Intel Xeon D-1557 vs Intel Xeon D-1715TER Comparison

The Intel Xeon D-1557 and Intel Xeon D-1715TER are two server-focused processors that, despite a six-year gap in release timing, deliver remarkably similar overall performance. The data shows the D-1557, with its 12 cores and 24 threads, wins every single head-to-head benchmark in the Cinebench suite, but the margins are consistently slim. The D-1715TER counters with a significantly newer architecture, higher clock speeds, and a more modern platform, making this a contest between core count and generational efficiency.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark results paint a picture of near-total dominance for the older Intel Xeon D-1557, yet the victory is far from decisive. Across all six Cinebench tests, the D-1557 emerges as the winner, but the largest margin is a modest 2.8% in the Cinebench R15 single-core test. In that specific test, the D-1557 scores 112 points against the D-1715TER's 109 points. This is a notable outcome because the D-1715TER has a substantially higher boost clock, yet it cannot overcome the architectural advantage of the D-1557's per-core L1 cache configuration in this legacy test.

The multi-core results tell a more predictable story, where the D-1557's 12 cores and 24 threads provide a consistent edge over the D-1715TER's 4 cores and 8 threads. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the D-1557 scores 795 versus 779, a 2.1% lead. The pattern repeats in Cinebench R20 multi-core, with the D-1557 scoring 3314 against the D-1715TER's 3249, a 2% advantage. The gap remains at exactly 2% in the Cinebench R20 single-core test (467 vs. 458) and the Cinebench R23 multi-core test (7892 vs. 7738). The D-1557 also wins Cinebench R23 single-core by 2%, scoring 1114 versus 1092.

What is most striking is not that the D-1557 wins, but how small the margins are. A 12-core, 24-thread processor from 2016 is only managing to stay 2% ahead of a 4-core, 8-thread processor from 2022 in multi-threaded workloads. This suggests that the D-1715TER's higher base clock of 2.40 GHz and boost clock of 3.50 GHz, combined with the Ice Lake architecture's efficiency, nearly compensates for the massive difference in core count. The data indicates that the D-1557's average benchmark score of 2282 places it in the 47th percentile of all CPUs, while the D-1715TER's average score of 2238 also lands in the 47th percentile, confirming their overall performance parity. The D-1557's nearest rival is the Intel Xeon E5-2629 v3 with an average score of 2283, a 0% delta, while the D-1715TER sits closest to the Intel Xeon D-1548 at 2231, a 0.3% delta.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Xeon D-1557 has 12 cores and 24 threads, while the Intel Xeon D-1715TER has 4 cores and 8 threads.

Q: In which benchmark does the Intel Xeon D-1557 have its largest winning margin?

A: The D-1557's largest margin is a 2.8% lead in the Cinebench R15 single-core test, scoring 112 versus the D-1715TER's 109.

Q: Does the Intel Xeon D-1715TER win any head-to-head benchmark?

A: No. The head-to-head data shows the Intel Xeon D-1557 wins all 6 benchmark comparisons, with the D-1715TER recording 0 wins.

Q: How do the two processors compare in terms of memory bandwidth?

A: The Intel Xeon D-1715TER has a specified memory bandwidth of 64.0 GB/s, while the Intel Xeon D-1557 does not have a memory bandwidth figure listed in the data.

Q: What is the difference in their release dates?

A: The Intel Xeon D-1557 was released on 2016-02-23, and the Intel Xeon D-1715TER was released on 2022-02-23, exactly six years later.

Q: Are both processors in the same performance percentile?

A: Yes, both the Intel Xeon D-1557 and the Intel Xeon D-1715TER are in the 47th percentile of all CPUs.

The Verdict

The choice between these two processors depends entirely on the priority of core count versus platform modernity. For workloads that are heavily multi-threaded and can utilize all 12 cores, the Intel Xeon D-1557 is the clear winner in this comparison, as it takes all six benchmark victories. Its 24 threads provide a structural advantage that, while resulting in only a 2% performance lead in Cinebench R23 multi-core, is a consistent edge across every test. The D-1557 is also the only one of the two with a listed launch MSRP of $694, a figure that can be used for direct comparison.

However, the Intel Xeon D-1715TER is not without merit in this matchup. It achieves near-identical benchmark scores with only one-third the cores and threads, which speaks to the efficiency of its Ice Lake architecture and much higher clock speeds. Its 50 TDP is only slightly higher than the D-1557's 45 TDP, despite the newer process node. For users who require the latest PCIe Gen 4 lanes, triple-channel memory, and a newer socket (Intel BGA 2227), the D-1715TER offers a more modern foundation, even if it loses every performance benchmark in this data set. The data suggests that the D-1557 is the pick for raw multi-threaded throughput, while the D-1715TER is the pick for a newer feature set with comparable, albeit slightly lower, scores.

Specification Differences

The two processors diverge significantly on core specifications. The Intel Xeon D-1557 operates with a base clock of 1500.00 MHz and a boost clock of 2.10 GHz, while the Intel Xeon D-1715TER runs much faster at a base clock of 2.40 GHz and a boost clock of 3.50 GHz. The D-1557 has a TDP of 45 watts, which is slightly lower than the D-1715TER's 50 watts. They use different sockets: the D-1557 uses Intel BGA 1667, while the D-1715TER uses Intel BGA 2227. Memory support also differs, with the D-1557 supporting both DDR3 and DDR4 over a dual-channel bus, while the D-1715TER supports only DDR4 but over a triple-channel bus. The D-1715TER also lists a memory bandwidth of 64.0 GB/s. For expansion, the D-1557 provides PCIe Gen 3 with 24 lanes (CPU only), whereas the D-1715TER provides PCIe Gen 4 with 16 lanes (CPU only). The D-1557 has a launch MSRP of $694, while the D-1715TER has no launch MSRP listed.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two chips is substantial. The Intel Xeon D-1557 is built on Intel's 14 nm process and uses the Broadwell architecture, specifically the Broadwell-DE generation. It packs 3,200 million transistors on a 246 mm² die. Its cache layout is per-core: 64 KB of L1, 256 KB of L2, and 1.5 MB of L3 per core. In contrast, the Intel Xeon D-1715TER uses the newer 10 nm process and the Ice Lake architecture, specifically the Ice Lake-D generation. Its cache topology is different, featuring 80 KB of L1 and 1.25 MB of L2 per core, but a much larger 10 MB shared L3 cache. The D-1715TER's foundry is also Intel, but it has no listed transistor count or die size. Both processors support ECC memory and have no integrated graphics, and both are locked with a multiplier. The D-1557's part number is SR2M4, while the D-1715TER's is SRLBX.