Intel Core i5-1245U vs Intel Xeon Silver 4116 Comparison

The Intel Core i5-1245U and Intel Xeon Silver 4116 occupy opposite ends of the hardware spectrum, yet benchmark results show they are remarkably close in raw compute output. The i5-1245U, a mobile Alder Lake-U part with 10 cores and 12 threads, edges out the server-class Xeon Silver 4116, a 12-core, 24-thread Skylake-SP processor, in every single Cinebench test recorded here. The margins are slim, consistently hovering around 1.0% to 1.1%, which places both processors at the 56th percentile among all CPUs. This is a classic case where architectural efficiency trumps sheer core count, and the data makes it clear that the newer mobile chip delivers comparable, and slightly superior, performance despite its dramatically lower power envelope.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most striking pattern in the head-to-head data is the uniformity of the results. Across all six Cinebench tests—R15, R20, and R23, each in single-core and multi-core variants—the Intel Core i5-1245U wins every round. The margins are tight, but they are consistent. In the multi-core tests, the i5-1245U scores 1315 in Cinebench R15 against the Xeon Silver 4116’s 1301, a 1.1% lead. That advantage holds almost exactly in Cinebench R20, where the i5-1245U posts 5482 versus 5421, and again in Cinebench R23, with 13053 against 12908. The single-core results follow the same script: 185 vs 183 in R15, 773 vs 765 in R20, and 1842 vs 1822 in R23, each a 1.0% to 1.1% win for the i5-1245U.

What makes these numbers particularly interesting is the context of the hardware. The Xeon Silver 4116 has 12 cores and 24 threads, giving it a 20% core advantage and a 100% thread advantage over the i5-1245U’s 10 cores and 12 threads. Yet, in a heavily threaded workload like Cinebench R23 multi-core, the i5-1245U still comes out ahead. This suggests that the Alder Lake architecture’s higher boost clock—4.40 GHz compared to the Xeon’s 3.00 GHz—and its newer 10 nm process node more than compensate for the missing cores and threads. The Xeon’s 2.10 GHz base clock is higher than the i5’s 1.60 GHz, but that does not translate into a win anywhere.

The average benchmark scores reinforce the head-to-head results. The i5-1245U averages 3775 points across all benchmark tests, while the Xeon Silver 4116 averages 3733. This 42-point gap lands the i5-1245U next to rivals like the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 2700 (3777, 0% delta) and the Intel Core i7-9700KF (3787, -0.3% delta). The Xeon Silver 4116, meanwhile, sits alongside the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4650GE (3732, 0% delta) and the Intel Core i5-11600T (3742, -0.2% delta). In practical terms, these two CPUs are interchangeable in raw compute, but the i5-1245U has a slight, consistent edge that shows up in every test.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in single-core workloads?

A: The Intel Core i5-1245U wins all three single-core Cinebench tests. It scores 185 in R15, 773 in R20, and 1842 in R23, compared to the Xeon Silver 4116’s 183, 765, and 1822 respectively. The lead is 1.0% to 1.1% in each case.

Q: Does the Xeon Silver 4116’s higher core count help in multi-core tests?

A: No. Despite having 12 cores and 24 threads versus the i5-1245U’s 10 cores and 12 threads, the Xeon loses every multi-core test. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the i5-1245U scores 13053 while the Xeon scores 12908, a 1.1% deficit for the Xeon.

Q: How do these CPUs compare to their nearest rivals?

A: The i5-1245U’s average score of 3775 is virtually tied with the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 2700 (3777, 0% delta) and slightly behind the Intel Core i7-9700KF (3787, -0.3% delta). The Xeon Silver 4116’s average of 3733 is matched by the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4650GE (3732, 0% delta) and trails the Intel Core i5-11600T (3742, -0.2% delta).

Q: What is the performance percentile for each CPU?

A: Both the Intel Core i5-1245U and the Intel Xeon Silver 4116 are at the 56th percentile among all CPUs, meaning they outperform roughly half of all processors in the benchmark database.

Q: Which CPU has the higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Core i5-1245U boosts to 4.40 GHz, which is significantly higher than the Xeon Silver 4116’s 3.00 GHz boost clock. The Xeon has a higher base clock at 2.10 GHz versus the i5’s 1.60 GHz, but the boost advantage belongs to the i5.

Q: Is there any test where the Xeon Silver 4116 wins?

A: No. The head-to-head data shows 6 wins for the Intel Core i5-1245U and 0 wins for the Xeon Silver 4116 across all recorded Cinebench tests.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different Intel design eras and target different markets. The Intel Core i5-1245U is built on the Alder Lake architecture with a 10 nm process node, while the Xeon Silver 4116 uses the older Skylake-SP architecture on a 14 nm node. This process difference is a major factor in the performance-per-watt story: the i5-1245U has a TDP of 15 watts, whereas the Xeon Silver 4116 is rated at 85 watts, a more than fivefold increase in power draw for essentially the same benchmark performance.

Cache configurations also differ substantially. The i5-1245U has 80 KB of L1 cache per core and 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core, with a shared 12 MB L3 cache. The Xeon Silver 4116 has smaller per-core caches—64 KB L1 and 1 MB L2—but a larger shared L3 cache at 16.5 MB. The Xeon also has a transistor count of 8,000 million, which is not listed for the i5-1245U. These cache differences likely contribute to the i5’s ability to match the Xeon despite having fewer cores, as the newer architecture is more efficient at utilizing its available cache.

Integrated graphics is another clear divider. The i5-1245U includes Iris Xe 80EU graphics, while the Xeon Silver 4116 has no integrated graphics at all. This makes the i5-1245U a self-contained solution for systems that need display output without a discrete GPU, while the Xeon requires a separate graphics card. The i5-1245U also supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, whereas the Xeon only supports DDR4, and it has no listed memory bus configuration. ECC memory support is exclusive to the Xeon Silver 4116, a feature critical for server and workstation reliability but absent on the mobile i5.

Specification Differences

The core specifications tell a story of two very different design goals. The i5-1245U offers 10 cores and 12 threads, while the Xeon Silver 4116 offers 12 cores and 24 threads. Clock speeds favor the i5-1245U on boost (4.40 GHz vs 3.00 GHz) but the Xeon on base (2.10 GHz vs 1.60 GHz). TDP is the biggest gap: 15 watts for the i5-1245U versus 85 watts for the Xeon Silver 4116.

Sockets are incompatible: the i5-1245U uses Intel BGA 1744, a soldered mobile socket, while the Xeon Silver 4116 uses Intel Socket 3647, a large server platform. The i5-1245U is a mobile-market part with PCIe Gen 4 support (20 lanes from the CPU), while the Xeon has no listed PCIe information. The i5-1245U supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory in dual-channel mode, while the Xeon supports only DDR4 with no memory bus details listed. ECC memory is supported on the Xeon but not the i5. The i5-1245U has integrated Iris Xe graphics; the Xeon has none. Release dates are separated by nearly five years: the i5-1245U launched on 2022-02-22, and the Xeon Silver 4116 launched on 2017-07-10. The i5-1245U is listed as active production, while the Xeon’s production status is not specified. Both have locked multipliers.

The Verdict

The benchmark data is unambiguous: the Intel Core i5-1245U outperforms the Intel Xeon Silver 4116 in every recorded test, regardless of core count or thread count. The i5-1245U wins all six head-to-head Cinebench comparisons, with margins of 1.0% to 1.1%. Its average benchmark score of 3775 is higher than the Xeon’s 3733, and both sit at the 56th percentile of all CPUs. The i5-1245U achieves this with a 15-watt TDP, integrated graphics, and support for newer DDR5 memory, making it a more versatile and efficient part. The Xeon Silver 4116’s only advantages are its ECC memory support, larger L3 cache, and higher thread count, none of which translate into a benchmark win in this data. For anyone comparing these two purely on performance, the i5-1245U is the clear choice.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Core i5-1245U wins in every scenario measured by Cinebench. It is the better performer for single-threaded tasks, leading by 1.1% in R15 and R23 and 1.0% in R20. It is also the better multi-threaded performer, leading by 1.1% in R15, R20, and R23 multi-core tests. Its 15-watt TDP and integrated Iris Xe graphics make it suitable for compact, low-power mobile systems where the Xeon cannot operate without a discrete GPU and a server-class power delivery system. The i5-1245U’s support for DDR5 memory and PCIe Gen 4 also positions it for newer platforms.

The Intel Xeon Silver 4116 wins where the benchmarks do not apply. It has ECC memory support, which is essential for error-correcting workloads in servers and workstations. Its 24 threads and 16.5 MB L3 cache, combined with a socket 3647 platform, point toward multi-socket server configurations and memory-heavy applications that demand reliability over raw speed. The Xeon’s higher base clock of 2.10 GHz could also provide more consistent performance in sustained workloads that do not boost, although the data here does not show any Cinebench advantage from that. In a pure performance comparison, the i5-1245U dominates; in a server-specific feature comparison, the Xeon retains its niche.