Intel Core i7-10810U vs Intel Xeon E3-1245 v5 Comparison

The Intel Xeon E3-1245 v5 and Intel Core i7-10810U are two processors separated by nearly five years of release dates, yet their benchmark scores place them in almost perfect lockstep. The data shows a 44th percentile ranking for both chips against all CPUs, with average benchmark scores of 1973 and 1971 respectively. The Xeon, a 2015-era server/workstation part, and the Core i7, a 2020-era mobile processor, achieve this parity through fundamentally different design philosophies, making their head-to-head comparison a study in architectural trade-offs rather than generational leaps.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Xeon E3-1245 v5 has an average benchmark score of 1973, while the Intel Core i7-10810U scores 1971. This gives the Xeon a marginal 0.1% advantage in the nearestRivals comparison.

Q: How do the two chips compare in Cinebench R23 multi-core performance?

A: The Xeon E3-1245 v5 scores 6822 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, while the Core i7-10810U scores 6816. The Xeon wins by a 0.1% margin, a difference of only 6 points.

Q: Are there any benchmark tests where the Core i7-10810U wins?

A: No. According to the head-to-head benchmark data, the Xeon E3-1245 v5 wins all six tests, including single-core and multi-core variants of Cinebench R15, R20, and R23. The Core i7-10810U records zero wins.

Q: What is the core and thread configuration of each processor?

A: The Xeon E3-1245 v5 has 4 cores and 8 threads, while the Core i7-10810U has 6 cores and 12 threads. Despite having fewer cores, the Xeon still edges out the Core i7 in every benchmark.

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: No. The Xeon E3-1245 v5 supports ECC memory (listed as `eccMemory: true`), while the Core i7-10810U does not support ECC memory (listed as `eccMemory: false`).

Q: What are the TDP ratings for these two chips?

A: The Xeon E3-1245 v5 has a TDP of 80 watts, while the Core i7-10810U has a TDP of 25 watts. This reflects the Xeon's server/workstation design versus the Core i7's mobile focus.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide between these two processors is stark, beginning with their fundamental categories. The Xeon E3-1245 v5 is built on the Skylake architecture (specifically Skylake-DT) and targets the server/workstation market segment. The Core i7-10810U uses the Comet Lake architecture (Comet Lake-U) and is designed for mobile devices. Both are manufactured on Intel's 14 nm process node, but they diverge in almost every other physical aspect.

The Xeon packs 1,750 million transistors into a 122 mm² die, while the Core i7's transistor count and die size are not listed in the data. The core counts differ significantly: the Xeon has 4 cores and 8 threads, whereas the Core i7 offers 6 cores and 12 threads. This 50% core advantage for the mobile chip is offset by its dramatically lower base clock of 1100.00 MHz compared to the Xeon's 3.50 GHz. The boost clocks tell a similar story, with the Core i7 reaching 4.90 GHz versus the Xeon's 3.90 GHz.

Cache hierarchies also differ. Both chips share identical L1 (64 KB per core) and L2 (256 KB per core) caches, but the L3 cache jumps from 8 MB shared on the Xeon to 12 MB shared on the Core i7. The Xeon supports ECC memory and is listed with a memory bandwidth of 34.1 GB/s, while the Core i7 has no memory bandwidth figure in the data and lacks ECC support. The Xeon also uses a different socket (Intel Socket 1151) compared to the Core i7's Intel BGA 1440, reflecting their desktop/workstation versus mobile roles. Integrated graphics differ as well: the Xeon carries HD Graphics P530, while the Core i7 has UHD Graphics.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark results are remarkably consistent across all six tests, with the Xeon E3-1245 v5 winning every single one by a margin of 0.0% to 0.1%. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the Xeon scores 687 against the Core i7's 686, a 0.1% win. The single-core R15 test shows a dead heat at 96 points each, with the Xeon declared the winner at 0% delta.

Cinebench R20 follows the same pattern. The Xeon leads multi-core with 2865 points versus 2862, another 0.1% margin. The single-core R20 test ties at 404 points for both chips, again a 0% delta in favor of the Xeon. In Cinebench R23, the Xeon scores 6822 in multi-core against the Core i7's 6816 (0.1% delta), and 963 in single-core against 962 (0.1% delta).

The data reveals that these processors are effectively performance twins in synthetic workloads, with the Xeon holding a razor-thin edge in every test. The largest absolute difference is just 6 points in R23 multi-core, while the single-core R15 and R20 tests are perfect ties. This near-identical output is striking given the Core i7's 6-core, 12-thread configuration versus the Xeon's 4-core, 8-thread setup. The Xeon's higher base clock of 3.50 GHz likely compensates for its core deficit in these workloads, which appear to favor sustained clock speeds over raw thread count at this performance level.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across several key specification fields. Core count is the most obvious distinction: the Xeon E3-1245 v5 offers 4 cores and 8 threads, while the Core i7-10810U provides 6 cores and 12 threads. Base clock speeds are wildly different, with the Xeon at 3.50 GHz and the Core i7 at 1100.00 MHz. Boost clocks also differ, with the Xeon reaching 3.90 GHz and the Core i7 hitting 4.90 GHz.

TDP is another major differentiator: the Xeon consumes 80 watts, while the Core i7 draws only 25 watts. The socket types are incompatible, with the Xeon using Intel Socket 1151 and the Core i7 using Intel BGA 1440. The L3 cache differs as well, with the Xeon providing 8 MB shared and the Core i7 offering 12 MB shared. The Xeon supports ECC memory, whereas the Core i7 does not. Memory bandwidth is listed at 34.1 GB/s for the Xeon, while no figure is provided for the Core i7.

The Xeon's market segment is server/workstation, while the Core i7 is classified as mobile. Release dates differ by several years, with the Xeon launching in October 2015 and the Core i7 in April 2020. The Xeon has a listed launch MSRP of $294, while the Core i7 has no launch MSRP in the data. The Xeon also has a part number (SR2LL), while the Core i7's part number is not listed. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier.

Where Each One Wins

Based strictly on benchmark results, the Intel Xeon E3-1245 v5 wins every single head-to-head test, making it the clear performance leader in synthetic Cinebench workloads. Its six wins span both multi-core and single-core tests across three versions of Cinebench, with margins ranging from 0.0% to 0.1%. The Xeon's advantage is consistent but tiny, suggesting that its higher base clock and lower core count are better suited to these specific rendering tasks.

The Intel Core i7-10810U, despite recording zero benchmark wins, has a clear use case advantage outside of raw performance. Its 25-watt TDP makes it far more suitable for mobile and battery-powered systems, while its 6 cores and 12 threads offer more headroom for parallel workloads that don't scale perfectly in the tested benchmarks. The Core i7's higher boost clock of 4.90 GHz and larger 12 MB L3 cache also suggest potential advantages in bursty, short-duration tasks that aren't captured by the Cinebench suite.

The Xeon's ECC memory support and server/workstation market segment position it for reliability-focused applications, while the Core i7's mobile segment targets portability. The Xeon also benefits from a larger memory bandwidth figure (34.1 GB/s versus no listed figure for the Core i7), which could aid memory-intensive workloads.

The Verdict

The benchmark data points to a clear, if narrow, victory for the Intel Xeon E3-1245 v5. It wins all six Cinebench tests, holds a 0.1% advantage in average benchmark score (1973 versus 1971), and matches the Core i7's 44th percentile ranking while edging ahead in every individual metric. The Xeon's 80-watt TDP and 3.50 GHz base clock deliver consistent performance that the Core i7 cannot match in these workloads, despite the Core i7 having 50% more cores and threads.

However, the Core i7-10810U is not without merit. Its 25-watt TDP represents a 68.75% reduction in power draw compared to the Xeon, and its 4.90 GHz boost clock is 1.0 GHz higher. For mobile systems where battery life and thermal constraints are paramount, the Core i7's efficiency could outweigh its slight performance deficit. The 6-core, 12-thread configuration also provides more parallel processing headroom for workloads that go beyond the Cinebench suite.

The decision comes down to platform. For a desktop or workstation where power consumption is not a primary concern and ECC memory support is required, the Xeon E3-1245 v5 is the data-backed choice. For a laptop or compact mobile device where the 25-watt TDP and BGA 1440 socket are prerequisites, the Core i7-10810U is the only viable option despite its benchmark losses. The data shows two processors that perform almost identically in synthetic tests, with the Xeon holding a microscopic edge that may be imperceptible in real-world use.