Intel Core i7-7800X vs Intel Xeon E-2236 Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Xeon E-2236 and Intel Core i7-7800X are both six-core, twelve-thread processors, but they serve different platforms and design philosophies. The head-to-head data shows a clean sweep: the Xeon E-2236 wins all six recorded Cinebench comparisons. The Core i7-7800X does not win a single benchmark in the database's head-to-head set. That said, the i7-7800X has one recorded Geekbench result that the Xeon does not, so it is the only chip with a data point in that workload category.

The Xeon E-2236 is the clear winner for single-threaded performance. In Cinebench R15 single-core, it scores 167 against 156 for the i7-7800X, a 7.1% advantage. The same pattern repeats in Cinebench R20 single-core (698 vs 654, 6.7% delta) and Cinebench R23 single-core (1664 vs 1559, 6.7% delta). For workloads that depend on high clock speeds on one or two threads, such as legacy applications, scripting, or lightly threaded simulation tasks, the Xeon E-2236 is the better choice by a consistent margin.

Multi-threaded workloads also favor the Xeon E-2236, though by a slightly narrower margin. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the Xeon scores 1188 versus 1113, a 6.7% delta. Cinebench R20 multi-core shows 4952 versus 4638, a 6.8% delta, and Cinebench R23 multi-core shows 11792 versus 11044, also a 6.8% delta. The Xeon's advantage is roughly 6.7% to 6.8% across all multi-core tests, which is moderate but consistent. For rendering or compilation workloads that scale across six cores, the Xeon E-2236 delivers measurably higher throughput.

The i7-7800X is not without its own strengths. It belongs to the Skylake-X family, which targets the enthusiast desktop segment. It has an unlocked multiplier, allowing overclocking, and it supports quad-channel memory with a higher theoretical memory bandwidth of 76.8 GB/s. The Xeon E-2236 is locked, uses dual-channel memory, and its memory bandwidth is rated at 42.7 GB/s. In memory-bandwidth-sensitive workloads, the i7-7800X's platform advantage could offset some of its compute deficit, but the database does not include a memory benchmark to quantify this. The recorded data shows the Xeon E-2236 as the overall performance winner in the workloads tested.

Architecture Differences

Both processors are built on Intel's 14 nm process and share the same six-core, twelve-thread topology. The similarities end there. The Xeon E-2236 is based on Coffee Lake, specifically the Coffee Lake-S WS variant, and belongs to the Xeon E-2200 series. It uses Intel Socket 1151. The i7-7800X is based on Skylake, specifically Skylake-X, and belongs to the Core i7 X-Series 7th Gen family. It uses Intel Socket 2066.

The cache hierarchies differ significantly. The Xeon E-2236 has 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 256 KB of L2 cache per core, and 12 MB of shared L3 cache. The i7-7800X also has 64 KB of L1 per core, but its L2 cache is 1 MB per core, four times larger. Its shared L3 cache is 8.25 MB, which is smaller than the Xeon's 12 MB. The larger per-core L2 on the i7-7800X may help in some access patterns, but the Xeon's larger L3 is likely a factor in its benchmark lead.

Memory support also differs. Both support DDR4, but the Xeon E-2236 uses a dual-channel memory bus with 42.7 GB/s bandwidth, while the i7-7800X uses a quad-channel bus with 76.8 GB/s bandwidth. The i7-7800X has nearly double the theoretical memory bandwidth. The Xeon E-2236 supports ECC memory; the i7-7800X does not. This makes the Xeon the relevant choice for error-correcting memory in workstation or server environments.

PCIe lane counts differ as well. The Xeon E-2236 provides Gen 3, 16 lanes (CPU only). The i7-7800X provides Gen 3, 28 lanes (CPU only). The i7-7800X offers more direct PCIe connectivity for expansion cards, storage controllers, or multiple GPUs. The Xeon E-2236 includes integrated graphics in the form of UHD Graphics P630; the i7-7800X has no integrated graphics at all, so a discrete GPU is mandatory.

Clock speeds favor the Xeon E-2236. Its base clock is 3.40 GHz and its boost clock is 4.80 GHz. The i7-7800X has a base clock of 3.50 GHz, slightly higher, but a boost clock of only 4.00 GHz, substantially lower. The Xeon's 0.80 GHz boost advantage explains its consistent single-threaded wins. The i7-7800X has a TDP of 140 W, while the Xeon E-2236 is rated at 80 W. The i7-7800X draws more power, but its platform is designed to handle it.

The i7-7800X has an unlocked multiplier, so overclocking is possible. The Xeon E-2236 is multiplier-locked. The i7-7800X was released on 2017-06-25, while the Xeon E-2236 was released on 2019-05-28. Both are marked as end-of-life. The i7-7800X's launch MSRP was $383; the Xeon E-2236's launch MSRP was $284.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Xeon E-2236 has a boost clock of 4.80 GHz, while the Intel Core i7-7800X has a boost clock of 4.00 GHz.

Q: Does the Intel Core i7-7800X support ECC memory?

A: No. The i7-7800X does not support ECC memory. The Xeon E-2236 does support ECC memory.

Q: Which chip has more PCIe lanes?

A: The Intel Core i7-7800X has Gen 3, 28 lanes (CPU only). The Xeon E-2236 has Gen 3, 16 lanes (CPU only).

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?

A: The Xeon E-2236 has 42.7 GB/s of memory bandwidth on a dual-channel bus. The i7-7800X has 76.8 GB/s on a quad-channel bus.

Q: Which processor won the Cinebench R23 multi-core test?

A: The Xeon E-2236 scored 11792, beating the i7-7800X's 11044 by 6.8%.

Q: Are both processors end-of-life?

A: Yes. Both the Xeon E-2236 and the i7-7800X are marked as end-of-life in the database.

Specification Differences

The following specifications differ between the two processors:

• Base clock: Xeon E-2236 at 3.40 GHz, i7-7800X at 3.50 GHz
• Boost clock: Xeon E-2236 at 4.80 GHz, i7-7800X at 4.00 GHz
• TDP: Xeon E-2236 at 80 W, i7-7800X at 140 W
• Socket: Xeon E-2236 on Intel Socket 1151, i7-7800X on Intel Socket 2066
• Architecture: Xeon E-2236 on Coffee Lake, i7-7800X on Skylake
• Codename: Xeon E-2236 as Coffee Lake-S WS, i7-7800X as Skylake-X
• Generation: Xeon E-2236 as Xeon E (Coffee Lake), i7-7800X as Core i7 (X-Series 7th Gen)
• L2 cache: Xeon E-2236 at 256 KB per core, i7-7800X at 1 MB per core
• L3 cache: Xeon E-2236 at 12 MB shared, i7-7800X at 8.25 MB shared
• Memory bus: Xeon E-2236 dual-channel, i7-7800X quad-channel
• Memory bandwidth: Xeon E-2236 at 42.7 GB/s, i7-7800X at 76.8 GB/s
• ECC memory: Xeon E-2236 supports it, i7-7800X does not
• PCIe lanes: Xeon E-2236 at Gen 3, 16 lanes, i7-7800X at Gen 3, 28 lanes
• Integrated graphics: Xeon E-2236 has UHD Graphics P630, i7-7800X has none
• Market segment: Xeon E-2236 as Server/Workstation, i7-7800X as Desktop
• Release date: Xeon E-2236 on 2019-05-28, i7-7800X on 2017-06-25
• Launch MSRP: Xeon E-2236 at $284, i7-7800X at $383
• Multiplier unlocked: Xeon E-2236 is locked, i7-7800X is unlocked
• Part number: Xeon E-2236 is SRF7G, i7-7800X is SR3L4

Both share the same process node (14 nm), foundry (Intel), L1 cache (64 KB per core), memory type (DDR4), and core/thread count (6 cores, 12 threads).

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded head-to-head data contains six Cinebench comparisons, and the Xeon E-2236 wins all six. There are no benchmark losses for the Xeon in this set.

The largest margin is in Cinebench R15 single-core. The Xeon E-2236 scores 167, while the i7-7800X scores 156, a 7.1% advantage. This is the biggest single-core delta in the set. The single-core margins in R20 and R23 are 6.7% in both cases: 698 versus 654 in R20 and 1664 versus 1559 in R23. The consistency of these deltas suggests the Xeon's 4.80 GHz boost clock is providing a stable advantage over the i7-7800X's 4.00 GHz boost clock across different Cinebench versions.

Multi-core results tell the same story with slightly smaller margins. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the Xeon scores 1188 versus 1113, a 6.7% delta. In Cinebench R20 multi-core, the Xeon scores 4952 versus 4638, a 6.8% delta. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the Xeon scores 11792 versus 11044, a 6.8% delta. The multi-core margins are essentially identical to the single-core margins, which indicates that the performance gap is not dependent on thread scaling. It is a raw throughput difference that persists whether one core or all six cores are active.

The i7-7800X's only unique benchmark is Geekbench, where it records 6144 multi-core and 1352 single-core. The Xeon E-2236 does not have Geekbench results in the database, so no direct comparison is possible for that test. The presence of the Geekbench data does not change the head-to-head outcome, as it is not part of the direct comparison set.

The average benchmark score for the Xeon E-2236 is 3410, with a 54th percentile ranking against all CPUs. The i7-7800X has an average benchmark score of 3333, also at the 54th percentile. The Xeon's nearest rival, the Intel Xeon E-2146G, matches its score exactly at 3410 with a 0% delta. The i7-7800X's nearest rival, the Intel Xeon D-1587, has a score of 3350, which is 0.5% higher than the i7-7800X's score. The delta between the two chips in the head-to-head tests, roughly 6.7% to 7.1%, is larger than the gap between either chip and its nearest rivals, which are within 0.9% to 1.0% of their respective averages.

For buyers choosing between these two end-of-life processors, the benchmark data is unambiguous. The Xeon E-2236 is faster in every Cinebench test, uses less power, supports ECC memory, and includes integrated graphics. The i7-7800X offers an unlocked multiplier, quad-channel memory, more PCIe lanes, and larger L2 cache per core, but none of those features translate into a win in the recorded benchmarks. The Xeon E-2236 is the better-performing processor in the workloads tested.