Intel Core i7-4790 vs Intel Xeon Gold 6338N Comparison

The Intel Core i7-4790 and Intel Xeon Gold 6338N sit at opposite ends of Intel’s product stack, separated by seven years of platform evolution. The data shows a complete sweep for the Xeon in every shared benchmark, but the magnitude of those wins varies dramatically between single-threaded and heavily parallel workloads. The i7-4790, a 2014 desktop part, holds its ground in legacy single-core tasks relative to its own era, yet the Xeon’s sheer core count makes most comparisons academic. Below is a breakdown of where each chip stands, strictly from the benchmark records.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Xeon Gold 6338N wins all six head-to-head tests, but the deltas are remarkably consistent. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the Xeon scores 3605 against the i7-4790’s 621, a difference of -82.8% from the i7’s perspective — meaning the Xeon is roughly 5.8 times faster. The single-core R15 result tells a similar story: 509 vs 87, again an -82.9% gap. These percentages repeat almost identically across R20 and R23, suggesting the performance ratio is stable regardless of the workload’s intensity.

Cinebench R20 multicore shows the Xeon at 15024 versus 2591, while R23 multicore puts the Xeon at 35773 versus 6171. The single-core variants follow suit: R20 single-core is 2121 vs 365, and R23 single-core is 5050 vs 871. The deltas hover between -82.7% and -82.9% across all tests, indicating that the Xeon’s advantage is not merely a matter of core scaling — even per-thread performance is decisively higher. The i7-4790’s 4.00 GHz boost clock cannot compensate for the architectural gap.

In terms of average benchmark score, the Xeon’s 10347 places it just 2% behind the Intel Xeon W-3175X and 0.5% behind the Xeon Gold 6312U, per its nearest rivals. The i7-4790’s average of 10556 is marginally higher than the Xeon’s, which is a quirk of the averaging method — the i7 has more Passmark entries pulling its average up, while the Xeon only has Cinebench scores. Both CPUs sit at the 66th percentile of all CPUs, meaning they are statistically equivalent in overall standing despite the Xeon’s crushing victory in every direct comparison.

Architecture Differences

The i7-4790 is built on Intel’s 22 nm Haswell process, a 2014 desktop design with 1,400 million transistors on a 177 mm² die. It features 4 cores and 8 threads, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost of 4.00 GHz. Its cache layout is 64 KB L1 per core, 256 KB L2 per core, and 8 MB shared L3. Memory support is DDR3 over a dual-channel bus, providing 25.6 GB/s of bandwidth. It has no ECC support, uses PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes, and includes integrated Intel HD 4600 graphics. The socket is Intel Socket 1150, and it is end-of-life, released on 2014-04-30 with a launch MSRP of $312.

The Xeon Gold 6338N is a 10 nm Ice Lake-SP server part, released on 2021-04-05. It packs 32 cores and 64 threads, with a base clock of 2.20 GHz and a boost of 3.50 GHz. L1 cache remains 64 KB per core, but L2 expands to 1 MB per core, and L3 jumps to 48 MB shared. Memory support is DDR4 over an eight-channel bus, yielding 170.7 GB/s of bandwidth — nearly seven times the i7’s throughput. ECC memory is supported, PCIe is Gen 4 with 64 lanes, and there is no integrated graphics. The socket is Intel Socket 4189, and the part is still active in production. The Xeon’s TDP is 185 W versus the i7’s 84 W, reflecting the massive core count increase.

The process node difference (22 nm vs 10 nm) explains part of the single-core gap, but the memory subsystem is the larger differentiator. The Xeon’s eight-channel DDR4 controller provides the bandwidth necessary to feed 32 cores, while the i7’s dual-channel DDR3 is a bottleneck even for its four cores in modern workloads. Neither chip has an unlocked multiplier, so overclocking is not a factor in these results.

Where Each One Wins

The i7-4790 does not win any of the six head-to-head benchmarks. However, its Passmark scores reveal strengths in specific micro-tasks. Its data compression score is 109623, which is its highest single benchmark result. Integer math comes in at 26129, floating point at 13104, and random string sorting at 14790. These numbers are not compared directly to the Xeon (which lacks Passmark entries), but they indicate the i7 is capable in legacy desktop workloads where single-thread latency matters more than raw throughput.

The Xeon Gold 6338N wins every Cinebench test by a wide margin. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 35773 is nearly six times the i7’s 6171, making it the clear choice for rendering, simulation, and any workload that scales across many threads. The single-core R23 score of 5050 versus 871 shows that even lightly threaded tasks benefit from the newer architecture. The Xeon’s 64 threads and 48 MB L3 cache are purpose-built for server virtualization, database processing, and scientific computing — workloads that the i7-4790 cannot meaningfully attempt.

In practice, the i7-4790 remains viable for older games and office productivity where its 4.00 GHz boost clock and HD 4600 graphics (for basic display output) are sufficient. The Xeon is not a desktop part; its lack of integrated graphics and server socket mean it requires a dedicated GPU and a workstation motherboard. For batch processing, the Xeon’s memory bandwidth (170.7 GB/s) and PCIe Gen 4 lanes (64) make it the only sensible option between the two.

The Verdict

The data is unambiguous: the Xeon Gold 6338N is the superior processor in every measurable way. Its multicore performance is roughly 5.8 times higher, and its single-core performance is about 5.8 times higher as well, based on the consistent -82.8% deltas. The i7-4790’s only advantages are its lower TDP (84 W vs 185 W), integrated graphics, and legacy socket compatibility — none of which appear in benchmark scores.

Choose the i7-4790 if you are building a retro desktop for Windows 7-era software, need integrated graphics, or have a Socket 1150 motherboard already in hand. Its 4 cores and 8 threads are sufficient for basic tasks, and its 84 W TDP means it runs cool under a modest air cooler. Its Passmark single-thread score of 2228 shows it is not entirely obsolete for lightweight, single-core applications.

Choose the Xeon Gold 6338N if your workload is multicore-heavy and you have the infrastructure to support it. The 32 cores, 64 threads, and 48 MB L3 cache deliver Cinebench R23 multicore scores of 35773, which is in the field of high-end workstation CPUs. Its ECC memory support and eight-channel DDR4 bandwidth make it suitable for servers where data integrity and memory throughput are critical. The 185 W TDP requires robust cooling, but the performance justifies the power draw in a server context.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU is faster in single-core performance?

A: The Xeon Gold 6338N wins every single-core test. In Cinebench R23 single-core, it scores 5050 versus the i7-4790’s 871, an -82.8% delta. The Xeon also leads in R15 (509 vs 87) and R20 (2121 vs 365).

Q: How much faster is the Xeon in multicore workloads?

A: The Xeon is consistently about 5.8 times faster. In Cinebench R23 multicore, it scores 35773 against 6171 for the i7, a difference of -82.7%. R15 multicore shows 3605 vs 621, and R20 multicore shows 15024 vs 2591.

Q: Does the i7-4790 have any benchmark wins over the Xeon?

A: No. The head-to-head results show 0 wins for the i7-4790 and 6 wins for the Xeon Gold 6338N across all six Cinebench tests.

Q: What are the memory bandwidth differences?

A: The Xeon supports DDR4 with an eight-channel bus, providing 170.7 GB/s. The i7-4790 uses DDR3 with a dual-channel bus, providing 25.6 GB/s. The Xeon also supports ECC memory, while the i7 does not.

Q: Are these CPUs similar in overall benchmark standing?

A: Both sit at the 66th percentile of all CPUs. The i7-4790 has an average benchmark score of 10556, while the Xeon’s is 10347. The Xeon’s nearest rival is the Intel Xeon W-3175X with a -0.2% delta, and the i7’s nearest rival is the AMD EPYC 7D12 with a 0.1% delta.

Q: What is the core and thread count difference?

A: The i7-4790 has 4 cores and 8 threads. The Xeon Gold 6338N has 32 cores and 64 threads. The Xeon also has 48 MB of shared L3 cache versus the i7’s 8 MB.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Core i7-4790 | Intel Xeon Gold 6338N |

|---|---|---|

| Cores | 4 | 32 |

| Threads | 8 | 64 |

| Base Clock | 3.60 GHz | 2.20 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 4.00 GHz | 3.50 GHz |

| TDP | 84 W | 185 W |

| Socket | Intel Socket 1150 | Intel Socket 4189 |

| Architecture | Haswell | Ice Lake |

| Process Node | 22 nm | 10 nm |

| L2 Cache | 256 KB (per core) | 1 MB (per core) |

| L3 Cache | 8 MB (shared) | 48 MB (shared) |

| Memory Support | DDR3 | DDR4 |

| Memory Bus | Dual-channel | Eight-channel |

| Memory Bandwidth | 25.6 GB/s | 170.7 GB/s |

| ECC Memory | No | Yes |

| PCIe | Gen 3, 16 Lanes | Gen 4, 64 Lanes |

| Integrated Graphics | Intel HD 4600 | None |

| Market Segment | Desktop | Server/Workstation |

| Production Status | End-of-life | Active |

| Release Date | 2014-04-30 | 2021-04-05 |

| Launch MSRP | $312 | Not disclosed |

| Part Number | SR1QF | SRKY2CD8068904722302 |