AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 2700U vs Intel Xeon E5-1620 v3 Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 2700U and Intel Xeon E5-1620 v3 are both 4-core, 8-thread processors, but they target entirely different market segments: the former is a 15-watt mobile part, while the latter is a 140-watt server/workstation chip. Despite these differences, the benchmark data shows a remarkably close contest, with the Ryzen 7 PRO 2700U claiming a narrow win in every head-to-head test.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head results show a consistent, if slight, advantage for the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 2700U across all six Cinebench tests. In the Cinebench R15 multi-core test, the AMD part scores 601 against the Xeon's 595, a 1% delta. The single-core R15 result is a tie at 84 points for both chips, though the AMD part is credited with the win due to a 0% delta, reflecting its identical score.

Moving to Cinebench R20, the margins widen slightly. The Ryzen 7 PRO 2700U posts a multi-core score of 2507 compared to the Xeon E5-1620 v3's 2482, again a 1% delta. In the single-core R20 test, AMD leads with 354 points versus Intel's 350, representing a 1.1% advantage. This pattern continues in Cinebench R23, where the AMD chip scores 5971 multi-core and 843 single-core, while the Xeon scores 5910 and 834 respectively. Both deltas sit at 1% and 1.1% in favor of AMD.

The overall benchmark picture reinforces this narrow margin. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 2700U holds an average benchmark score of 1715, while the Intel Xeon E5-1620 v3 sits at 1709. This places the AMD part at the 41st percentile of all CPUs, while the Xeon is at the 40th percentile. The nearest rivals for the AMD chip include the Intel Core i7-4910MQ (avg score 1716, 0% delta) and the Intel Core i7-990X (avg score 1713, 0.1% delta). The Xeon's closest competitor is the Intel Xeon E3-1265L v4 (avg score 1709, 0% delta). In direct comparison, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 2700U is 0.4% ahead of the Xeon in average benchmark score, a statistically negligible difference that nonetheless appears in every individual test.

It is importantly the AMD part also has Geekbench scores available: 2519 multi-core and 843 single-core. Those results are not directly compared to the Xeon, as the head-to-head data only includes Cinebench tests, but they do contribute to the AMD chip's overall average score and percentile ranking.

The Verdict

From a pure performance standpoint, the data presents a virtual tie with a slight edge to the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 2700U. The AMD chip wins all six head-to-head benchmark comparisons, albeit by margins of just 1% to 1.1%. The single-core R15 test is an exact tie at 84 points. If benchmark scores are the sole criterion, the AMD part is the nominal winner, but the difference is so small that it would be imperceptible in real-world applications.

The decision between these two processors hinges entirely on platform characteristics rather than raw performance. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 2700U is a mobile processor on the AMD Socket FP5 platform, with a 15-watt TDP and integrated Radeon RX Vega 10 graphics. It is designed for laptops and compact systems where power efficiency and a built-in GPU are essential. The Intel Xeon E5-1620 v3, on the other hand, is a server/workstation part on the Intel Socket 2011-3 platform, with a 140-watt TDP and no integrated graphics. It is built for systems that require ECC memory support, quad-channel memory bandwidth, and 40 PCIe Gen 3 lanes.

Users who need a self-contained mobile solution with graphics should choose the AMD part. Users who are building or upgrading a workstation or server with a discrete GPU and require ECC memory and maximum PCIe expansion should choose the Intel Xeon. The data shows neither chip is meaningfully faster than the other, so the platform features will dictate the correct choice.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different architectural eras and design philosophies. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 2700U is built on the Zen architecture with the codename Raven Ridge, produced on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It integrates 4,950 million transistors on a 210 mm² die. The Intel Xeon E5-1620 v3 uses the Haswell architecture with the codename Haswell-EP, produced on a 22 nm process at Intel. It contains 2,600 million transistors on a larger 356 mm² die.

Cache configurations differ significantly. The AMD chip has a 96 KB L1 cache per core, a 512 KB L2 cache per core, and a 4 MB shared L3 cache. The Intel chip has a smaller 64 KB L1 per core and 256 KB L2 per core, but a much larger 10 MB shared L3 cache. This gives the Xeon a substantial advantage in total cache capacity, which may help in certain workloads despite the older architecture.

Memory support also diverges. Both support DDR4 memory, but the AMD part uses a dual-channel memory bus with 38.4 GB/s of bandwidth and no ECC support. The Intel part uses a quad-channel memory bus with 68.3 GB/s of bandwidth, nearly double the throughput, and supports ECC memory. The Xeon also offers 40 PCIe Gen 3 lanes (CPU only), compared to just 8 lanes on the AMD part. The AMD chip includes integrated Radeon RX Vega 10 graphics, while the Xeon has no integrated graphics at all.

Clock speeds tell an interesting story. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 2700U has a base clock of 2.20 GHz and a boost clock of 3.80 GHz. The Intel Xeon has a much higher base clock of 3.50 GHz but a lower boost clock of 3.60 GHz. This means the Xeon runs at a nearly constant frequency, while the AMD part has a wide dynamic range, boosting aggressively under load. The AMD chip is also newer, with a release date of January 2019, compared to September 2014 for the Xeon, which is now end-of-life in production status.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 2700U has an average benchmark score of 1715, while the Intel Xeon E5-1620 v3 has a score of 1709, a 0.4% difference in favor of AMD.

Q: Does the Intel Xeon E5-1620 v3 support ECC memory?

A: Yes, the Intel Xeon E5-1620 v3 supports ECC memory, while the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 2700U does not.

Q: What is the TDP difference between these two CPUs?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 2700U has a TDP of 15 watts, while the Intel Xeon E5-1620 v3 has a TDP of 140 watts.

Q: How many PCIe lanes does each processor provide?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 2700U provides 8 PCIe Gen 3 lanes (CPU only), while the Intel Xeon E5-1620 v3 provides 40 PCIe Gen 3 lanes (CPU only).

Q: Which processor has integrated graphics?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 2700U includes Radeon RX Vega 10 integrated graphics, while the Intel Xeon E5-1620 v3 has no integrated graphics.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth of each processor?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 2700U has a dual-channel memory bus with 38.4 GB/s of bandwidth, while the Intel Xeon E5-1620 v3 has a quad-channel memory bus with 68.3 GB/s of bandwidth.

Where Each One Wins

The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 2700U wins in all six head-to-head benchmark comparisons, with deltas ranging from 1% to 1.1% in Cinebench R15, R20, and R23, plus a tie in R15 single-core. This makes it the nominal performance winner in CPU-bound rendering workloads, though the margins are within the noise of most real-world testing. The AMD chip also wins on efficiency, with a 15-watt TDP versus 140 watts for the Xeon, making it the only viable choice for battery-powered or passively cooled mobile systems. Its integrated Radeon RX Vega 10 graphics mean it can run a display without a discrete GPU, which is a decisive win for compact or all-in-one systems.

The Intel Xeon E5-1620 v3 wins on platform capabilities, even though it loses every benchmark test. It offers quad-channel memory with 68.3 GB/s of bandwidth, more than 1.7 times the AMD part's 38.4 GB/s, which is a significant win for memory-intensive workloads like large databases or virtualized environments. The Xeon also supports ECC memory, a critical feature for mission-critical servers where data corruption is unacceptable. Its 40 PCIe Gen 3 lanes provide five times the expansion capacity of the AMD chip's 8 lanes, enabling multiple GPUs, NVMe drives, and high-speed network cards. The larger 10 MB L3 cache also gives it a theoretical advantage in workloads with high cache reuse, and its higher 3.50 GHz base clock ensures consistent performance without relying on boost behavior.

For a mobile workstation or ultrabook, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 2700U is the clear winner. For a rack server or a desktop workstation requiring ECC memory, broad PCIe expansion, or maximum memory bandwidth, the Intel Xeon E5-1620 v3 is the only choice, despite its older architecture and end-of-life status. The benchmark data shows that raw performance is not the deciding factor here; the platform features are.