Intel Core i5-11400T vs Intel Xeon E-2146G Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data splits this comparison into two very distinct personalities. The Intel Xeon E-2146G dominates the raw compute tests, winning seven of the eight recorded head-to-head comparisons. Its strongest showing comes in Geekbench multicore, where it scores 6283 against the Core i5-11400T's 5591, a decisive 11% advantage. Across the Cinebench suite, the Xeon maintains a consistent but narrower lead, hovering around 0.9% to 1.3% ahead in both single-core and multi-core workloads.

The Intel Core i5-11400T claims only a single victory, but it is a meaningful one. In Geekbench single-core, it scores 1597 versus the Xeon's 1540, a 3.7% win. This suggests the Rocket Lake architecture, despite its lower clock speeds, delivers superior per-thread efficiency in at least one popular cross-platform benchmark. The data implies the i5-11400T is the better choice for lightly threaded applications that respond strongly to IPC improvements, while the Xeon E-2146G is the safer bet for sustained multi-threaded workloads.

Looking at the average benchmark scores, the Xeon E-2146G posts 3410 against the i5-11400T's 3309, a gap of roughly 3%. Both processors sit at the 54th percentile among all CPUs in the database, meaning they occupy the same tier of overall performance. The difference is not one of class, but of distribution: the Xeon spreads its advantage across most tests, while the i5 concentrates its strength in a narrower slice of single-threaded scenarios.

Architecture Differences

The two chips come from different Intel families and different eras, which explains their divergent behavior. The Core i5-11400T is built on Rocket Lake, a 14 nm architecture released in March 2021, while the Xeon E-2146G uses Coffee Lake-S WS, also on 14 nm, but launched nearly three years earlier in July 2018. Both use six cores and twelve threads, so the thread count is identical, but the underlying designs diverge in several key areas.

The i5-11400T has a larger die at 276 mm² compared to the Xeon's 154 mm², and its per-core cache is bigger: 80 KB of L1 and 512 KB of L2 per core, versus 64 KB and 256 KB respectively. Both share 12 MB of L3 cache, so the total cache hierarchy favors the Rocket Lake part. This extra cache likely contributes to its Geekbench single-core win, as more data can reside closer to the execution units.

Clock speeds tell a different story. The Xeon E-2146G runs at a 3.50 GHz base and 4.50 GHz boost, while the i5-11400T is dramatically lower at 1.30 GHz base and 3.70 GHz boost. The Xeon's higher clocks, especially its 0.80 GHz boost advantage, explain its consistent lead in Cinebench tests, which scale heavily with frequency. The i5's lower clocks come with a much smaller thermal envelope: 35 W TDP versus 80 W, a difference that makes the i5 far more power-efficient on paper.

Platform features also separate the two. The i5-11400T uses Intel Socket 1200 with PCIe Gen 4 and 20 CPU lanes, while the Xeon E-2146G uses Intel Socket 1151 with PCIe Gen 3 and 16 lanes. The i5 supports only non-ECC DDR4 memory with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth, whereas the Xeon supports ECC memory with a lower 42.7 GB/s bandwidth. The integrated graphics differ too: UHD Graphics 730 on the i5 versus HD Graphics P630 on the Xeon. The i5 targets desktop users, the Xeon targets server and workstation environments.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most lopsided result is Geekbench multicore, where the Xeon E-2146G scores 6283 against 5591 for the i5-11400T. That 11% gap is the largest in the entire comparison and suggests the Xeon's higher clock speeds translate very effectively into real-world throughput in this particular test. The i5's larger cache and newer architecture cannot compensate for a 0.80 GHz boost deficit when all twelve threads are active.

In the Cinebench suite, the margins are much tighter but consistently favor the Xeon. In R15 multicore, the Xeon scores 1130 versus 1120, a 0.9% lead. In R20 multicore, it is 4709 versus 4667, again 0.9%. In R23 multicore, the gap stays at 0.9%, with 11214 against 11113. These results paint a picture of near-parity in heavily threaded rendering workloads, where the i5's architectural improvements nearly offset the Xeon's clock advantage, but not quite.

Single-core Cinebench results follow the same pattern. The Xeon wins R15 single-core with 159 versus 157 (1.3% lead), R20 single-core with 664 versus 658 (0.9%), and R23 single-core with 1583 versus 1569 (0.9%). The i5's only victory comes in Geekbench single-core, where it scores 1597 against 1540, a 3.7% margin that flips the expected order. This suggests that Geekbench's single-core test rewards the i5's IPC and cache advantages more than Cinebench does, or that the Xeon's boost algorithm is less effective in that specific workload.

The overall win count is decisive: 7 wins for the Xeon, 1 for the i5. But the average benchmark scores, 3410 versus 3309, show that the Xeon's dominance is not overwhelming. It is a consistent, modest edge across most tests, with one large multicore win and one notable single-core loss.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear split recommendation. For users who run multi-threaded applications, the Xeon E-2146G is the stronger choice. It leads in every Cinebench multicore test and in Geekbench multicore by a significant margin. Its higher base and boost clocks, combined with identical core and thread counts, make it the more capable processor for rendering, encoding, and other parallel workloads. The 11% Geekbench multicore advantage alone is enough to justify selecting it for such tasks.

For users who prioritize single-threaded performance in Geekbench-style workloads, the Core i5-11400T offers a measurable advantage, 3.7% over the Xeon. This could matter for applications that are latency-sensitive or that rely on a single dominant thread. However, the i5's win is isolated to one benchmark; in Cinebench single-core tests, the Xeon still edges ahead by roughly 1%. So the i5's single-thread advantage is real but not universal.

The i5-11400T also offers platform benefits that the Xeon lacks: PCIe Gen 4 support with 20 lanes, higher memory bandwidth at 51.2 GB/s, and a much lower 35 W TDP. These features make it appealing for compact or power-conscious desktop builds. The Xeon counters with ECC memory support and a workstation-grade feature set, but its 80 W TDP and older PCIe Gen 3 platform are less flexible for modern desktop use.

Ultimately, the Xeon E-2146G wins on raw performance metrics, while the i5-11400T wins on efficiency and platform modernity. Neither chip is a clear overall victor; the choice depends entirely on whether the workload favors sustained multi-core throughput or a blend of single-thread efficiency and lower power consumption.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Xeon E-2146G posts an average benchmark score of 3410, compared to 3309 for the Intel Core i5-11400T, a difference of roughly 3%.

Q: In which benchmark does the Core i5-11400T beat the Xeon E-2146G?

A: The i5-11400T wins only in Geekbench single-core, scoring 1597 against the Xeon's 1540, a 3.7% advantage.

Q: What is the largest performance gap between the two processors?

A: The largest gap is in Geekbench multicore, where the Xeon E-2146G scores 6283 versus 5591 for the i5-11400T, an 11% difference.

Q: Do both processors have the same core and thread counts?

A: Yes, both have six cores and twelve threads, but the Xeon E-2146G has higher base and boost clocks of 3.50 GHz and 4.50 GHz, respectively.

Q: Which processor supports ECC memory?

A: The Intel Xeon E-2146G supports ECC memory, while the Intel Core i5-11400T does not.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two?

A: The Core i5-11400T has a 35 W TDP, while the Xeon E-2146G has an 80 W TDP, making the i5 significantly more power-efficient on paper.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Core i5-11400T | Intel Xeon E-2146G |

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

| Base Clock | 1300.00 MHz | 3500.00 MHz |

| Boost Clock | 3.70 GHz | 4.50 GHz |

| TDP | 35 W | 80 W |

| Socket | Intel Socket 1200 | Intel Socket 1151 |

| Architecture | Rocket Lake | Coffee Lake |

| Codename | Rocket Lake | Coffee Lake-S WS |

| Generation | Core i5 (Rocket Lake-S) | Xeon E (Coffee Lake) |

| Die Size | 276 mm² | 154 mm² |

| L1 Cache | 80 KB (per core) | 64 KB (per core) |

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

| Memory Bandwidth | 51.2 GB/s | 42.7 GB/s |

| ECC Memory | No | Yes |

| PCIe | Gen 4, 20 Lanes (CPU only) | Gen 3, 16 Lanes (CPU only) |

| Integrated Graphics | UHD Graphics 730 | HD Graphics P630 |

| Market Segment | Desktop | Server/Workstation |

| Release Date | 2021-03-15 | 2018-07-11 |

| Launch MSRP | $182 | $317 |

| Part Number | SRKP2 | SR3WT |