Intel Xeon D-1537 vs Intel Xeon E5-1630 v3 Comparison

The Intel Xeon D-1537 and Intel Xeon E5-1630 v3 present a fascinating study in contrasting design philosophies within the same server/workstation market segment. The D-1537 is a modern, power-sipping Broadwell-DE system-on-chip with eight cores, while the E5-1630 v3 is a higher-clocked, quad-core Haswell-EP part from an older generation. Despite their architectural differences, benchmark results place them in a near-perfect dead heat, with the D-1537 taking a narrow but consistent lead across the board.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data shows an extraordinarily tight contest, with the Intel Xeon D-1537 winning all six Cinebench comparisons. The largest margin is in the Cinebench R15 single-core test, where the D-1537 scores 90 against the E5-1630 v3's 89, a delta of 1.1%. This is a slight but notable advantage, as the E5-1630 v3's higher base clock of 3.70 GHz would normally suggest an advantage in lightly-threaded workloads, yet the data indicates otherwise.

In multi-core workloads, the results are even closer. The Cinebench R15 multi-core test shows the D-1537 scoring 637 versus 635 for the E5-1630 v3, a 0.3% difference. This pattern repeats in Cinebench R20, where the D-1537 posts 2657 against 2647 (0.4% delta), and in Cinebench R23, where the D-1537 achieves 6327 versus 6303 (0.4% delta). These margins are within run-to-run variance territory, but the consistency of the D-1537's victories across all three generations of the Cinebench suite is a meaningful signal.

Single-core results in the newer benchmarks mirror the multi-core trend. In Cinebench R20 single-core, the D-1537 scores 375 against 373 (0.5% delta), and in Cinebench R23 single-core, it scores 893 against 889 (0.4% delta). The Xeon D-1537's boost clock is only 2.30 GHz, far lower than the E5-1630 v3's 3.80 GHz boost, yet the newer Broadwell architecture appears to compensate for the clock deficit through higher instructions-per-clock efficiency.

The average benchmark scores reinforce this parity. The D-1537 has an average benchmark score of 1830, while the E5-1630 v3 sits at 1823. This places the D-1537 at the 42nd percentile of all CPUs, with its nearest rival being the Intel Xeon E5-2608L v3 at an identical average score of 1830 and a 0% delta. The E5-1630 v3 also sits at the 42nd percentile, with its closest comparison being the Intel Core i7-4790S at 1827, a -0.2% delta. Notably, each processor appears in the other's nearest rivals list: the E5-1630 v3 is listed as a rival to the D-1537 with a -0.4% delta, confirming their near-identical performance profile.

Where Each One Wins

Based strictly on benchmark wins, the Intel Xeon D-1537 wins in every tested category, taking all six head-to-head comparisons. This makes it the superior choice for both single-threaded responsiveness and multi-threaded throughput in the Cinebench suite. The D-1537's wins are particularly relevant for workloads that scale across its 8 cores and 16 threads, where its lower clock speed is offset by twice the core count compared to the E5-1630 v3's 4 cores and 8 threads.

However, the E5-1630 v3's strengths lie outside the benchmark suite. Its quad-channel memory bus with a bandwidth of 68.3 GB/s is a significant architectural advantage for memory-intensive applications that the Cinebench tests do not capture. The E5-1630 v3 also offers 40 PCIe Gen 3 lanes, compared to 24 lanes on the D-1537, making it the better fit for configurations requiring more expansion cards, NVMe storage, or high-bandwidth accelerators.

The E5-1630 v3 also supports DDR4 memory exclusively, while the D-1537 supports both DDR3 and DDR4. For systems with existing DDR3 infrastructure, the D-1537 offers flexibility, but the E5-1630 v3's quad-channel DDR4 configuration provides superior theoretical memory bandwidth for server workloads. In scenarios where raw memory throughput is the bottleneck—such as large in-memory databases or high-performance computing simulations—the E5-1630 v3's memory subsystem could yield real-world advantages that do not appear in CPU-centric benchmarks.

The D-1537's wins are more universal, applying to all tested scenarios. Its 35 W TDP makes it dramatically more power-efficient than the E5-1630 v3's 140 W TDP, a fourfold difference that is not directly measured in performance benchmarks but has profound implications for dense server deployments and operating costs. The D-1537 is also an active production part, while the E5-1630 v3 is end-of-life, indicating a longer support horizon for the newer processor.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different microarchitectures and manufacturing nodes. The Intel Xeon D-1537 is built on Broadwell, a 14 nm process, while the Intel Xeon E5-1630 v3 uses Haswell on a 22 nm node. This process advantage is reflected in the transistor counts: the D-1537 contains 3,200 million transistors in a 246 mm² die, whereas the E5-1630 v3 packs 2,600 million transistors into a larger 356 mm² die. The newer, denser process allows the D-1537 to integrate more transistors in a smaller area while consuming far less power.

Cache configurations differ significantly. The D-1537 uses a per-core layout with 64 KB of L1 and 256 KB of L2 per core, plus 1.5 MB of L3 per core. The E5-1630 v3 also has 64 KB of L1 and 256 KB of L2 per core, but its L3 cache is 10 MB shared across all four cores. This shared-pool design on the E5-1630 v3 can be more efficient for workloads with shared data access patterns, while the D-1537's per-core L3 allocation scales with core count.

Memory support diverges clearly. The D-1537 supports both DDR3 and DDR4 across a dual-channel memory bus, while the E5-1630 v3 supports only DDR4 but across a quad-channel bus with a rated bandwidth of 68.3 GB/s. The memory bandwidth figure for the D-1537 is not specified in the data, but the dual-channel configuration inherently provides less peak bandwidth than the quad-channel setup on the E5-1630 v3.

Socket and platform requirements also differ. The D-1537 uses an Intel BGA 1667 socket, which is soldered, indicating a system-on-chip design intended for embedded and compact server boards. The E5-1630 v3 uses the Intel Socket 2011-3, a traditional LGA socket that allows for processor replacement and upgradeability. PCIe lane counts differ as well, with the D-1537 providing 24 Gen 3 lanes and the E5-1630 v3 offering 40 Gen 3 lanes.

Release timing and status further distinguish them. The D-1537 was released in late 2015 and remains active, while the E5-1630 v3 was released in late 2014 and is now end-of-life. The D-1537 has a launch MSRP of $470, while no launch MSRP is available for the E5-1630 v3 in the data.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher single-core performance?

A: The Intel Xeon D-1537 wins all three single-core Cinebench tests. It scores 90 vs 89 in R15 single-core (1.1% delta), 375 vs 373 in R20 single-core (0.5% delta), and 893 vs 889 in R23 single-core (0.4% delta).

Q: How do the two processors compare in multi-core workloads?

A: The Intel Xeon D-1537 leads in multi-core tests across the board. It scores 637 vs 635 in R15 multi-core (0.3% delta), 2657 vs 2647 in R20 multi-core (0.4% delta), and 6327 vs 6303 in R23 multi-core (0.4% delta).

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

A: The Intel Xeon D-1537 has 8 cores and 16 threads. The Intel Xeon E5-1630 v3 has 4 cores and 8 threads. Despite having half the core count, the E5-1630 v3's much higher clock speeds keep it nearly level in multi-threaded benchmarks.

Q: Which processor supports more memory channels?

A: The Intel Xeon E5-1630 v3 supports quad-channel memory with a bandwidth of 68.3 GB/s, while the Intel Xeon D-1537 supports dual-channel memory. The E5-1630 v3 supports DDR4 only, while the D-1537 supports both DDR3 and DDR4.

Q: How do their power requirements differ?

A: The Intel Xeon D-1537 has a TDP of 35 W, while the Intel Xeon E5-1630 v3 has a TDP of 140 W. This represents a fourfold difference in thermal design power, making the D-1537 dramatically more power-efficient.

Q: What is the production status of each processor?

A: The Intel Xeon D-1537 is listed as active in production, while the Intel Xeon E5-1630 v3 is listed as end-of-life. The D-1537 also carries a launch MSRP of $470, while no launch MSRP is available for the E5-1630 v3.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Xeon D-1537 | Intel Xeon E5-1630 v3 |

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

| Cores | 8 | 4 |

| Threads | 16 | 8 |

| Base Clock | 1700.00 MHz | 3.70 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 2.30 GHz | 3.80 GHz |

| TDP | 35 W | 140 W |

| Socket | Intel BGA 1667 | Intel Socket 2011-3 |

| Architecture | Broadwell | Haswell |

| Codename | Broadwell | Haswell-EP |

| Generation | Xeon D (Broadwell-DE) | Xeon E5 (Haswell-EP) |

| Process Node | 14 nm | 22 nm |

| Transistors | 3,200 million | 2,600 million |

| Die Size | 246 mm² | 356 mm² |

| L3 Cache | 1.5 MB (per core) | 10 MB (shared) |

| Memory Support | DDR3, DDR4 | DDR4 |

| Memory Bus | Dual-channel | Quad-channel |

| Memory Bandwidth | Not specified | 68.3 GB/s |

| PCIe | Gen 3, 24 Lanes (CPU only) | Gen 3, 40 Lanes (CPU only) |

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

| Release Date | 2015-10-31 | 2014-09-07 |

| Launch MSRP | $470 | Not specified |

| Part Number | SR2GF | QFSVSR20L |

The specification table highlights the fundamental trade-off: the D-1537 offers more cores, a smaller die, lower power consumption, and a newer process, while the E5-1630 v3 counters with much higher clock speeds, a larger shared L3 cache, quad-channel memory, and double the PCIe lanes. Benchmark data shows these differences nearly cancel out in Cinebench performance, with the D-1537 maintaining a razor-thin advantage across every test. The choice between them ultimately depends on platform requirements: the D-1537 suits power-constrained, compact deployments, while the E5-1630 v3 serves memory-bandwidth-hungry, expansion-heavy systems despite its end-of-life status.