bifurcation. For users running older software or workloads modeled by Cinebench R15, the AMD Ryzen 5 1500X is the definitive choice. Its 16.2% multicore and 58.8% single-core leads are overwhelming, and its larger cache and higher memory bandwidth provide a theoretical foundation for that dominance. The Ryzen 5 1500X is also the only one of the two still in active production, making it a viable option for new desktop builds on the AM4 platform, particularly given its unlocked multiplier for overclocking.

For workloads that mirror Cinebench R23, the Intel Xeon E3-1285L v4 is the superior processor. Its 33.2% multicore advantage is a massive margin that cannot be ignored, and its single-core victory, though small, is still a win. The Xeon’s target market is server/workstation environments where ECC memory and integrated graphics are valuable assets, and where the locked multiplier is not a concern. Its end-of-life status makes it a niche part for those needing a specific legacy platform, but the benchmark data shows it has significant modern rendering capability.

In essence, the Ryzen 5 1500X is the better general-purpose desktop processor for older and single-threaded tasks, while the Xeon E3-1285L v4 is the better choice for modern multi-threaded rendering workloads, despite its older platform. The average score parity of 0.1% is a statistical illusion; the real story is a performance split that depends entirely on the software generation.