Intel Core i7-9750HF vs Intel Xeon E-2174G Comparison

The Intel Xeon E-2174G and the Intel Core i7-9750HF occupy the same average performance tier in the database, separated by just 74 points in average benchmark score (2588 versus 2662), yet they arrive there from opposite directions. One is an end-of-life workstation part with four high-clocked cores and ECC support; the other is a soldered mobile chip with six cores and no integrated graphics. The recorded data shows a striking split: the i7-9750HF wins six of eight head-to-head tests, but the Xeon E-2174G dominates both Geekbench runs, including a 14.2 percent single-core victory. That contradiction is the story of this comparison.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench results are uniform in direction and remarkably uniform in magnitude. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the i7-9750HF scores 876 against 815 for the Xeon E-2174G, a 7 percent gap. The single-core R15 test goes the same way, 123 to 114, again 7.3 percent in favor of the mobile part. Cinebench R20 repeats the pattern almost exactly: 3652 versus 3398 in multi-core (7 percent) and 515 versus 479 in single-core (7 percent). Cinebench R23 closes the sweep with 8696 versus 8091 multi-core (7 percent) and 1227 versus 1142 single-core (6.9 percent).

A 7 percent margin in every rendering test is unusual. It is consistent enough to suggest a structural cause, and the specification data supplies one: the i7-9750HF carries six cores and twelve threads against the Xeon's four cores and eight threads, plus a larger 12 MB shared L3 cache versus 8 MB. Curiously, the gap does not widen in the multi-core tests as core-count logic would predict. Single-core and multi-core deltas land within a fraction of a point of each other across all three Cinebench generations, which raises a question the database cannot fully answer: why does a 50 percent core-count advantage translate into only a 7 percent rendering lead? Plausibly, the Xeon's higher clocks, 3.80 base and 4.70 boost versus 2.60 base and 4.50 boost, claw back much of the deficit, and thermal constraints typical of a 45-watt mobile envelope may limit sustained all-core throughput.

Then Geekbench inverts everything. In Geekbench multi-core, the Xeon E-2174G scores 5104 against 4844, a 5.4 percent win. In Geekbench single-core it scores 1559 against 1365, a commanding 14.2 percent win. The database shows no other test where the Xeon leads, and none where it trails by less than 6.9 percent. What does that imply? Geekbench's workload mix, shorter bursts and broader test diversity, appears to favor the Xeon's higher clock speeds and its workstation-oriented HD Graphics P630 validation path, while the sustained rendering loops of Cinebench reward the i7's thread count. The 14.2 percent single-core Geekbench gap, in a matchup where Cinebench single-core favors the i7 by 7 percent, is the single most anomalous data point on this page.

Aggregate placement is nearly identical. The Xeon E-2174G sits at the 49th percentile against all CPUs in the database; the i7-9750HF sits at the 50th. Their rival clusters tell the same story of parity: the Xeon's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE (average score 2596, 0.3 percent delta), the AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS (2573, 0.6 percent delta), the Intel Xeon E5-4620 v3 (2587, 0 percent delta), and the Intel Core i7-8850H (2604, 0.6 percent delta). The i7-9750HF's cluster includes the Intel Xeon E5-4650 v3 (2664, 0.1 percent delta), the Intel Core i7-9700T (2668, 0.2 percent delta), the Intel Core i5-9500F (2670, 0.3 percent delta), and the Intel Core i7-7740X (2648, 0.5 percent delta). Both chips are, on average, dead-center mid-pack processors.

The Verdict

The data points different buyers in different directions. For sustained rendering and multi-threaded production work, the i7-9750HF is the stronger recorded performer: it wins every Cinebench test by roughly 7 percent. For responsiveness-oriented, bursty, mixed workloads, the Xeon E-2174G's Geekbench results, 5.4 percent ahead multi-core and 14.2 percent ahead single-core, make it the better performer in this suite. Neither chip is overclockable, both are multiplier-locked, so recorded scores are effectively ceiling scores.

Two qualitative factors sharpen the verdict. The Xeon supports ECC memory, which matters for workstation and server deployments where data integrity is a requirement; the i7-9750HF does not. The i7 ships as a BGA 1440 soldered part in the mobile segment, meaning it is not independently swappable, while the Xeon uses Intel Socket 1151. The Xeon's launch MSRP was $334; no comparable figure exists for the i7-9750HF in the database. Both are end-of-life products, so this comparison is primarily retrospective: which secondhand platform to target, or which legacy system to keep running.

Architecture Differences

Both processors share the Coffee Lake architecture and Intel's 14 nm process node, both fabricated by Intel. That shared lineage makes the differences within the family more interesting. The Xeon E-2174G is the Coffee Lake-S WS codename, a workstation die measuring 126 mm². The i7-9750HF is Coffee Lake-HR, a mobile-oriented die measuring 149 mm², the larger of the two despite its lower 45-watt TDP versus 71 watts for the Xeon, likely reflecting the additional physical cores and integrated platform wiring on the mobile package.

Cache configuration differs meaningfully at L3. The Xeon carries 8 MB of shared L3; the i7 carries 12 MB shared. Per-core L1 and L2 are identical, 64 KB and 256 KB per core respectively, so the entire cache advantage belongs to the larger shared pool on the six-core part. Both support DDR4 on a dual-channel bus with identical 42.7 GB/s memory bandwidth, so memory subsystem parity holds.

Platform features diverge sharply. The Xeon offers PCI Express Gen 3 with 16 CPU lanes, integrated HD Graphics P630 graphics, and ECC support. The i7-9750HF lists PCI Express Gen 3 without a lane count and has no integrated graphics at all, the "HF" designation's defining trait, meaning any system built around it requires a discrete GPU. Release timing also differs: the Xeon launched on 2018-07-11, the i7 on 2019-04-22, a gap of roughly nine months within the same architectural generation.

Specification Differences

• Cores/Threads: Xeon E-2174G has 4 cores / 8 threads; i7-9750HF has 6 cores / 12 threads.
• Base Clock: 3.80 GHz for the Xeon versus 2.60 GHz for the i7.
• Boost Clock: 4.70 GHz for the Xeon versus 4.50 GHz for the i7.
• TDP: 71 watts for the Xeon versus 45 watts for the i7.
• Socket: Intel Socket 1151 (Xeon) versus Intel BGA 1440 (i7).
• Codename: Coffee Lake-S WS versus Coffee Lake-HR.
• Die Size: 126 mm² versus 149 mm².
• L3 Cache: 8 MB shared versus 12 MB shared.
• ECC Memory: supported on the Xeon only.
• PCIe: Gen 3, 16 CPU lanes on the Xeon; Gen 3 on the i7 with no lane count listed.
• Integrated Graphics: HD Graphics P630 on the Xeon; none on the i7.
• Market Segment: Server/Workstation versus Mobile.
• Release Date: 2018-07-11 versus 2019-04-22.
• Launch MSRP: $334 for the Xeon; not recorded for the i7.
• Part Number: SR3WN versus SRG1T.

Identical fields: manufacturer (Intel), architecture (Coffee Lake), process node (14 nm), foundry (Intel), memory support (DDR4), dual-channel memory bus, 42.7 GB/s memory bandwidth, per-core L1 and L2 cache, locked multiplier, and end-of-life production status.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU is faster overall in the recorded benchmarks?

A: The i7-9750HF wins six of eight head-to-head tests, all six Cinebench results, by roughly 7 percent each. However, the Xeon E-2174G wins both Geekbench tests by 5.4 and 14.2 percent, and their average benchmark scores (2662 versus 2588) and percentiles (50th versus 49th) are nearly tied.

Q: Does the Xeon E-2174G's higher clock speed help it in single-core tests?

A: Only in Geekbench, where it scores 1559 versus 1365, a 14.2 percent lead. In Cinebench single-core across R15, R20, and R23, the i7-9750HF wins by 7.3, 7, and 6.9 percent respectively, despite its lower 4.50 GHz boost.

Q: Which chip has more cores and cache?

A: The i7-9750HF, with 6 cores and 12 threads plus 12 MB of shared L3, versus 4 cores, 8 threads, and 8 MB of shared L3 on the Xeon E-2174G.

Q: Do both CPUs have integrated graphics?

A: No. The Xeon E-2174G includes HD Graphics P630. The i7-9750HF has no integrated graphics and requires a discrete GPU.

Q: Which processor supports ECC memory?

A: Only the Xeon E-2174G, making it the option for error-correcting workstation deployments. The i7-9750HF does not support ECC.

Q: Can either CPU be overclocked?

A: No. Both have locked multipliers, so the recorded scores represent their performance ceiling without multiplier adjustment.

Where Each One Wins

The i7-9750HF wins sustained, throughput-bound rendering. Its clean sweep of Cinebench R15, R20, and R23, in both single-core and multi-core variants, points to it as the pick for 3D rendering, video encode-style sustained loads, and any workload that scales with threads and shared cache. Six cores and twelve threads with a 12 MB L3 pool give it the structural edge in that class of task.

The Xeon E-2174G wins responsiveness and platform integrity. Its 14.2 percent Geekbench single-core lead and 5.4 percent Geekbench multi-core lead suit bursty desktop-style work: application launches, short computations, mixed workloads that do not saturate all cores. Beyond raw scores, it is the only one of the pair with ECC memory, integrated HD Graphics P630 graphics, and 16 CPU PCIe Gen 3 lanes on a socketed Intel Socket 1151 platform, all workstation-grade attributes. For a legacy server or workstation build where reliability features matter, the data and the feature set both point to the Xeon. For maximum recorded throughput in a mobile or compact system paired with a discrete GPU, the i7-9750HF is the answer.