Intel Xeon 6740E vs Intel Xeon 6745P Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data presents a clear split between two very different Intel Xeon designs. The Intel Xeon 6740E wins 6 of the 16 recorded head-to-head tests, while the Intel Xeon 6745P takes 10. However, the margins tell a more nuanced story than the win count alone.

The Xeon 6745P demonstrates near-universal dominance in Cinebench workloads. Across all five Cinebench tests, the 6745P leads by a consistent 9.5% to 9.6%. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the 6745P scores 71,578 against the 6740E's 64,741, a 9.6% advantage. Single-core results follow the same pattern: Cinebench R23 single-core shows 9,140 for the 6740E and a 9.5% higher score for the 6745P. This consistency across R15, R20, and R23 suggests a fundamental architectural advantage rather than a workload-specific quirk.

The Passmark suite reveals where the 6740E fights back. Its most dramatic victory comes in data encryption, where it scores 137,106 against 66,665 for the 6745P, a crushing 105.7% advantage. Data compression follows with 1,786,845 versus 1,352,801, a 32.1% lead. Integer math shows a 35.8% gap (457,614 vs 336,926), and random string sorting delivers a 65.3% margin (220,684 vs 133,528). Floating-point math adds another 15.7% win for the 6740E.

The 6745P counters in Passmark with equally decisive margins. Single-thread performance shows a 42.1% gap: 3,450 for the 6745P versus 1,997 for the 6740E. Extended instructions favor the 6745P by 27.1% (108,326 vs 78,968). Prime number finding goes to the 6745P by 22.8% (681 vs 526). The multithead Passmark score also favors the 6745P, 84,210 versus 76,167, a 9.6% margin.

The pattern is unmistakable. The 6745P wins every Cinebench test and every Passmark test that stresses per-core throughput or advanced instruction execution. The 6740E wins the throughput-oriented Passmark tests that scale with core count and cache capacity. This is not a story of one processor being universally faster; it is a story of two processors optimized for different execution profiles.

Where Each One Wins

The data suggests the Intel Xeon 6740E is built for data-dense, parallel workloads. Its wins in data compression, encryption, integer math, and random string sorting all point to scenarios where massive core counts and large shared caches matter more than raw clock speed. The 6740E packs 96 cores with a 96 MB shared L3 cache, and the benchmark results show this configuration excels when processing streams of data that can be divided across many cores simultaneously.

The 6740E's 23.8% win in Passmark physics is notable, as physics simulations often benefit from both high core counts and floating-point throughput. Its 15.7% floating-point math advantage reinforces this interpretation, though the margin is smaller than in the integer-heavy tests.

The Intel Xeon 6745P, meanwhile, demonstrates its strength in latency-sensitive and per-core-dependent workloads. Its 42.1% single-thread advantage is the largest margin in the entire comparison. The extended instructions win by 27.1% indicates superior SIMD or specialized instruction handling, likely aided by its 336 MB shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2. The Cinebench sweep, including multi-core tests, shows that the 6745P's 32 cores with 64 threads can outperform the 6740E's 96 threads when each core is substantially faster.

For workloads that are lightly threaded or where single-thread performance is the bottleneck, the 6745P is clearly the stronger choice. For workloads that can saturate dozens of cores with data-parallel operations, the 6740E's extra cores and cache bandwidth deliver measurable wins, often by wide margins.

The Verdict

The recorded data supports a straightforward selection guideline. The Intel Xeon 6745P is the pick for general-purpose compute, especially when software cannot fully utilize 96 threads. Its consistent 9.6% lead across all Cinebench multi-core tests, plus its massive 42.1% single-thread advantage, means it will handle mixed workloads, database queries, scientific simulation, and development builds with better responsiveness. The 6745P also holds its own in Passmark multi-thread, beating the 6740E by 9.6% despite having only 32 cores versus 96.

The Intel Xeon 6740E is the pick for specialized throughput workloads. The benchmark data shows it is more than twice as fast in data encryption (105.7% lead) and 65.3% faster in random string sorting. For compression, integer math, and physics workloads, the 6740E provides margins from 15.7% to 35.8%. These are not marginal differences; they represent substantial runtime reductions for data centers running these specific task types at scale.

The launch MSRP for the 6740E is $5265, and for the 6745P it is $5250. Both parts target the same socket, memory configuration, and PCIe capabilities, so platform costs are likely comparable, but the performance profiles diverge sharply. The 6745P is the safer default for heterogeneous workloads. The 6740E is the specialist that wins big where its architecture aligns with the task.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in single-threaded tasks?

A: The Intel Xeon 6745P is significantly faster, scoring 3,450 in Passmark single-thread tests versus 1,997 for the 6740E, a 42.1% advantage.

Q: How do the two compare in Cinebench R23 multi-core?

A: The Intel Xeon 6745P leads with 71,578 points against 64,741 for the 6740E, a consistent 9.6% margin that appears across all Cinebench versions.

Q: What workload shows the largest performance gap?

A: Passmark data encryption shows the biggest difference, with the Intel Xeon 6740E scoring 137,106 versus 66,665 for the 6745P, a 105.7% lead.

Q: Does the 6740E win any multi-threaded benchmarks?

A: Yes, the 6740E wins Passmark multi-threaded tests for data compression, encryption, integer math, floating-point math, physics, and random string sorting, despite losing the overall Passmark multi-thread score by 9.6%.

Q: What are the core and thread counts for each processor?

A: The Intel Xeon 6740E has 96 cores and 96 threads. The Intel Xeon 6745P has 32 cores and 64 threads.

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Xeon 6745P boosts to 4.30 GHz, while the Intel Xeon 6740E boosts to 3.20 GHz.

Architecture Differences

The two processors represent distinct Intel architectures. The Intel Xeon 6740E is built on the Sierra Forest architecture, while the Intel Xeon 6745P uses Granite Rapids. Both are manufactured on Intel's 5 nm process with a die size of 578 mm² for the 6740E and 2x 598 mm² for the 6745P, indicating a dual-die design for the latter.

Core topology differs substantially. The 6740E provides 96 cores with 96 threads, meaning no hyperthreading. It features a per-core L1 cache of 96 KB and a per-module L2 of 4 MB. The 6745P offers 32 cores with 64 threads, using hyperthreading. Its L1 is larger at 112 KB per core, and its L2 is 2 MB per core, a more generous allocation per execution unit.

Shared cache is a major differentiator. The 6740E has 96 MB of shared L3 cache, while the 6745P has 336 MB. This larger L3 on the 6745P likely contributes to its strong single-thread and extended instruction performance, as more data can reside closer to the cores.

Base and boost clocks also diverge. The 6740E runs at 2.40 GHz base and 3.20 GHz boost. The 6745P runs at 3.10 GHz base and 4.30 GHz boost. The higher clocks on the 6745P are a direct contributor to its per-core performance advantage.

Power envelopes differ notably. The 6740E has a TDP of 250 watts, while the 6745P has a TDP of 300 watts. The 6745P consumes more power but delivers higher clock speeds and a larger cache.

Specification Differences

The two processors share several platform-level specifications. Both use Intel Socket 4710, support DDR5 memory with an eight-channel memory bus, and provide 409.6 GB/s of memory bandwidth. Both support ECC memory and offer PCIe Gen 5 with 88 lanes (CPU only). Neither includes integrated graphics, and both target the server/workstation market segment.

The specifications that differ are the core count (96 versus 32), thread count (96 versus 64), base clock (2.40 GHz versus 3.10 GHz), boost clock (3.20 GHz versus 4.30 GHz), TDP (250 W versus 300 W), architecture (Sierra Forest versus Granite Rapids), die size (578 mm² versus 2x 598 mm²), L1 cache (96 KB versus 112 KB per core), L2 cache (4 MB per module versus 2 MB per core), and L3 cache (96 MB versus 336 MB shared). Release dates also differ, with the 6740E released in June 2024 and the 6745P in February 2025. The production status for both is active.