Intel Core i3-10105T vs Intel Xeon E5-2628 v3 Comparison

The Intel Xeon E5-2628 v3 and the Intel Core i3-10105T represent two distinct points in Intel’s product stack, separated by nearly seven years of silicon evolution. The Xeon is an 8-core, 16-thread server processor built on the 22 nm Haswell-EP architecture, while the i3 is a 4-core, 8-thread desktop chip using the 14 nm Comet Lake-R design. Despite the generational gap and differences in core count, the benchmark data shows a surprisingly narrow performance margin, with the Xeon winning every single shared test, yet both CPUs landing at the same 46th percentile among all tested processors. The average benchmark score for the Xeon is 2076, while the i3 sits at 2058, a difference of less than one percent, indicating that raw architectural efficiency in the newer part nearly offsets its halved core count.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head results are unambiguous in favor of the Xeon E5-2628 v3, which wins all six shared Cinebench tests. The largest relative victory occurs in the single-core Cinebench R15 test, where the Xeon scores 102 against the i3’s 94, a delta of 8.5%. This is notable because single-core performance is typically the domain where newer, higher-clocked desktop chips excel. The i3-10105T has a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost of 3.90 GHz, substantially higher than the Xeon’s 2.50 GHz base and 3.00 GHz boost, yet the older Haswell design still manages to edge out the newer Comet Lake part in this metric.

In multi-core workloads, the Xeon’s advantage is consistent but modest. Across Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 multi-core tests, the Xeon wins by exactly 7.9% each time. The scores are 723 vs 670 in R15, 3015 vs 2795 in R20, and 7179 vs 6656 in R23. This uniformity in delta percentage suggests that the performance gap scales linearly with thread count, which is expected given the Xeon’s 16 threads versus the i3’s 8 threads. The Xeon’s larger 20 MB shared L3 cache, compared to the i3’s 6 MB, likely contributes to this consistent multi-threaded lead, as does the quad-channel memory bus that provides 68.3 GB/s of bandwidth versus the i3’s dual-channel 42.7 GB/s.

Single-core results in the newer Cinebench versions show a slightly smaller margin. In Cinebench R20 single-core, the Xeon scores 425 versus the i3’s 394, a 7.9% difference, and in R23 single-core, the Xeon hits 1013 against 939, again 7.9%. The R15 single-core test is the only outlier at 8.5%, likely due to the older workload’s sensitivity to different microarchitectural features. Overall, the Xeon’s sweep is clear, but the single-core margins are surprisingly tight given the i3’s clock speed advantage, indicating that the Haswell architecture’s per-clock efficiency is competitive with Comet Lake in these specific benchmarks.

Where Each One Wins

The Xeon E5-2628 v3 wins in every benchmark category where both CPUs were tested, but the nature of its wins points to specific use cases. Its multi-core dominance, while only 7.9% ahead, is consistent and would be more pronounced in workloads that scale beyond the eight threads available to the i3. The Xeon’s 16 threads, combined with 20 MB of L3 cache and quad-channel memory support, make it suited for server and workstation tasks such as virtualization, database processing, and multi-threaded rendering, where the extra memory bandwidth and cache capacity can be leveraged. Its ECC memory support is a critical feature for data integrity in long-running server environments, something the i3 lacks entirely.

The i3-10105T, despite losing all head-to-head tests, has advantages that are not captured in the Cinebench suite. It is a desktop processor with integrated UHD Graphics 630, meaning it can operate without a discrete GPU, which is impossible with the Xeon that has no integrated graphics. The i3’s 35 W TDP is less than half of the Xeon’s 85 W TDP, making it far more power-efficient for desktop, office, or home-theater PC builds where thermal output and electricity consumption are primary concerns. Its newer Comet Lake architecture, while not faster in these tests, brings modern instruction set extensions and platform features that are absent from the 2014-era Haswell design.

The i3 also holds the advantage in platform longevity and availability. It is an active production part with a launch MSRP of $134, while the Xeon is end-of-life, meaning new system builds with the Xeon would rely on older Socket 2011-3 motherboards and used server components. The i3’s Socket 1200 platform offers more recent chipset features, such as faster I/O options and modern connectivity standards. For single-threaded responsiveness in everyday applications, the i3’s higher boost clock of 3.90 GHz would be expected to deliver snappier performance in lightly-threaded tasks, even if the synthetic single-core Cinebench results show otherwise.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two processors is substantial, spanning multiple generations and design philosophies. The Xeon E5-2628 v3 uses the Haswell-EP architecture on a 22 nm process node, manufactured by Intel, with 2,600 million transistors on a 356 mm² die. The i3-10105T uses the Comet Lake-R architecture on a 14 nm process node, also from Intel’s own foundry. This process difference means the i3’s transistors are smaller, allowing for higher clock speeds at lower power, which is why the i3 can achieve a 3.90 GHz boost while consuming only 35 W, compared to the Xeon’s 3.00 GHz boost at 85 W.

Core and cache configurations differ significantly. The Xeon has 8 cores and 16 threads, with 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and a massive 20 MB shared L3 cache. The i3 has 4 cores and 8 threads, also with 64 KB of L1 and 256 KB of L2 per core, but only 6 MB of shared L3. The Xeon’s L3 cache is over three times larger, which helps mitigate the latency penalties of accessing system memory, particularly in multi-threaded workloads that share data. The memory subsystem further diverges: the Xeon supports quad-channel DDR4 with a theoretical bandwidth of 68.3 GB/s, while the i3 supports dual-channel DDR4 at 42.7 GB/s, a 60% reduction in peak bandwidth.

PCIe connectivity is another major differentiator. The Xeon provides 40 PCIe Gen 3 lanes from the CPU, while the i3 provides only 16 lanes. This makes the Xeon far more capable in server configurations with multiple GPUs, high-speed networking cards, or NVMe storage arrays. The Xeon also supports ECC memory, enabling error correction for critical data integrity, whereas the i3 does not. The i3 compensates with integrated graphics, featuring UHD Graphics 630, which is entirely absent from the Xeon. The two processors also use different sockets — Socket 2011-3 for the Xeon and Socket 1200 for the i3 — meaning they are not interchangeable in any motherboard.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has better multi-core performance?

A: The Intel Xeon E5-2628 v3 wins all multi-core Cinebench tests, scoring 723 vs 670 in R15, 3015 vs 2795 in R20, and 7179 vs 6656 in R23, a consistent 7.9% lead over the Core i3-10105T.

Q: Is the Core i3-10105T more power-efficient than the Xeon?

A: Yes, the i3-10105T has a TDP of 35 W, while the Xeon E5-2628 v3 has a TDP of 85 W, making the i3 less than half the thermal design power of the Xeon.

Q: Does the Xeon E5-2628 v3 support ECC memory?

A: Yes, the Xeon supports ECC memory, while the Core i3-10105T does not, making the Xeon a better fit for error-sensitive server and workstation workloads.

Q: Which processor has integrated graphics?

A: Only the Core i3-10105T has integrated graphics, featuring UHD Graphics 630. The Xeon E5-2628 v3 has no integrated graphics at all.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The Xeon E5-2628 v3 has an average benchmark score of 2076, while the Core i3-10105T scores 2058, a difference of 0.9% in favor of the Xeon.

Q: Which processor is still in production?

A: The Core i3-10105T is an active production part, while the Xeon E5-2628 v3 is end-of-life, meaning new units of the Xeon are no longer manufactured.

Specification Differences

The following table outlines the key specification differences between the two processors, where they differ.

| Specification | Intel Xeon E5-2628 v3 | Intel Core i3-10105T |

|---|---|---|

| Cores | 8 | 4 |

| Threads | 16 | 8 |

| Base Clock | 2.50 GHz | 3.00 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 3.00 GHz | 3.90 GHz |

| TDP | 85 W | 35 W |

| Socket | Intel Socket 2011-3 | Intel Socket 1200 |

| Architecture | Haswell | Comet Lake |

| Codename | Haswell-EP | Comet Lake-R |

| Process Node | 22 nm | 14 nm |

| Transistors | 2,600 million | Not specified |

| Die Size | 356 mm² | Not specified |

| L3 Cache | 20 MB (shared) | 6 MB (shared) |

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

| Memory Bandwidth | 68.3 GB/s | 42.7 GB/s |

| ECC Memory | Yes | No |

| PCIe Lanes | 40 (Gen 3) | 16 (Gen 3) |

| Integrated Graphics | None | UHD Graphics 630 |

| Market Segment | Server/Workstation | Desktop |

| Production Status | End-of-life | Active |

| Release Date | 2014-09-07 | 2021-03-15 |

| Part Number | SR201 | SRH3R |

| Launch MSRP | Not specified | $134 |