Intel Core i7-3840QM vs Intel Xeon E3-1515M v5 Comparison

The Intel Xeon E3-1515M v5 and the Intel Core i7-3840QM are both 4-core, 8-thread processors with a 45 W TDP and a 2.80 GHz base clock, but they come from different generations and design families. The Xeon is a Skylake-H part built for server and workstation laptops, released in 2016, while the i7 is an Ivy Bridge mobile chip released in 2012. The recorded benchmark data shows the Xeon ahead in every Cinebench comparison, though the margins are narrow and the i7 counters with a slightly higher boost clock.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head results are one-sided. The Xeon E3-1515M v5 wins all six recorded Cinebench tests, and the i7-3840QM takes zero wins. The largest margin is in Cinebench R15 multi-core, where the Xeon scores 507 against 498, a 1.8% lead. The smallest margin is in R15 single-core, 71 against 70, a 1.4% lead. The remaining four tests all show a 1.7% gap: R20 multi-core 2115 versus 2079, R20 single-core 298 versus 293, R23 multi-core 5036 versus 4952, and R23 single-core 711 versus 699.

A 1.7% to 1.8% margin is small enough that it will not be noticeable in most interactive work, but it is consistent across every recorded test. The Xeon does not rely on a single favorable workload; it leads in both single-core and multi-core, and in both older and newer Cinebench versions. The consistency of the 1.7% margins across R20 and R23 suggests a steady per-clock advantage rather than a workload-specific quirk. The Xeon also holds the higher average benchmark score, 1456 against 1416, and the higher percentile ranking, 38th against 37th.

For context, the Xeon's average score places it near the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 2200GE (1461, -0.3%) and the Intel Core i3-7350K (1462, -0.4%), while the i7's average sits near the AMD Ryzen 7 2700U (1415, 0.1%) and the Intel Core i5-4460 (1415, 0.1%). The i7 does have recorded Geekbench scores (2111 multi-core, 628 single-core), but the Xeon has no Geekbench record in the database, so no comparison is possible there.

The Verdict

Strictly from the data, the Xeon E3-1515M v5 is the faster processor. It wins every head-to-head Cinebench test, has the higher average benchmark score, and ranks one percentile higher. The i7-3840QM never wins a recorded comparison. The margins are small, so the practical difference in everyday use is modest, but the direction is unambiguous.

The percentile data reinforces this: the Xeon sits at the 38th percentile of all CPUs, the i7 at the 37th. Neither part is a high-flyer by modern standards, but the Xeon is the better of the two. The i7 does have one specification advantage: a 3.80 GHz boost clock against the Xeon's 3.70 GHz. That does not translate into a win in any recorded test. The Xeon is the better choice for anyone who wants the best measured performance and does not have a platform constraint. The i7 is only the pick if the socket matters more than the benchmark results, since the two parts use different sockets (Intel BGA 1440 for the Xeon, Intel BGA 1224 for the i7).

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different nodes and designs. The Xeon is built on a 14 nm process with 2,300 million transistors on a 171 mm² die. The i7 uses a 22 nm process with 1,400 million transistors on a 160 mm² die. The Xeon is Skylake (Skylake-H), while the i7 is Ivy Bridge. The smaller process node gives the Xeon a transistor density advantage, and the recorded transistor count is substantially higher, though the die is only slightly larger.

Memory support differs as well. The Xeon supports both DDR3 and DDR4 with a recorded memory bandwidth of 34.1 GB/s, while the i7 supports DDR3 only and has no recorded memory bandwidth figure. Both use a dual-channel memory bus. ECC memory is supported on the Xeon but not on the i7. The integrated graphics also differ: the Xeon carries Iris Pro Graphics P580, the i7 carries Intel HD 4000. The Xeon exposes PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only); the i7 has no recorded PCIe specification.

The market segments reflect the design intent. The Xeon is listed as Server/Workstation and is end-of-life, with a release date of 2016-01-23 and a launch MSRP of $489. The i7 is listed as Mobile, with a release date of 2012-09-02 and no recorded launch MSRP. The part numbers are SR2QT for the Xeon and SR0UU for the i7. Both processors have 4 cores, 8 threads, a 2.80 GHz base clock, a 45 W TDP, 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 256 KB of L2 cache per core, and 8 MB of shared L3 cache. Both have locked multipliers.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU is faster in multi-core Cinebench R23?

A: The Xeon E3-1515M v5 scores 5036 against 4952 for the i7-3840QM, a 1.7% lead.

Q: Does the i7-3840QM win any benchmark comparison?

A: No. In the six recorded head-to-head Cinebench tests, the Xeon wins all six. The i7 has zero wins.

Q: What is the single-core performance difference?

A: The Xeon leads in R15 single-core by 1.4% (71 vs 70) and in R20 and R23 single-core by 1.7% (298 vs 293 and 711 vs 699).

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: No. The Xeon supports ECC memory, the i7 does not.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The Xeon has an average benchmark score of 1456, the i7 has 1416. The Xeon ranks at the 38th percentile of all CPUs, the i7 at the 37th.

Q: Are the sockets the same?

A: No. The Xeon uses Intel BGA 1440, the i7 uses Intel BGA 1224.

Where Each One Wins

Since the Xeon wins all six recorded benchmarks, the use-case split is driven by features rather than performance. The Xeon is the choice for workloads that need ECC memory, which the i7 cannot provide. The Xeon also supports DDR4 memory, giving it a memory path the i7 lacks. The Xeon's Iris Pro Graphics P580 is a more capable integrated GPU than the i7's Intel HD 4000, which matters for systems that rely on the iGPU rather than a discrete card. The Xeon's server and workstation segment designation aligns with its ECC and DDR4 support, while the i7's mobile segment designation aligns with its older platform.

The i7's only recorded specification advantage is its 3.80 GHz boost clock, which does not produce a win in any test. The i7 also has Geekbench scores in the database (2111 multi-core, 628 single-core), but the Xeon has no Geekbench record, so that comparison is unavailable. For pure measured performance, the Xeon is ahead in all six Cinebench tests. The i7 is the pick only for a platform that requires the BGA 1224 socket.

Specification Differences

Fields where the two differ:

• Boost clock: 3.70 GHz (Xeon) vs 3.80 GHz (i7)
• Socket: Intel BGA 1440 vs Intel BGA 1224
• Architecture: Skylake vs Ivy Bridge
• Process node: 14 nm vs 22 nm
• Transistors: 2,300 million vs 1,400 million
• Die size: 171 mm² vs 160 mm²
• Memory support: DDR3, DDR4 vs DDR3
• Memory bandwidth: 34.1 GB/s vs not recorded
• ECC memory: supported vs not supported
• PCIe: Gen 3, 16 lanes (CPU only) vs not recorded
• Integrated graphics: Iris Pro Graphics P580 vs Intel HD 4000
• Market segment: Server/Workstation vs Mobile
• Production status: End-of-life vs not recorded
• Release date: 2016-01-23 vs 2012-09-02
• Part number: SR2QT vs SR0UU
• Percentile: 38 vs 37
• Average benchmark score: 1456 vs 1416
• Geekbench record: none vs 2111 multi-core, 628 single-core