Intel Core i5-2300 vs Intel Xeon E5620 Comparison

Intel Xeon E5620 and Intel Core i5-2300 are both 32 nm quad-core processors from Intel, but they target different segments of the market. The Xeon E5620 is a Westmere-EP server/workstation part, while the Core i5-2300 is a Sandy Bridge desktop chip. The recorded benchmark data shows the Xeon E5620 wins all five head-to-head Cinebench tests, but the margins are narrow, ranging from 1.4% to 1.7%. Both processors sit at the 28th percentile of all CPUs in the database, indicating that despite their age and end-of-life status, they deliver similar overall performance levels.

Where Each One Wins

The Xeon E5620 takes the win in every recorded benchmark, but the advantage is small enough that real-world workloads would be hard-pressed to notice. Its largest lead is 1.7% in Cinebench R15 multi-core and Cinebench R20 single-core. The multi-core wins make sense given the Xeon's eight threads versus the Core i5's four, but the single-core wins at 1.7% and 1.4% are more surprising because the Core i5 has higher base and boost clocks (2.80 GHz and 3.10 GHz versus 2.40 GHz and 2.67 GHz).

The Xeon E5620 wins in multi-threaded scenarios thanks to Hyper-Threading, which doubles its thread count to eight. This gives it a theoretical edge in rendering and encoding workloads that can use more threads. The Core i5-2300, despite having fewer threads, competes closely because of its higher clock speeds and newer architecture. In the database, the Xeon E5620's average benchmark score is 1029, while the Core i5-2300 scores 1014, a gap of roughly 1.5%.

For desktop users, the Core i5-2300 has the advantage of integrated graphics (Intel HD 2000), which the Xeon completely lacks. This makes the Core i5 a more complete package for a system without a discrete GPU. The Xeon, however, supports ECC memory and triple-channel DDR3, which is critical for server and workstation reliability. The choice comes down to platform features: the Xeon for memory integrity and thread count, the Core i5 for higher clocks and integrated graphics.

Architecture Differences

The Xeon E5620 is built on the Westmere architecture, specifically Westmere-EP, while the Core i5-2300 uses Sandy Bridge. Both are fabricated on Intel's 32 nm process, and both have four physical cores. The transistor counts are nearly identical: 1,170 million for the Xeon and 1,160 million for the Core i5. The die size differs, with the Xeon at 239 mm² and the Core i5 at 216 mm², which reflects the Xeon's larger L3 cache and additional server-oriented logic.

The most significant architectural difference is in memory support. The Xeon E5620 supports triple-channel DDR3, while the Core i5-2300 is limited to dual-channel DDR3. The Xeon also supports ECC memory, which is critical for error correction in server and workstation workloads. The Core i5-2300 does not support ECC. The Xeon's L3 cache is 12 MB shared, double the 6 MB shared on the Core i5. L1 and L2 caches are identical: 64 KB per core and 256 KB per core, respectively.

Socket compatibility is another dividing line. The Xeon E5620 uses Intel Socket 1366, while the Core i5-2300 uses Intel Socket 1155. The Core i5 supports PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes on the CPU, while the Xeon only supports PCIe Gen 2. The Core i5 also includes integrated graphics, which the Xeon lacks entirely, as it is designed for server use where discrete GPUs or no GPU is standard. The Xeon's market segment is Server/Workstation, while the Core i5 is Desktop.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The database records five Cinebench tests in the head-to-head comparison, and the Xeon E5620 wins all of them. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the Xeon scores 301 against 296 for the Core i5-2300, a 1.7% lead. In Cinebench R20 multi-core, the Xeon scores 1255 versus 1237, a 1.5% lead. The single-core tests show a similar pattern: Cinebench R20 single-core has the Xeon at 177 and the Core i5 at 174, a 1.7% lead, while Cinebench R23 single-core has the Xeon at 422 and the Core i5 at 416, a 1.4% lead. The final test, Cinebench R23 multi-core, shows the Xeon at 2989 versus 2947, another 1.4% lead.

The margins are consistent across the board, which suggests the Xeon's advantage is not workload-specific but rather a general performance edge. The single-core wins are particularly notable because they contradict the expectation that the higher-clocked Core i5-2300 should dominate in single-threaded tasks. The Xeon's lower clocks are offset by its Westmere architecture's efficiency, or the benchmark is not sensitive enough to the clock differences. In practical terms, these deltas are within measurement noise, and users would not perceive a difference in daily use.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in single-core Cinebench R23?

A: The Intel Xeon E5620 scores 422, while the Intel Core i5-2300 scores 416, a 1.4% difference in favor of the Xeon.

Q: Does the Core i5-2300 support ECC memory?

A: No, the Core i5-2300 does not support ECC memory. The Xeon E5620 does support ECC memory, which is a key differentiator for server and workstation use.

Q: How many threads does each processor have?

A: The Xeon E5620 has 8 threads (4 cores with Hyper-Threading), while the Core i5-2300 has 4 threads (4 cores without Hyper-Threading).

Q: Which processor has more L3 cache?

A: The Xeon E5620 has 12 MB of shared L3 cache, while the Core i5-2300 has 6 MB shared.

Q: What is the average benchmark score difference between the two?

A: The Xeon E5620 has an average benchmark score of 1029, while the Core i5-2300 sits at 1014. The Xeon is 1.5% higher.

Q: Are both processors on the same manufacturing process?

A: Yes, both are fabricated on Intel's 32 nm process.

Specification Differences

The two processors share several core specifications: both have 4 cores, 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 256 KB of L2 cache per core, and a 32 nm process node. The TDP differs, with the Xeon at 80 watts and the Core i5 at 95 watts. The base clocks are 2.40 GHz for the Xeon and 2.80 GHz for the Core i5, a difference of 0.40 GHz. Boost clocks are 2.67 GHz and 3.10 GHz, respectively.

The Xeon E5620 has 8 threads, while the Core i5-2300 has 4. L3 cache is 12 MB for the Xeon, double the Core i5's 6 MB. Memory support differs in channel count: the Xeon uses triple-channel DDR3, while the Core i5 uses dual-channel. ECC memory support is present only on the Xeon. The socket is different (Intel Socket 1366 for the Xeon, Intel Socket 1155 for the Core i5), and the PCIe version is Gen 2 for the Xeon versus Gen 3 with 16 CPU lanes for the Core i5. The Core i5 integrates Intel HD 2000 graphics, which the Xeon lacks. The Xeon is a server/workstation part, while the Core i5 is a desktop part. The release dates differ by about ten months, with the Xeon arriving in March 2010 and the Core i5 in January 2011. The die sizes also differ: 239 mm² for the Xeon and 216 mm² for the Core i5, with a transistor count of 1,170 million and 1,160 million, respectively.