Intel Core i5-3330S vs Intel Xeon E5640 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded head-to-head data shows a remarkably consistent picture across all five Cinebench tests: the Intel Core i5-3330S wins every single comparison, though by very narrow margins. The largest gap appears in the Cinebench R15 multi-core test, where the i5-3330S scores 335 against the Xeon E5640's 332, a delta of -0.9 percent from the Xeon's perspective. This is a slim victory, but it is a victory nonetheless.

The Cinebench R20 multi-core test shows the same pattern. The i5-3330S posts 1396 points while the Xeon E5640 manages 1387, a difference of only 9 points, or -0.6 percent. Single-core performance in R20 is essentially a tie: 196 for the i5-3330S versus 195 for the Xeon E5640, again a -0.5 percent delta. The newer Cinebench R23 suite repeats the story, with the i5-3330S scoring 3326 in multi-core against 3303 for the Xeon, a -0.7 percent gap, and 469 in single-core against 466, a -0.6 percent gap.

Across the entire benchmark set, the Xeon E5640 records zero wins and the i5-3330S wins all five comparisons. However, the magnitude of these wins is small. The average benchmark score in the database tells a similar story: the Xeon E5640 sits at 1137, while the i5-3330S sits at 1128. Interestingly, the Xeon actually has a slightly higher average score despite losing every head-to-head Cinebench test, because the average score includes additional data points. The i5-3330S has a Geekbench multi-core score of 1625 and a Geekbench single-core score of 549, while the Xeon E5640 has no Geekbench results recorded in the database. Those extra Geekbench numbers pull the i5-3330S's average down relative to its Cinebench performance.

The percentile ranking against all CPUs in the database is identical for both processors: 32nd percentile. This means that despite the i5-3330S winning every direct comparison, the two parts occupy the same overall performance tier. The Xeon E5640's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-2550K at 1136 average score (a 0.1 percent delta), the Intel Core i5-3570T at 1136 (0.1 percent), the AMD Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE at 1138 (-0.1 percent), and the Intel Core i3-N300 at 1135 (0.2 percent). The i5-3330S's nearest rivals are the Intel Core i7-2720QM at 1128 (0 percent delta), the Intel Core i3-1115GRE at 1127 (0.1 percent), the Intel Core i7-3612QM at 1129 (-0.1 percent), and the Intel Core i5-4690T at 1129 (-0.1 percent). Both parts are surrounded by a dense cluster of competitors within a few points, so the measured differences between the two are within the noise of the overall field.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins in multi-threaded workloads?

A: The Intel Core i5-3330S wins all three multi-core Cinebench tests. It scores 335 in R15 versus 332 for the Xeon E5640, 1396 in R20 versus 1387, and 3326 in R23 versus 3303. The margins are small, between 0.6 and 0.9 percent.

Q: How do the single-core results compare?

A: The i5-3330S also leads in single-core performance. In Cinebench R20 single-core, it scores 196 against 195, and in R23 single-core, it scores 469 against 466. Both deltas are -0.5 and -0.6 percent respectively from the Xeon's perspective.

Q: Do the two CPUs have the same core count?

A: Yes, both have 4 physical cores. The difference is in threading: the Xeon E5640 supports 8 threads, while the i5-3330S supports only 4 threads.

Q: Is there any test where the Xeon E5640 performs better?

A: In the recorded head-to-head benchmarks, no. The Xeon E5640 wins zero tests. However, its average benchmark score of 1137 is slightly higher than the i5-3330S's 1128, due to the i5-3330S having additional Geekbench results that are not directly comparable.

Q: What is the performance percentile of each CPU?

A: Both processors sit at the 32nd percentile against all CPUs in the database. This places them in the same overall performance tier despite the i5-3330S's consistent head-to-head wins.

Q: Which processor supports ECC memory?

A: The Intel Xeon E5640 supports ECC memory. The Intel Core i5-3330S does not support ECC memory.

The Verdict

The data points to the Intel Core i5-3330S as the better performer in every recorded head-to-head benchmark. It wins all five Cinebench tests, though by margins that are small enough to be considered negligible in real-world use. The largest delta is just 0.9 percent in Cinebench R15 multi-core, which translates to 3 points out of 335. For workloads that rely on single-threaded performance, the i5-3330S holds a slight edge in both R20 and R23 single-core tests, with deltas of -0.5 and -0.6 percent respectively.

The Xeon E5640, despite having 8 threads to the i5-3330S's 4 threads, does not translate that threading advantage into better multi-core scores in the recorded data. Its multi-core Cinebench scores are consistently lower than the i5-3330S's, which suggests that the older Westmere architecture and lower boost clock of 2.93 GHz cannot compensate for the i5-3330S's higher boost clock of 3.20 GHz, even with twice the thread count. The Xeon's base clock of 2.67 GHz is also slightly lower than the i5-3330S's 2.70 GHz.

Buyers should note that both CPUs occupy the 32nd percentile in the database, and their average benchmark scores differ by only 9 points (1137 versus 1128). The i5-3330S is the safer choice for raw performance based on the head-to-head data, but the Xeon E5640 offers ECC memory support, which is a meaningful feature for server or workstation reliability. The i5-3330S includes integrated graphics (Intel HD 2500) and PCIe Gen 3 support with 16 lanes, while the Xeon E5640 has no integrated graphics and PCIe Gen 2. The i5-3330S is also a desktop part, while the Xeon is a server/workstation part.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in several key specifications. The Xeon E5640 has 8 threads, while the i5-3330S has 4 threads. The Xeon's base clock is 2.67 GHz and boost clock is 2.93 GHz, whereas the i5-3330S runs at 2.70 GHz base and 3.20 GHz boost. The Xeon has a TDP of 80 watts, the i5-3330S has 77 watts. The Xeon uses the Intel Socket 1366, the i5-3330S uses the Intel Socket 1155.

Memory support differs as well: the Xeon uses triple-channel DDR3, the i5-3330S uses dual-channel DDR3. The Xeon supports ECC memory, the i5-3330S does not. PCIe support differs: the Xeon has Gen 2, the i5-3330S has Gen 3 with 16 lanes on the CPU. The Xeon has no integrated graphics, while the i5-3330S includes Intel HD 2500. The Xeon is a server/workstation part, the i5-3330S is a desktop part. The Xeon is end-of-life in production status, while the i5-3330S has no recorded production status. Release dates also differ: the Xeon was released in March 2010, the i5-3330S in September 2012. The part numbers are SLBVC for the Xeon and SR0RR for the i5-3330S. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier.

Architecture Differences

The architecture gap is significant. The Xeon E5640 uses the Westmere architecture (codename Westmere-EP) on a 32 nm process node, while the i5-3330S uses the Ivy Bridge architecture (codename Ivy Bridge) on a 22 nm process node. The Xeon has 1,170 million transistors on a 239 mm² die, while the i5-3330S has no recorded transistor count but a much smaller 133 mm² die. The smaller process node and die size for the i5-3330S are consistent with a more modern manufacturing process.

Cache configurations differ substantially. Both have 64 KB of L1 cache per core and 256 KB of L2 cache per core, but the L3 cache differs: the Xeon has 12 MB shared, while the i5-3330S has 6 MB shared. This is a notable advantage for the Xeon in terms of raw cache capacity, yet the benchmark data shows the i5-3330S still wins the multi-core tests. The i5-3330S's architectural advantages, likely the newer Ivy Bridge design and higher boost clock, appear to offset the Xeon's larger L3 cache and double thread count.

The Xeon's generation is listed as Xeon (Westmere-EP), while the i5-3330S's generation is Core i5 (Ivy Bridge). The foundry for both is Intel. The memory bus width differs as noted, with triple-channel on the Xeon versus dual-channel on the i5-3330S. Neither processor has recorded memory bandwidth figures in the database. The Xeon's PCIe Gen 2 versus the i5-3330S's PCIe Gen 3 reflects the newer platform of the i5-3330S. The i5-3330S also has integrated graphics, a feature completely absent from the Xeon, which is expected given the Xeon's server/workstation market segment. The Xeon's 12 MB L3 cache and 8 threads make it architecturally distinctive, but the recorded benchmarks do not show those features translating into a performance win over the Ivy Bridge part.