Intel Core i3-10325 vs Intel Xeon D-1540 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded benchmark data presents an unusual picture: across every single Cinebench test in the database, the Intel Core i3-10325 takes the win. The margin is consistent, hovering around 2.5 to 2.6 percent in every workload. There are six head-to-head comparisons, and the Core i3-10325 wins all six. The Xeon D-1540 does not record a single victory in these tests, despite having double the core count and double the thread count.

Starting with Cinebench R15, the Core i3-10325 scores 881 points in the multicore test while the Xeon D-1540 scores 859. That is a 2.6 percent advantage for the i3. In the single-core test for R15, the i3 posts 124 points against the Xeon's 121, a 2.5 percent lead. These are small margins, but they are consistent across every test iteration.

Moving to Cinebench R20, the multicore result shows the i3-10325 at 3673 points versus 3583 for the Xeon D-1540, again a 2.5 percent difference. The single-core R20 result has the i3 at 518 and the Xeon at 505, a 2.6 percent gap. The pattern holds.

Cinebench R23, which is the most recent of the three test suites in the database, reinforces the same outcome. The multicore score for the i3-10325 is 8747, while the Xeon D-1540 manages 8531. That is a 2.5 percent edge. In single-core R23, the i3 scores 1234 against 1204, another 2.5 percent gap.

What is notable here is that the Xeon D-1540, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, cannot overcome the i3-10325's 4 cores and 8 threads in any multithreaded workload. The i3's higher clock speeds appear to compensate for the core deficit. The base clock of the i3 is 3.90 GHz versus 2000.00 MHz for the Xeon, and the boost clock is 4.70 GHz versus 2.60 GHz. Those frequency advantages show up directly in the benchmark results.

The average benchmark scores in the database tell a similar story. The i3-10325 has an average score of 2530, placing it in the 49th percentile of all CPUs tracked. The Xeon D-1540 averages 2467, which puts it in the 48th percentile. The i3 sits slightly above its nearest rival, the Intel Xeon E-2244G, which averages 2527, a difference of 0.1 percent. The Xeon D-1540 sits just below its nearest rival, the Intel Core i3-12100TE, which averages 2475, a 0.3 percent gap in the other direction.

The consistency of the margins, all between 2.5 and 2.6 percent, suggests that the performance difference is driven by clock speed rather than architectural efficiency. In every test, the i3-10325 is ahead by roughly the same fraction, which is what one would expect from a fixed frequency advantage applied uniformly across all workloads.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins in multicore performance?

A: The Intel Core i3-10325 wins in all three multicore tests. In Cinebench R15 it scores 881 versus 859 for the Xeon D-1540, a 2.6 percent margin. In R20 the scores are 3673 versus 3583, a 2.5 percent margin. In R23 the scores are 8747 versus 8531, again a 2.5 percent margin.

Q: Does the Xeon D-1540 win in any benchmark?

A: No. The database records zero wins for the Xeon D-1540 across all six head-to-head comparisons. The Core i3-10325 wins all six tests, including both single-core and multicore workloads.

Q: How do the core counts compare?

A: The Xeon D-1540 has 8 cores and 16 threads, while the Core i3-10325 has 4 cores and 8 threads. Despite having twice the core count, the Xeon does not outperform the i3 in any recorded benchmark.

Q: What is the single-core performance difference?

A: In Cinebench R15 single-core, the i3-10325 scores 124 against the Xeon's 121, a 2.5 percent lead. In R20 single-core, the i3 scores 518 versus 505, a 2.6 percent lead. In R23 single-core, the i3 scores 1234 versus 1204, a 2.5 percent lead.

Q: Which processor has a higher clock speed?

A: The Core i3-10325 has a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. The Xeon D-1540 has a base clock of 2000.00 MHz and a boost clock of 2.60 GHz. The i3 is significantly higher in both metrics.

Q: Does the Xeon D-1540 support ECC memory?

A: Yes, the Xeon D-1540 supports ECC memory. The Core i3-10325 does not support ECC memory. This is one of the few areas where the Xeon holds a clear specification advantage.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different Intel generations and are built for different market segments. The Core i3-10325 is part of the Core 10th Gen family, using the Comet Lake architecture with the codename Comet Lake-R. The Xeon D-1540 uses the Broadwell architecture with the codename Broadwell, part of the Xeon D series built on the Broadwell-DE platform.

Despite the generational gap, both chips are manufactured on the same 14 nm process node and both come from Intel's own foundry. The Xeon D-1540 does have a transistor count of 3,200 million and a die size of 246 mm², while the transistor count and die size for the Core i3-10325 are not recorded in the database.

Cache organization differs between the two. Both have 64 KB of L1 cache per core and 256 KB of L2 cache per core. The L3 cache, however, is arranged differently. The Core i3-10325 has 8 MB of shared L3 cache, while the Xeon D-1540 has 1.5 MB of L3 cache per core. The Xeon's per-core arrangement means its total L3 scales with the core count, but the i3's shared pool is larger in absolute terms.

Memory support is another differentiator. The Core i3-10325 supports DDR4 memory only, with a dual-channel bus and a recorded memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s. The Xeon D-1540 supports both DDR3 and DDR4 memory, also on a dual-channel bus, but its memory bandwidth is not recorded in the database.

The Xeon D-1540 includes ECC memory support, which the Core i3-10325 lacks. This is a significant feature for server and workstation workloads where data integrity is critical. The i3 is a desktop part with an integrated GPU, the UHD Graphics 630, while the Xeon has no integrated graphics at all.

PCIe connectivity also differs. The Core i3-10325 provides PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU. The Xeon D-1540 provides PCIe Gen 3 with 24 lanes from the CPU. The Xeon offers more expansion lanes, consistent with its server-oriented positioning.

The production status for both is Active, meaning neither has been discontinued according to the database. The release dates, however, are far apart. The Xeon D-1540 was released in March 2015, while the Core i3-10325 was released in March 2021. The i3 is the newer part by roughly six years.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ on nearly every specification field in the database. The Core i3-10325 has 4 cores and 8 threads, while the Xeon D-1540 has 8 cores and 16 threads. That is the most fundamental difference, and it explains why the Xeon might be expected to win multithreaded workloads, though the benchmark data shows otherwise.

Clock speeds are dramatically different. The i3-10325 runs at a base clock of 3.90 GHz and boosts to 4.70 GHz. The Xeon D-1540 runs at a base clock of 2000.00 MHz and boosts to 2.60 GHz. The i3's base clock is nearly double the Xeon's base clock, and its boost clock is substantially higher as well.

Thermal design power also differs. The i3-10325 has a TDP of 65 watts, while the Xeon D-1540 has a TDP of 45 watts. The Xeon, despite having more cores, consumes less power according to its TDP rating. It is also a BGA part, soldered to the board, whereas the i3 uses the Intel Socket 1200 and can be swapped.

The sockets are entirely different. The i3 uses Intel Socket 1200, a mainstream desktop socket. The Xeon D-1540 uses Intel BGA 1667, a ball-grid array package typically found on embedded or server motherboards. This means the two CPUs are not interchangeable in any way.

Memory support differs in both type and features. The i3 supports DDR4 only, while the Xeon supports both DDR3 and DDR4. The i3 has a recorded memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s, while the Xeon's bandwidth is not listed. The Xeon supports ECC memory, the i3 does not.

The i3 includes the UHD Graphics 630 integrated GPU, while the Xeon has no integrated graphics. The i3 is classified as a Desktop part, while the Xeon is classified as Server/Workstation. The i3 has 16 PCIe Gen 3 lanes, the Xeon has 24. The i3's L3 cache is 8 MB shared, the Xeon's is 1.5 MB per core.

The launch MSRP for the Core i3-10325 is $154. The launch MSRP for the Xeon D-1540 is $581. Both processors have locked multipliers, so neither can be overclocked by adjusting the clock multiplier. The part numbers are SRH3H for the i3 and SR29A for the Xeon.

Where Each One Wins

The Core i3-10325 wins every single benchmark in the head-to-head comparison. That includes all three Cinebench versions, both single-core and multicore. If the decision is based purely on measured Cinebench performance, the i3-10325 is the clear choice. It delivers a 2.5 to 2.6 percent advantage in every test, and it does so with a lower core count, which means the frequency advantage is doing the heavy lifting.

The i3-10325 is better suited for desktop tasks where single-threaded performance matters and where the integrated UHD Graphics 630 can provide a display output without a separate GPU. Its higher clock speeds make it more responsive in lightly threaded applications, and its 65 watt TDP is manageable for a standard desktop build. The 49th percentile ranking, just above the Xeon E-2244G and Xeon E-2144G, places it in the middle of the overall CPU distribution.

The Xeon D-1540 does have areas where it holds a theoretical advantage, even if those advantages do not show up in the Cinebench scores. It has double the cores and threads, which could benefit workloads that scale beyond what the benchmark suite captures. The database records do not include such workloads, so this remains a qualitative observation based on the specification data.

The Xeon's ECC memory support is a concrete feature win. For systems that require error-correcting memory, the Xeon D-1540 is the only one of the two that qualifies. The i3-10325 does not support ECC at all. This makes the Xeon the appropriate choice for server environments where memory corruption is unacceptable.

The Xeon also offers more PCIe lanes, 24 versus 16, which matters for systems with multiple expansion cards, NVMe drives, or network adapters. Its 45 watt TDP is lower than the i3's 65 watts, which is relevant for dense, power-constrained deployments. The Xeon supports both DDR3 and DDR4 memory, giving platform designers more flexibility in memory selection.

The Xeon D-1540 is a BGA part, meaning it is soldered to the motherboard. This is typical for embedded and server platforms where field upgradeability is not a priority. The i3-10325 uses a socketed design, so it can be replaced or upgraded without changing the motherboard, as long as the board supports Comet Lake processors.

In terms of market positioning, the i3-10325 is a desktop processor aimed at mainstream users. Its 154 dollar launch MSRP and integrated graphics make it a straightforward choice for general-purpose computing. The Xeon D-1540, at 581 dollars launch MSRP, is aimed at server and workstation applications where ECC memory, higher PCIe lane counts, and a lower power envelope are more important than raw Cinebench scores.

For a user building a desktop system and prioritizing measured benchmark performance, the data clearly favors the Core i3-10325. For a user deploying a server or embedded system that requires ECC memory, more PCIe lanes, and a soldered low-power BGA package, the Xeon D-1540 is the only viable option between the two. The benchmark results do not capture those platform-level considerations, so the choice ultimately depends on the use case beyond Cinebench.