Intel Core i7-11700 vs Intel Xeon D-1746TER Comparison

The Intel Core i7-11700 and Intel Xeon D-1746TER occupy opposite ends of Intel’s portfolio, yet they land within a hair of each other in aggregate benchmark standing. The Core i7-11700 posts an average benchmark score of 21891, while the Xeon D-1746TER trails slightly at 21635; both sit at the 75th percentile of all CPUs. The head-to-head data, however, is anything but close: the Core i7 wins 16 of 17 direct comparisons, often by wide margins. This is a tale of a desktop processor that dominates nearly every measurable workload, against a server chip that claws back a single, narrow victory in prime-number search. The numbers tell a clear story, but the architecture behind them explains why.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Core i7-11700’s advantage is sweeping and consistent across Cinebench. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, it scores 17504 against the Xeon’s 13311, a 31.5% lead. The single-core R23 result is equally lopsided: 2471 versus 1879, again a 31.5% gap. This pattern repeats in Cinebench R20 multi-core (7351 vs 5590, +31.5%) and R20 single-core (1037 vs 789, +31.4%). Even Cinebench R15 shows the same margin—1764 vs 1341 in multi-core and 248 vs 189 in single-core, both at roughly 31.2-31.5%. The consistency of that delta across every Cinebench version suggests a fundamental throughput advantage, not a workload-specific quirk.

PassMark results amplify the Core i7’s dominance. The single-thread score is the most dramatic: 3263 versus 1785, an 82.8% difference—the largest of any comparison. Integer math tells a similar story: 79687 vs 54482, a 46.3% lead. Floating-point math follows at 46369 vs 32772, a 41.5% edge. Extended instructions see the Core i7 at 18323 against 12620, a 45.2% gap. Data compression is less extreme but still decisive: 263563 vs 191594, +37.6%. Even data encryption, often a server strength, goes to the Core i7 at 12704 vs 9343, a 36% advantage. Multithreaded PassMark lands at 20672 vs 15660, a 32% lead, and random string sorting adds another 27% win (30147 vs 23732). The only near-tie is PassMark physics: 868 vs 859, a 1% edge for the Core i7.

The Xeon D-1746TER’s sole victory comes in PassMark find prime numbers, where it scores 68 against the Core i7’s 55, a 19.1% margin. That result is notable because it inverts the trend—the Xeon’s lower clock but higher core count (10 vs 8) helps in this specific integer-heavy, parallel-friendly task. Yet it is an outlier. Every other benchmark, from single-thread to multi-thread, favors the Core i7 by margins ranging from 27% to nearly 83%. The data does not show a competitive server chip; it shows a desktop processor that outclasses its enterprise sibling across the board.

Architecture Differences

The two chips diverge at the silicon level. The Core i7-11700 uses Rocket Lake, built on Intel’s 14 nm process with a die size of 276 mm². The Xeon D-1746TER uses Ice Lake-D on a 10 nm process, though its die size is not listed. That node difference explains why the Xeon packs more cores—10 versus 8—while consuming similar power: the Xeon’s TDP is 67 watts against the Core i7’s 65 watts. The Xeon also boosts much lower, at 3.10 GHz versus 4.90 GHz for the Core i7, with base clocks of 2000 MHz and 2.50 GHz respectively. The Core i7’s higher clocks are the primary driver of its single-thread dominance.

Cache layouts differ significantly. Both have 80 KB of L1 per core, but L2 is 512 KB per core on the Core i7 versus 1.25 MB per core on the Xeon. L3 is 16 MB shared on the Core i7 and 15 MB shared on the Xeon. The Xeon’s larger per-core L2 likely helps its prime-number result, but the Core i7’s overall cache hierarchy proves more effective in aggregate. Memory support also splits: both use DDR4, but the Core i7 runs dual-channel with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth, while the Xeon runs triple-channel with 64.0 GB/s. The Xeon supports ECC memory; the Core i7 does not.

Platform features reinforce their different missions. The Core i7 uses Intel Socket 1200 with 20 PCIe Gen 4 lanes and integrated UHD Graphics 750. The Xeon uses Intel BGA 2227 with 16 PCIe Gen 4 lanes and no integrated graphics. The Core i7 is locked (multiplier not unlocked), end-of-life, and launched in March 2021 at an MSRP of $323. The Xeon is active, launched in February 2022 at an MSRP of $1069. The Xeon targets the server/workstation market; the Core i7 is desktop. Despite the Xeon’s higher price and newer process, the benchmark data shows the Core i7’s clock speed advantage overwhelming the Xeon’s extra cores and finer node.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the Intel Core i7-11700 wins 16 of 17 head-to-head benchmarks, with margins from 1% to 82.8%. For any workload that the Core i7 can execute, it does so faster—often dramatically faster—than the Xeon D-1746TER. The Xeon’s lone win in prime-number search (68 vs 55) is real but narrow, and it does not offset losses of 27-46% in other integer and floating-point tasks. The Core i7’s average benchmark score of 21891 is also higher than the Xeon’s 21635, though both sit at the same 75th percentile.

Who should pick which? From a pure performance standpoint, the Core i7 is the obvious choice for anyone whose software runs on a desktop platform. Its single-thread score of 3263 is 82.8% higher, which translates directly to snappier response in lightly threaded applications. Multi-threaded Cinebench R23 at 17504 versus 13311 means the Core i7 also wins heavily threaded render workloads, despite having two fewer cores. The Xeon’s higher core count (10 vs 8) and triple-channel memory (64.0 GB/s vs 51.2 GB/s) do not compensate for its low 3.10 GHz boost clock.

The Xeon D-1746TER makes sense only where its platform attributes matter—specifically ECC memory support and its server/workstation socket (BGA 2227). If a system requires ECC RAM or a specific embedded/server form factor, the Xeon is the only choice here. But if the workload can run on a standard Socket 1200 desktop board, the Core i7 outperforms the Xeon in every meaningful benchmark category. The data does not support choosing the Xeon for performance reasons; it supports choosing the Xeon for platform compatibility reasons.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU has the higher single-thread performance?

A: The Intel Core i7-11700 wins decisively, scoring 3263 in PassMark single-thread against the Xeon D-1746TER’s 1785, an 82.8% lead. Cinebench R23 single-core confirms this at 2471 vs 1879, a 31.5% margin.

Q: How do the two chips compare in multi-threaded workloads?

A: The Core i7-11700 leads despite having fewer cores (8 vs 10). It scores 17504 in Cinebench R23 multi-core versus 13311 for the Xeon, a 31.5% advantage. PassMark multithread shows 20672 vs 15660, a 32% lead.

Q: Does the Xeon D-1746TER win any benchmark?

A: Yes, one: PassMark find prime numbers, where it scores 68 against the Core i7’s 55, a 19.1% margin. This is the only head-to-head win for the Xeon out of 17 comparisons.

Q: What are the core and thread counts?

A: The Core i7-11700 has 8 cores and 16 threads. The Xeon D-1746TER has 10 cores and 20 threads. The Xeon’s extra cores do not translate to benchmark wins, as the Core i7 wins all multi-threaded tests.

Q: Which CPU supports ECC memory?

A: The Intel Xeon D-1746TER supports ECC memory. The Intel Core i7-11700 does not. This is a key platform differentiator, as ECC is often required for server or workstation reliability.

Q: How do their memory bandwidths compare?

A: The Xeon D-1746TER has a triple-channel memory bus with 64.0 GB/s bandwidth. The Core i7-11700 has a dual-channel bus with 51.2 GB/s. Despite the Xeon’s higher bandwidth, the Core i7 wins all memory-sensitive benchmarks in the head-to-head data.

Where Each One Wins

The Core i7-11700 wins everywhere except one isolated task. In single-threaded performance, it is in a different class—the 82.8% PassMark single-thread lead (3263 vs 1785) is its largest margin, and it carries that advantage into every Cinebench single-core test with a consistent 31.5% edge. For integer math (79687 vs 54482, +46.3%), floating-point math (46369 vs 32772, +41.5%), and extended instructions (18323 vs 12620, +45.2%), the Core i7 is between 41% and 46% faster. Data compression (263563 vs 191594, +37.6%) and encryption (12704 vs 9343, +36%) also favor the Core i7 by over a third. Even in multithreaded PassMark, where the Xeon’s extra cores might help, the Core i7 leads by 32% (20672 vs 15660).

The Xeon D-1746TER wins precisely one workload: prime-number finding, with a score of 68 versus 55. That 19.1% margin suggests its larger L2 cache (1.25 MB per core vs 512 KB) and higher core count give it an edge in that specific modular arithmetic pattern. It also offers ECC memory support and triple-channel bandwidth (64.0 GB/s), which the Core i7 lacks, though these do not appear in benchmark scores. The Xeon’s active production status and newer 10 nm process (versus 14 nm) are architectural advantages, but they do not overcome the Core i7’s 4.90 GHz boost clock versus 3.10 GHz.

For a desktop user, the Core i7 is the only sensible pick from this data. For an embedded or server deployment requiring ECC and a BGA 2227 socket, the Xeon is the necessary choice—but it will deliver less performance in nearly every measurable category. The prime-number win is a curiosity, not a trend. The Core i7’s 16 wins, with an average lead far exceeding the Xeon’s single victory, make the verdict straightforward: performance belongs to Rocket Lake, while Ice Lake-D retains only platform-specific advantages.