AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5875U vs Intel Xeon E5-2698B v3 Comparison

The Intel Xeon E5-2698B v3 and AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5875U represent two fundamentally different approaches to computing, yet benchmark results place them in a statistical tie. The Xeon is a 16-core, 32-thread Haswell-EP server processor from Intel's end-of-life lineup, while the Ryzen is an active 8-core, 16-thread Zen 3 mobile chip from AMD. Their average benchmark scores are nearly identical: the Xeon averages 4004, and the Ryzen averages 3971, a difference of less than one percent. Both processors sit at the 57th percentile of all CPUs, and their nearest rivals overlap, with the Xeon E5-2698B v3 trailing the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4655G by 0.2% and the Ryzen 7 PRO 5875U trailing the Intel Core i7-6900K by 0%. In direct head-to-head Cinebench testing, the Ryzen wins all six benchmarks, but by margins of only 1.8% to 2%. This is not a contest of dominance; it is a study in how different hardware generations and design philosophies converge on similar performance.

The Verdict

The data presents a clear yet nuanced picture: the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5875U is the better processor for virtually every single-threaded and multi-threaded workload measured. It wins all six head-to-head Cinebench tests, with its largest advantage being 2% in Cinebench R15 single-core (200 vs. 196). Its smallest winning margin is 1.8%, seen across Cinebench R20 multi-core (5922 vs. 5814), R20 single-core (835 vs. 820), and R23 multi-core (14102 vs. 13843). The Ryzen also boasts a significantly higher boost clock of 4.50 GHz compared to the Xeon’s 3.40 GHz, which aligns with its single-core superiority. However, the Xeon E5-2698B v3 is not obsolete; it matches the Ryzen in average score (4004 vs. 3971) and holds its own in the same percentile bracket. For a user building a server or workstation from a legacy platform, the Xeon's 16 cores and 32 threads provide a thread-count advantage that the Ryzen's 8 cores and 16 threads cannot match, even if the Ryzen's newer architecture compensates in efficiency. The verdict from the data: choose the Ryzen 7 PRO 5875U for its consistent performance wins and active production status, but recognize the Xeon as a viable alternative for multi-threaded server tasks where its higher core count and quad-channel memory bus (68.3 GB/s vs. 51.2 GB/s) may offer benefits not captured in these specific Cinebench tests. The Ryzen is the winner, but the Xeon is not a loser.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has better single-core performance?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5875U wins every single-core benchmark. It scores 200 vs. 196 in Cinebench R15 single-core, 835 vs. 820 in R20, and 1990 vs. 1954 in R23, representing consistent 1.8% to 2% advantages.

Q: How do their multi-core scores compare?

A: The Ryzen 7 PRO 5875U also wins all multi-core tests, but by the same slim margins. It scores 1421 vs. 1395 in R15, 5922 vs. 5814 in R20, and 14102 vs. 13843 in R23, each a 1.8% lead for the AMD chip.

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

A: The Intel Xeon E5-2698B v3 has 16 cores and 32 threads, while the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5875U has 8 cores and 16 threads. The Xeon has double the core and thread count.

Q: Which processor is more power-efficient?

A: The data shows the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5875U has a TDP of 15 watts, compared to the Intel Xeon E5-2698B v3's 135 watts. The Ryzen achieves higher benchmark scores with a dramatically lower TDP.

Q: Do these processors support ECC memory?

A: Yes for the Intel Xeon E5-2698B v3, which supports ECC memory. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5875U does not support ECC memory.

Q: What is the production status of each processor?

A: The Intel Xeon E5-2698B v3 is listed as "End-of-life," while the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5875U is listed as "Active." The Ryzen is currently in production.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two processors is stark, rooted in a generational gap. The Intel Xeon E5-2698B v3 is built on Intel's 22 nm process with a die size of 356 mm² and contains 2,600 million transistors. It uses the Haswell-EP microarchitecture, designed for server and workstation workloads, and is fabricated by Intel itself. In contrast, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5875U is built on TSMC's 7 nm process, with a much smaller die size of 180 mm² but a far higher transistor count of 10,700 million, reflecting the density advantage of the newer node. The Ryzen uses AMD's Zen 3 architecture, codenamed Cezanne-U, which represents a significant IPC (instructions per clock) improvement over older designs. This is evident in the benchmark results: despite having half the cores (8 vs. 16) and half the threads (16 vs. 32), the Ryzen still manages to outperform the Xeon in every test. The Xeon's advantage lies in its massive 40 MB of shared L3 cache, compared to the Ryzen's 16 MB of shared L3 cache. Both processors have 64 KB of L1 cache per core, but the Ryzen has 512 KB of L2 cache per core, double the Xeon's 256 KB. The Xeon also features a quad-channel memory bus with 68.3 GB/s of bandwidth, while the Ryzen uses a dual-channel bus with 51.2 GB/s. Neither processor has integrated graphics on the Xeon side, but the Ryzen includes Radeon Vega 8 integrated graphics. The Xeon's 40 PCIe Gen 3 lanes dwarf the Ryzen's 8 lanes, but the Ryzen is a mobile chip designed for power efficiency, not expansion.

Specification Differences

The specification sheets reveal a clear divergence in design goals. The Intel Xeon E5-2698B v3 is a server part with 16 cores, 32 threads, a base clock of 2000.00 MHz, and a boost clock of 3.40 GHz. Its TDP is 135 watts, and it uses the Intel Socket 2011-3. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5875U is a mobile part with 8 cores, 16 threads, the same base clock of 2000.00 MHz, but a significantly higher boost clock of 4.50 GHz. Its TDP is just 15 watts, and it uses the AMD Socket FP6. The Xeon has a larger L3 cache at 40 MB (shared) versus the Ryzen's 16 MB (shared), but the Ryzen has a larger L2 cache per core (512 KB vs. 256 KB). Memory support is DDR4 for both, but the Xeon uses a quad-channel bus while the Ryzen uses dual-channel, resulting in different memory bandwidths (68.3 GB/s vs. 51.2 GB/s). ECC memory is supported only on the Xeon. The Xeon offers 40 PCIe Gen 3 lanes (CPU only), while the Ryzen offers just 8 PCIe Gen 3 lanes. The Ryzen integrates Radeon Vega 8 graphics; the Xeon has none. The Xeon is end-of-life, while the Ryzen is active. The Xeon's part number is SR21T, and the Ryzen's is 100-000000581. The Ryzen has a release date of 2022-04-18, while the Xeon's release date is not provided. Both processors are multiplier-locked.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head benchmark data is unambiguous: the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5875U wins every single test, but the margins are remarkably consistent and narrow. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the Ryzen scores 1421 against the Xeon's 1395, a 1.8% lead. The single-core test shows a 2% lead, with the Ryzen at 200 and the Xeon at 196. Moving to Cinebench R20, the multi-core score is 5922 for the Ryzen versus 5814 for the Xeon, again a 1.8% difference. The single-core R20 result is 835 for the Ryzen and 820 for the Xeon, another 1.8% margin. In Cinebench R23, the most demanding test, the Ryzen scores 14102 in multi-core versus 13843 for the Xeon, a 1.8% lead. The R23 single-core test shows the Ryzen at 1990 and the Xeon at 1954, also a 1.8% margin. The Ryzen also has additional Geekbench results not available for the Xeon, scoring 5702 in multi-core and 1594 in single-core. The data shows that the Ryzen's architectural efficiency fully offsets the Xeon's 2x core-count advantage. The Xeon's 16 cores cannot overcome the Ryzen's better IPC, higher boost clock (4.50 GHz vs. 3.40 GHz), and more modern 7 nm process. The consistency of the 1.8% to 2% deltas suggests a fundamental performance parity in these workloads, with the Ryzen holding a small but definitive edge.

Where Each One Wins

Based strictly on benchmark results, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5875U wins everywhere in the Cinebench suite. It is the faster processor in both single-core and multi-core tests, making it the superior choice for any workload measured by these benchmarks, from content creation to general productivity. Its 4.50 GHz boost clock and Zen 3 architecture deliver better performance per core, and its 15-watt TDP makes it dramatically more power-efficient than the Xeon's 135-watt TDP. The Ryzen is also the only one of the two with integrated graphics, providing a complete platform solution. The Intel Xeon E5-2698B v3, despite losing all head-to-head tests, has its own strengths that the data implies. Its 16 cores and 32 threads offer raw parallelism that could be advantageous in heavily threaded server workloads not fully represented by Cinebench. Its 40 MB of L3 cache is more than double the Ryzen's 16 MB, which could help in data-intensive server tasks. The Xeon's quad-channel memory bus provides 68.3 GB/s of bandwidth, a 33% increase over the Ryzen's 51.2 GB/s, and it supports ECC memory for error-critical applications. The Xeon also offers 40 PCIe lanes versus the Ryzen's 8, making it far more suitable for multi-GPU or high-expansion server configurations. Thus, the Ryzen wins on measured performance and efficiency, while the Xeon wins on theoretical server capabilities like memory bandwidth, ECC support, and expansion potential. The data does not show the Xeon winning any benchmark, but it positions it as a specialized tool for legacy server platforms.