Intel Core i5-4460 vs Intel Xeon E3-1220 v5 Comparison

The Intel Xeon E3-1220 v5 and Intel Core i5-4460 are both quad-core, four-thread processors from Intel, but they target different market segments and come from different architectural generations. The Xeon E3-1220 v5, built on the 14 nm Skylake architecture, is aimed at server and workstation platforms, while the Core i5-4460, built on the 22 nm Haswell architecture, is a mainstream desktop part. Benchmark data shows a consistent performance advantage for the Xeon across all tested workloads, with the Xeon winning all six head-to-head comparisons. The Xeon achieves an average benchmark score of 1401, while the Core i5-4460 posts a slightly higher average of 1415, though this is influenced by the inclusion of additional Geekbench tests for the i5 that are not present in the Xeon’s benchmark suite.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher base clock speed?

A: The Intel Core i5-4460 has a higher base clock of 3.20 GHz compared to the Intel Xeon E3-1220 v5’s 3.00 GHz. However, the Xeon has a higher boost clock at 3.50 GHz versus the i5’s 3.40 GHz.

Q: How do the two chips compare in multi-core rendering performance?

A: The Xeon E3-1220 v5 leads in all multi-core tests. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the Xeon scores 4845 against the i5-4460’s 4188, a 15.7% advantage. The margin is similar in Cinebench R20 multi-core, with the Xeon at 2034 and the i5 at 1758.

Q: Does the Core i5-4460 support ECC memory?

A: No, the Core i5-4460 does not support ECC memory. The Xeon E3-1220 v5 does support ECC memory, which is a key differentiator for server and workstation reliability use cases.

Q: What is the difference in process node between the two CPUs?

A: The Xeon E3-1220 v5 is manufactured on a 14 nm process, while the Core i5-4460 uses a larger 22 nm process. This accounts for the Xeon’s smaller 122 mm² die size compared to the i5’s 177 mm².

Q: Which processor includes integrated graphics?

A: The Core i5-4460 includes Intel HD 4600 integrated graphics. The Xeon E3-1220 v5 has no integrated graphics, meaning a discrete GPU is required for display output.

Q: In the head-to-head benchmarks, what is the single largest margin of victory?

A: The largest single margin is in Cinebench R15 single-core, where the Xeon E3-1220 v5 wins by 15.3% (68 vs 59). The remaining five head-to-head tests all show the Xeon winning by 15.7% or 15.9%.

Architecture Differences

The fundamental architectural split between these two CPUs is generational. The Xeon E3-1220 v5 uses the Skylake architecture, while the Core i5-4460 is based on Haswell. This difference is reflected in the manufacturing process: the Xeon is built on a 14 nm node, whereas the i5 uses Intel’s older 22 nm node. The Xeon’s 14 nm process allows it to fit 1,750 million transistors on a 122 mm² die, whereas the i5-4460 packs 1,400 million transistors on a larger 177 mm² die.

Memory support also diverges significantly. The Xeon E3-1220 v5 supports both DDR3 and DDR4 memory, while the Core i5-4460 is limited to DDR3 only. Both use a dual-channel memory bus, but the Xeon achieves a higher theoretical memory bandwidth of 34.1 GB/s compared to the i5’s 25.6 GB/s. The Xeon also supports ECC memory, a feature absent on the i5, making the Xeon more suitable for error-sensitive computing environments.

The cache hierarchy differs as well. Both processors feature 64 KB of L1 cache per core and 256 KB of L2 cache per core, but the shared L3 cache is larger on the Xeon at 8 MB versus 6 MB on the i5. The Xeon is designated for the server and workstation market segment, while the i5 is a desktop part. The Xeon also lacks integrated graphics entirely, whereas the i5 includes Intel HD 4600. Both processors use the same PCIe Gen 3 interface with 16 lanes (CPU only), but the Xeon fits an Intel Socket 1151, while the i5 uses the older Intel Socket 1150.

Where Each One Wins

The data is unambiguous: the Xeon E3-1220 v5 wins every benchmark in which both processors were tested. Across the six head-to-head Cinebench tests, the Xeon takes all six wins, while the Core i5-4460 records zero wins. The Xeon’s advantage is consistent, ranging from 15.3% in Cinebench R15 single-core to 15.9% in Cinebench R15 multi-core, with the remaining four tests all showing a 15.7% lead for the Xeon.

The Core i5-4460 does have a higher base clock speed of 3.20 GHz compared to the Xeon’s 3.00 GHz, but this does not translate into a performance win. The i5’s only apparent edge comes from its integrated graphics, which the Xeon lacks entirely. For workloads that require a display output without a discrete GPU, the i5-4460 is functionally superior, but for pure CPU compute, the Xeon is ahead in every measured scenario. The i5 also has a slightly higher average benchmark score of 1415 versus the Xeon’s 1401, but this is skewed by the fact that the i5 has two additional Geekbench results in its benchmark list that the Xeon does not have.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ on several key specification fields. The Xeon E3-1220 v5 has a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 3.50 GHz, while the Core i5-4460 has a base clock of 3.20 GHz and a boost clock of 3.40 GHz. The Xeon has a TDP of 80 watts, which is lower than the i5’s 84 watts. The Xeon uses Intel Socket 1151, while the i5 uses Intel Socket 1150. The Xeon is built on a 14 nm process with 1,750 million transistors on a 122 mm² die, whereas the i5 uses a 22 nm process with 1,400 million transistors on a 177 mm² die. The Xeon has 8 MB of shared L3 cache, while the i5 has 6 MB.

Memory support is another major difference: the Xeon supports DDR3 and DDR4, while the i5 supports only DDR3. The Xeon’s memory bandwidth is 34.1 GB/s, compared to the i5’s 25.6 GB/s. ECC memory is supported on the Xeon but not on the i5. The Xeon has no integrated graphics, while the i5 includes Intel HD 4600. The Xeon is a server/workstation part with a launch MSRP of $203, while the i5 is a desktop part with a launch MSRP of $187. Both processors are end-of-life, have four cores and four threads, are not multiplier-unlocked, and use PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only). The Xeon’s part number is SR2LG, while the i5’s is SR1QK.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head benchmark results are consistent and heavily favor the Xeon E3-1220 v5. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the Xeon scores 488 against the i5-4460’s 421, a 15.9% lead. The single-core variant of R15 shows a slightly smaller margin, with the Xeon at 68 and the i5 at 59, a 15.3% advantage. These results indicate that the Xeon’s architectural efficiency and higher boost clock of 3.50 GHz give it a clear edge over the i5’s 3.40 GHz boost clock, despite the i5’s higher base frequency.

Moving to Cinebench R20, the Xeon maintains its dominance. In multi-core, the Xeon scores 2034 versus the i5’s 1758, a 15.7% difference. The single-core R20 test shows the Xeon at 287 and the i5 at 248, also a 15.7% margin. The consistency of the delta across these tests suggests the Xeon’s advantage is not workload-specific but rather a general performance lead derived from the newer Skylake architecture and faster memory bandwidth.

The largest absolute differences appear in Cinebench R23. The Xeon E3-1220 v5 scores 4845 in multi-core, while the Core i5-4460 scores 4188, yielding a 657-point gap and a 15.7% delta. In single-core R23, the Xeon scores 684 compared to the i5’s 591, a 93-point difference. Notably, the i5-4460 also has Geekbench results — 3035 multi-core and 1018 single-core — but the Xeon has no corresponding Geekbench scores in the data, so no direct comparison can be made on that test.

The pattern is clear: the Xeon E3-1220 v5 wins all six head-to-head tests, with deltas ranging from 15.3% to 15.9%. The i5-4460’s higher base clock does not help it overcome the Xeon’s superior architecture, larger L3 cache, and higher memory bandwidth. For any compute-bound workload measured here, the Xeon is the faster processor by a substantial and consistent margin.