Intel Core i7-5950HQ vs Intel Xeon E5-4648 v3 Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data paints an unusually clear picture: the Intel Xeon E5-4648 v3 wins every single recorded test. Across all six Cinebench runs, the Xeon takes the top spot with no exceptions. The Core i7-5950HQ, despite its higher clock speeds, never manages to flip a single result in its favor. That is the entire story in compressed form: the Xeon leads in every workload category, from single-threaded responsiveness to heavily threaded rendering.

For users who prioritize raw compute throughput, the Xeon is the obvious pick. Its 12 cores and 24 threads give it a structural advantage in any workload that scales with core count, and the recorded benchmark deltas confirm that advantage is substantial. On the multi-core tests, the Xeon leads by 18.2% to 18.3% across all three Cinebench versions. That is a consistent, repeatable margin, not a one-off anomaly.

The Core i7-5950HQ, by contrast, is a mobile part with 4 cores and 8 threads. It is not designed to win render battles, and the data shows it does not. Its single-thread scores are also behind, by 18.1% to 18.5%, which is surprising given its much higher base clock of 2.90 GHz versus the Xeon's 1.70 GHz. The Xeon’s boost clock of 2.20 GHz is far lower than the i7’s 3.80 GHz, yet the Xeon still wins single-core tests. That suggests the Xeon’s older Haswell architecture is not the bottleneck it might appear to be, or that the benchmark environment favors its design.

So where does each chip “win” in a practical sense? The Xeon wins in any compute-heavy scenario: rendering, compilation, virtualization, or any data-center style workload that scales across many threads. The i7-5950HQ has no benchmark wins to point to, but its 47 W TDP and integrated Iris Pro Graphics 6200 make it the only choice for a compact mobile system. It also has a launch MSRP of $623, which is lower than the Xeon's $2405, but the data does not assess price-to-performance, only raw scores.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different nodes and entirely different design families. The Xeon E5-4648 v3 uses the Haswell-EP architecture on a 22 nm process, built by Intel with 2,600 million transistors on a 356 mm² die. The Core i7-5950HQ uses Broadwell-H on a 14 nm process with a 182 mm² die. The smaller node gives the i7 a transistor density advantage, but the Xeon’s larger die and much larger cache compensate in throughput.

Cores and threads differ dramatically: the Xeon has 12 cores and 24 threads, the i7 has 4 cores and 8 threads. Each has 64 KB of L1 and 256 KB of L2 per core, but the L3 cache is the big split: the Xeon has 30 MB shared, the i7 has 6 MB shared. That 5x difference in cache is likely a major factor in the Xeon’s surprising single-core win.

Memory support is also different: the Xeon uses DDR4 with a quad-channel bus and a bandwidth of 59.7 GB/s, while the i7 uses DDR3 with dual-channel and 29.9 GB/s bandwidth. The Xeon also supports ECC memory, the i7 does not. PCIe lanes differ too: the Xeon has Gen 3 with 40 lanes, the i7 has Gen 3 with 16 lanes.

The i7 has integrated Iris Pro Graphics 6200, which the Xeon lacks entirely. The Xeon is a server/workstation part on Intel Socket 2011-3, while the i7 is a mobile chip on Intel BGA 1364. Both are end-of-life, released within a day of each other in mid-2015. Neither has an unlocked multiplier.

The Verdict

The data is unequivocal. The Intel Xeon E5-4648 v3 outperforms the Intel Core i7-5950HQ in every single benchmark recorded in the database. If the only question is which CPU is faster, the answer is simple: the Xeon, by a margin of roughly 18% across the board.

The Xeon also holds a 47th percentile ranking among all CPUs, same as the i7, but its average benchmark score is 2227 versus 2158 for the i7. That 69-point gap is small in absolute terms, but the head-to-head deltas are consistent. The Xeon’s nearest rivals include the Core i7-8559U and Core i7-5775C, both within 0.1% of its average score, while the i7’s nearest rivals are the Core i5-10200H and Ryzen 3 3300X, within 0.2% to 0.5%.

For a builder choosing between the two today, the decision hinges on platform and power, not raw speed. The Xeon requires a large server motherboard with a 2011-3 socket and DDR4 memory. The i7 is a BGA chip, soldered to a board, typically in a laptop or small form factor system. The Xeon has a 105 W TDP, the i7 just 47 W.

The data says this: if you can accommodate the Xeon’s platform and power draw, it is the stronger processor. The i7 is a fine mobile chip, but it loses every measured test. The Xeon’s higher core count, larger cache, and faster memory subsystem give it a decisive edge. The i7 only makes sense if you need the integrated graphics or the mobile form factor.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in single-core tests?

A: The Intel Xeon E5-4648 v3 wins all three single-core Cinebench tests. It scores 109 vs 92 in R15, 456 vs 386 in R20, and 1087 vs 920 in R23, a lead of 18.1% to 18.5% over the Core i7-5950HQ.

Q: How big is the multi-core performance gap?

A: The Xeon leads by 18.2% to 18.3% in the multi-core tests. Specifically, it scores 3234 vs 2736 in Cinebench R20 multi-core, and 7701 vs 6516 in R23 multi-core.

Q: Does the Core i7-5950HQ have any benchmark wins?

A: No. The database records six head-to-head benchmarks for the pair, and the Xeon wins all six. The i7 has zero wins.

Q: What memory types do the two support?

A: The Xeon supports DDR4 with quad-channel memory and a bandwidth of 59.7 GB/s. The i7 supports DDR3 with dual-channel and a bandwidth of 29.9 GB/s. The Xeon also supports ECC memory, while the i7 does not.

Q: Are these processors still in production?

A: No. Both are marked as end-of-life in the database. The Xeon was released on 2015-05-31 and the i7 on 2015-06-01.

Q: Which processor has more cache?

A: The Xeon has 30 MB of shared L3 cache, compared to 6 MB on the i7. Both have 64 KB of L1 and 256 KB of L2 per core.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The biggest wins for the Xeon are consistent across all test versions. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the Xeon scores 776 against the i7’s 656, a delta of 18.3%. In the single-core R15, it is 109 vs 92, an 18.5% lead, the largest margin of the entire set. The R20 multi-core run shows 3234 vs 2736, and single-core shows 456 vs 386, both 18.2% and 18.1% respectively. The R23 results mirror the R20: multi-core is 7701 vs 6516, single-core is 1087 vs 920, each with a delta of 18.2%.

The i7 has no winning entries. Its best showing is in the single-core R20, where the delta drops to 18.1%, but that is still a clear loss. The Xeon’s advantage is remarkably uniform, hovering between 18.1% and 18.5% for every test. That consistency suggests the performance gap is not workload-dependent: the Xeon is simply a faster chip in all measured rendering workloads.

The average benchmark score for the Xeon is 2227, and for the i7 it is 2158. The Xeon’s nearest rival is the Xeon D-1548, which is 0.2% higher, but the i7’s nearest rival is the Core i5-1145G7E, which is 0.7% higher. Looking at percentile, both sit at 47%, meaning the Xeon’s edge does not change its overall ranking, which is a useful reminder that the gap against the broader market is not huge, even though the head-to-head delta is clear.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in almost every major specification. The Xeon has 12 cores and 24 threads; the i7 has 4 cores and 8 threads. Base clock is 1.70 GHz for the Xeon and 2.90 GHz for the i7. Boost clock is 2.20 GHz versus 3.80 GHz. TDP is 105 W versus 47 W.

The process node is 22 nm for the Xeon and 14 nm for the i7. The Xeon’s die is 356 mm², the i7’s is 182 mm². The Xeon has 2,600 million transistors; the i7’s transistor count is not recorded in the database. The L3 cache is 30 MB on the Xeon versus 6 MB on the i7.

Memory support is DDR4 for the Xeon with quad-channel and 59.7 GB/s bandwidth, versus DDR3 for the i7 with dual-channel and 29.9 GB/s. ECC memory is supported only on the Xeon. PCIe is Gen 3 with 40 lanes for the Xeon versus Gen 3 with 16 lanes for the i7. The Xeon has no integrated graphics; the i7 has Iris Pro Graphics 6200.

The socket is Intel Socket 2011-3 for the Xeon and Intel BGA 1364 for the i7. The Xeon is a server/workstation part, the i7 is a mobile part. Both are end-of-life and neither has an unlocked multiplier. The launch MSRP is $2405 for the Xeon and $623 for the i7. The part numbers are SR26R and SR2BJ, respectively.