Intel Xeon D-1577 vs Intel Xeon E5-2628L v3 Comparison

The Intel Xeon E5-2628L v3 and Intel Xeon D-1577 are two very different server processors that nevertheless land in nearly the same performance bracket. The E5-2628L v3 is a Haswell-EP part built for socketed platforms, while the D-1577 is a Broadwell-DE system-on-chip soldered to a BGA board. Benchmark results show the E5-2628L v3 winning every single head-to-head test, but the margins are razor-thin, with the largest victory being just 0.4%. This near-parity in compute output, achieved through completely different core counts and clock strategies, makes the comparison a study in architectural trade-offs rather than a straightforward performance ranking.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data contains six Cinebench tests, and the Intel Xeon E5-2628L v3 claims victory in all of them. The multicore results are remarkably close: in Cinebench R15, the E5-2628L v3 scores 949 against the D-1577’s 946, a difference of 0.3%. That pattern repeats in Cinebench R20, where the E5-2628L v3 posts 3955 versus 3943, again a 0.3% edge. In Cinebench R23 multicore, the lead is 9417 to 9389, once more a 0.3% gap. These are margins that would vanish in a single run-to-run variance, yet the consistency across all three Cinebench versions suggests a slight, genuine advantage for the E5-2628L v3 in threaded workloads.

Single-core results are even tighter. In Cinebench R15, both processors score exactly 133, a tie. The E5-2628L v3 edges ahead in R20 with 558 versus 556 (0.4% delta) and in R23 with 1329 versus 1325 (0.3% delta). For single-threaded tasks, the two chips are effectively interchangeable, with the E5-2628L v3’s higher boost clock of 2.50 GHz providing just enough lift over the D-1577’s 2.10 GHz to nudge ahead. The overall average benchmark score tells the same story: the E5-2628L v3 averages 2724, while the D-1577 averages 2715. Both processors sit at the 50th percentile among all CPUs, and their nearest-rival lists are nearly identical, featuring the AMD Ryzen 7 4700U, Intel Core i7-11390H, and AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 5650U.

The significance of these numbers is that neither chip dominates in any practical sense. A 0.3% delta in Cinebench R23 multicore translates to roughly 28 points, which is well within the noise of thermal variation or background process interference. The data shows that for raw compute throughput, the two Xeons are peers, and the choice between them must be made on platform, power, and feature considerations rather than benchmark scores.

Architecture Differences

The architectural gap between these two parts is substantial, even though their performance lands in the same place. The Intel Xeon E5-2628L v3 uses the Haswell-EP microarchitecture on a 22 nm process node, with 2,600 million transistors packed into a 356 mm² die. It offers 10 cores and 20 threads. The Intel Xeon D-1577, by contrast, is built on Broadwell-DE, a 14 nm process with 3,200 million transistors in a much smaller 246 mm² die, and it packs 16 cores and 32 threads. The D-1577 therefore has 60% more cores and threads, yet it only barely trails in multicore benchmarks because its base clock is a low 1.30 GHz versus the E5-2628L v3’s 2.00 GHz.

Cache configurations also diverge. Both share the same per-core L1 (64 KB) and L2 (256 KB) sizes, but the L3 layout is fundamentally different. The E5-2628L v3 has a 25 MB shared L3, which is a traditional ring-bus design common to Haswell-EP. The D-1577 instead uses 1.5 MB per core for L3, which for 16 cores totals 24 MB but is distributed as per-core slices rather than a single shared pool. This matters for workloads with high inter-thread communication, where a shared pool can reduce latency, versus per-core slices that scale better with core count.

Memory support is another major divide. The E5-2628L v3 supports only DDR4, running on a quad-channel memory bus with a rated bandwidth of 59.7 GB/s. The D-1577 supports both DDR3 and DDR4, but on a dual-channel bus, and the fact pack lists no memory bandwidth figure for it. The dual-channel configuration is a severe bottleneck for a 16-core processor, which likely explains why the D-1577 cannot translate its core advantage into a benchmark win. The E5-2628L v3 also offers more PCIe lanes: Gen 3 with 40 lanes (CPU only) versus the D-1577’s Gen 3 with 24 lanes.

Production status and release dates differ as well. The E5-2628L v3 launched on 2014-09-07 and is end-of-life, while the D-1577 launched on 2016-02-23 and remains active. The D-1577 is also built for a different socket (Intel BGA 1667 versus Intel Socket 2011-3), which means the two cannot be used interchangeably in any platform.

Where Each One Wins

Given the benchmark results, the E5-2628L v3 wins every measured test, but the real-world use cases are more nuanced. The E5-2628L v3 is the better choice for workloads that are sensitive to memory bandwidth. Its quad-channel DDR4 support at 59.7 GB/s gives it a decisive edge in data-intensive tasks like large database queries, in-memory analytics, or scientific computing where the working set exceeds the D-1577’s dual-channel capacity. The 40 PCIe Gen 3 lanes also make the E5-2628L v3 more suitable for systems with multiple GPUs, NVMe arrays, or high-speed network adapters, since those devices can be attached directly to the CPU without a switch.

The D-1577’s advantage is in core count and power efficiency. With 16 cores and 32 threads, it has more raw parallelism available for highly threaded workloads, even if the low clock speed limits throughput. Its 45 W TDP versus the E5-2628L v3’s 75 W TDP means it can be deployed in dense, low-power environments like edge servers, network appliances, or storage controllers where the socketed E5-2628L v3 would be impractical. The D-1577’s BGA socket and active production status also make it a better candidate for new designs, whereas the E5-2628L v3 is end-of-life and only available as a legacy part.

For single-threaded tasks, neither chip is a winner in absolute terms. The E5-2628L v3’s 2.50 GHz boost clock gives it a 0.4% edge in Cinebench R20 single-core, but that is negligible. The D-1577’s lower clock is offset by its newer 14 nm process, which improves instructions per clock. In practice, any application that relies on single-thread performance should look to other processors entirely, as both Xeons sit at the 50th percentile and are outclassed by the mobile and laptop chips in their nearest-rival lists.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ on nearly every specification line except for L1/L2 cache, ECC support, and integrated graphics (both have none). The core count is the largest gap: the D-1577 has 16 cores and 32 threads, while the E5-2628L v3 has 10 cores and 20 threads. Clock speeds are reversed, with the E5-2628L v3 at 2.00 GHz base and 2.50 GHz boost versus the D-1577’s 1.30 GHz base and 2.10 GHz boost. TDP is a major differentiator: 75 W for the E5-2628L v3 and 45 W for the D-1577.

The process node and physical characteristics differ, with the E5-2628L v3 on 22 nm with 2,600 million transistors and a 356 mm² die, versus the D-1577 on 14 nm with 3,200 million transistors and a 246 mm² die. L3 cache is 25 MB shared on the E5-2628L v3 and 1.5 MB per core on the D-1577. Memory support differs, with the E5-2628L v3 limited to DDR4 on a quad-channel bus at 59.7 GB/s, while the D-1577 supports DDR3 and DDR4 on a dual-channel bus with no listed bandwidth. PCIe lanes are 40 on the E5-2628L v3 and 24 on the D-1577. The socket, architecture, codename, generation, release date, production status, part number, and launch MSRP all differ. The E5-2628L v3 launched at $1364, and the D-1577 at 1379.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores?

A: The Intel Xeon D-1577 has 16 cores and 32 threads, while the Intel Xeon E5-2628L v3 has 10 cores and 20 threads.

Q: Does the E5-2628L v3 win all benchmark tests?

A: Yes, the E5-2628L v3 wins all six head-to-head Cinebench tests, but the largest margin is only 0.4%, and one test (Cinebench R15 single-core) is a tie at 133.

Q: What is the TDP difference between the two?

A: The E5-2628L v3 has a TDP of 75 W, while the D-1577 has a TDP of 45 W, making the D-1577 significantly more power-efficient.

Q: Which processor supports more memory channels?

A: The E5-2628L v3 supports quad-channel memory with a bandwidth of 59.7 GB/s, while the D-1577 supports dual-channel memory with no bandwidth figure listed.

Q: Are both processors still in production?

A: No. The E5-2628L v3 is end-of-life, while the D-1577 is listed as active production.

Q: How do they compare in average benchmark score?

A: The E5-2628L v3 has an average benchmark score of 2724, and the D-1577 has 2715, a difference of 0.3%. Both sit at the 50th percentile among all CPUs.