AMD Ryzen 5 4680U vs Intel Xeon E5-2630 v3 Comparison

In a direct comparison of benchmark results, the Intel Xeon E5-2630 v3 and the AMD Ryzen 5 4680U split their four head-to-head wins exactly in half. The results present a clear picture of generational design philosophy. The Ryzen 5 4680U dominates in the older Cinebench R15 suite, while the Xeon E5-2630 v3 prevails in the more modern Cinebench R23 workload, creating a nuanced performance narrative.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most significant win for the AMD Ryzen 5 4680U occurs in the Cinebench R15 multi-core test. The Ryzen 5 4680U scores 1291, while the Intel Xeon E5-2630 v3 manages only 873. This is a massive 32.4% deficit for the Xeon processor, a gap that cannot be explained by core count alone. The single-core Cinebench R15 test echoes this dominance. The Ryzen 5 4680U achieves a score of 170, compared to the Xeon’s 123, resulting in a 27.6% advantage for the AMD chip. These two tests highlight the Ryzen 5 4680U’s pronounced strength in short-duration, heavily threaded, and single-threaded workloads that were common benchmarks for its era.

The tables turn dramatically in the newer Cinebench R23 test. In the multi-core R23 benchmark, the Intel Xeon E5-2630 v3 scores 8668, outpacing the AMD Ryzen 5 4680U’s score of 7073. This gives the Xeon a commanding 22.6% lead. The single-core R23 test is a closer affair. The Xeon scores 1223, while the Ryzen 5 4680U scores 1163. The Xeon wins by a margin of 5.2%. The reversal in R23 suggests that the Xeon’s brute-force approach, with its higher core count and potentially more robust thermal headroom, scales better in this sustained workload. The Ryzen was clearly the faster chip in the R15 benchmarks, but the Xeon fights back in the more demanding R23 tests, ultimately securing a net win in the newer metric.

Architecture Differences

The two processors were designed for fundamentally different markets with diverging priorities. The Intel Xeon E5-2630 v3 is built on the older Haswell architecture using a 22 nm process node. It is a server and workstation chip with 8 cores and 16 threads, featuring a base clock of 2.40 GHz and a boost clock of 3.20 GHz. Its cache layout consists of 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and a large shared 20 MB L3 cache. The chip connects to a quad-channel DDR4 memory interface, providing a memory bandwidth of 59.7 GB/s, and it supports ECC memory. It is fitted on the Intel Socket 2011-3 platform and communicates over 40 PCIe Gen 3 lanes. The die is 356 mm² and houses 2,600 million transistors.

The AMD Ryzen 5 4680U, in stark contrast, is a mobile processor from the Ryzen 4000 series based on the Zen 2 architecture. It is fabricated on a 7 nm node by TSMC, allowing for a much denser transistor count: 9,800 million transistors on a die size of only 156 mm². It packs 6 cores and 12 threads, with a lower base clock of 2.20 GHz but a much higher boost clock of 4.00 GHz. Its cache is configured with 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core (double that of the Xeon), and a smaller 8 MB shared L3 cache. This processor uses a dual-channel LPDDR4 memory bus, limiting its memory bandwidth to 34.1 GB/s, and it lacks ECC memory support. It uses only 16 PCIe Gen 3 lanes and includes integrated Radeon Graphics with 448 shader processors, a feature the Xeon lacks entirely. The Ryzen’s strength lies in its high clock speeds and efficient architecture, while the Xeon relies on more cores, wider memory bandwidth, and a larger cache for server workloads.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score against all CPUs in the database?

A: The Intel Xeon E5-2630 v3 records a slightly higher average benchmark score of 2507, compared to the AMD Ryzen 5 4680U’s average of 2424. Despite this, the Xeon falls at the 49th percentile among all CPUs, while the Ryzen sits at the 48th percentile.

Q: Is the Intel Xeon E5-2630 v3 faster than the AMD Ryzen 5 4680U in every test?

A: No. The results are split evenly. The Xeon wins both the Cinebench R23 multi-core and single-core tests. The Ryzen, however, wins both the Cinebench R15 multi-core and single-core tests, with particularly large margins in the R15 benchmarks.

Q: What are the nearest rivals to these two CPUs in the database?

A: For the Intel Xeon E5-2630 v3, the nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon E5-2643 v3 (with a delta of -0.2%), the Intel Xeon E-2144G (delta of -0.3%), the Intel Core i5-1155G7 (delta of +0.4%), and the Intel Core i5-9500T (delta of +0.6%). For the AMD Ryzen 5 4680U, the closest competitors are the Intel Core i5-8500B (delta of 0%), the Intel Core i7-9850HE (delta of +0.1%), the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 4450U (delta of +0.5%), and the Intel Xeon E5-2630L v3 (delta of +0.6%).

Q: How does the power consumption differ between these two processors?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 4680U carries a TDP of only 15 watts, which is typical for an ultrabook processor. The Intel Xeon E5-2630 v3 has a TDP of 85 watts, reflecting its high-performance workstation and server design.

Q: Did both processors launch in the same year?

A: No. The Intel Xeon E5-2630 v3 was released in September 2014. The AMD Ryzen 5 4680U launched later, in April 2021.

The Verdict

From the benchmark data, the choice between these two processors depends entirely on the workload and platform priorities. The AMD Ryzen 5 4680U is the clear winner in the Cinebench R15 tests, with a 32.4% multi-core advantage and a 27.6% single-core advantage. For users running software that aligns with that benchmark’s characteristics, and who require extreme energy efficiency (a 15-watt TDP versus 85 watts), the Ryzen is the superior choice. It also offers integrated graphics, which the Xeon does not.

However, the Intel Xeon E5-2630 v3 reclaims its position in the Cinebench R23 tests, a more modern and demanding workload. It leads by 22.6% in multi-core and 5.2% in single-core. This indicates that for sustained, heavy compute tasks, the Xeon’s larger 20 MB L3 cache, wider 57.9 GB/s memory bandwidth, and eight cores provide the necessary performance headroom. Its support for ECC memory and 40 PCIe Gen 3 lanes also makes it the appropriate choice for a workstation or server environment where stability and expansion are paramount. The data suggests that the Ryzen 5 4680U is better for responsive, mobile computing, while the Xeon E5-2630 v3 remains competitive for prolonged rendering or server-side tasks despite its older architecture.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Xeon E5-2630 v3 | AMD Ryzen 5 4680U |

| :--- | :--- | :--- |

| Cores | 8 | 6 |

| Threads | 16 | 12 |

| Base Clock | 2.40 GHz | 2.20 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 3.20 GHz | 4.00 GHz |

| TDP | 85 W | 15 W |

| Socket | Intel Socket 2011-3 | AMD Socket FP6 |

| Architecture | Haswell (Haswell-EP) | Zen 2 (Renoir) |

| Process Node | 22 nm | 7 nm |

| Foundry | Intel | TSMC |

| Transistors | 2,600 million | 9,800 million |

| Die Size | 356 mm² | 156 mm² |

| L2 Cache (per core) | 256 KB | 512 KB |

| L3 Cache (shared) | 20 MB | 8 MB |

| Memory Support | DDR4 | LPDDR4 |

| Memory Bus | Quad-channel | Dual-channel |

| Memory Bandwidth | 59.7 GB/s | 34.1 GB/s |

| ECC Memory | Yes | No |

| PCIe | Gen 3, 40 Lanes (CPU only) | Gen 3 |

| Integrated Graphics | None | Radeon Graphics 448SP |

| Market Segment | Server/Workstation | Mobile |

| Release Date | 2014-09-07 | 2021-04-12 |

| Launch MSRP | $667 | N/A |