Intel Xeon D-1577 vs Intel Xeon E5-4650 v3 Comparison

The Intel Xeon D-1577 and the Intel Xeon E5-4650 v3 occupy different corners of the server and workstation market, but benchmark results show the D-1577 consistently outperforms its older, larger counterpart across every recorded Cinebench test. The D-1577 wins all six head-to-head comparisons, though the margins are remarkably narrow, ranging from 1.5% to 1.9%. The E5-4650 v3, meanwhile, offers a distinct platform advantage through its quad-channel memory bus and 40 PCIe lanes, which the data suggests matters more for memory bandwidth and expansion capacity than for raw CPU compute in these specific tests.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Xeon D-1577 wins every benchmark in the recorded data. Its multicore advantages are small but consistent: in Cinebench R15 multicore it scores 946 against 928, a 1.9% lead; in R20 multicore it scores 3943 against 3869, another 1.9% lead; and in R23 multicore it scores 9389 against 9212, again 1.9% ahead. Single-core results follow the same pattern, with the D-1577 leading by 1.5% in R15 (133 versus 131), 1.8% in R20 (556 versus 546), and 1.9% in R23 (1325 versus 1300). These are not transformative wins, but they are uniform: the D-1577 is the faster CPU in every measured scenario.

The E5-4650 v3 does not win any benchmark in the head-to-head set, but its value lies outside the Cinebench scores. It supports quad-channel DDR4 memory with a recorded bandwidth of 68.3 GB/s, while the D-1577 uses a dual-channel bus. It also provides 40 PCIe Gen 3 lanes compared to 24 for the D-1577. For workloads that saturate memory bandwidth or require many PCIe devices, the E5-4650 v3 is the better platform choice, even though the compute benchmarks do not capture that advantage.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different Intel microarchitectures and process nodes. The D-1577 is built on Broadwell at 14 nm, while the E5-4650 v3 uses Haswell at 22 nm. The D-1577 integrates 3,200 million transistors on a 246 mm² die, whereas the E5-4650 v3 packs 2,600 million transistors on a larger 356 mm² die. The D-1577's smaller process node allows it to deliver more cores and threads, 16 cores and 32 threads versus 12 cores and 24 threads, while consuming far less power: its TDP is 45 watts, against 105 watts for the E5-4650 v3.

Cache organization also differs significantly. The D-1577 uses per-core L1 and L2 caches, 64 KB and 256 KB respectively, and a 1.5 MB per-core L3 cache. The E5-4650 v3 uses the same per-core L1 and L2 sizes but features a shared 30 MB L3 cache. This shared design can benefit workloads that access common data across cores, though the recorded benchmarks do not isolate this effect. Both processors support ECC memory, but the D-1577 accepts both DDR3 and DDR4, while the E5-4650 v3 is limited to DDR4. The D-1577 uses an Intel BGA 1667 socket, making it a soldered, embedded-style part, while the E5-4650 v3 fits the standard Intel Socket 2011-3.

The D-1577 is listed as Active in production status and was released on 2016-02-23. The E5-4650 v3 is End-of-life and was released on 2015-05-31. The D-1577 carries part number SR2M2, the E5-4650 v3 carries SR22J. Neither processor has an unlocked multiplier.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in single-core performance?

A: The Intel Xeon D-1577 wins every single-core test. It scores 133, 556, and 1325 in Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 single-core respectively, against 131, 546, and 1300 for the Intel Xeon E5-4650 v3. The margins are 1.5%, 1.8%, and 1.9%.

Q: Does the E5-4650 v3 have any advantage in memory bandwidth?

A: Yes. The E5-4650 v3 uses a quad-channel DDR4 memory bus with a recorded bandwidth of 68.3 GB/s, while the D-1577 uses a dual-channel bus and has no recorded bandwidth figure in the database.

Q: How do the core counts differ?

A: The D-1577 has 16 cores and 32 threads, while the E5-4650 v3 has 12 cores and 24 threads. The D-1577 also has a lower TDP at 45 watts versus 105 watts.

Q: Which processor supports more PCIe lanes?

A: The E5-4650 v3 provides 40 PCIe Gen 3 lanes, compared to 24 for the D-1577. Both support PCIe Gen 3.

Q: Are both processors still in production?

A: No. The D-1577 is listed as Active, while the E5-4650 v3 is End-of-life.

Q: What is the L3 cache configuration for each?

A: The D-1577 has 1.5 MB of L3 cache per core, while the E5-4650 v3 has a shared 30 MB L3 cache.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ across nearly every major specification category. The D-1577 has 16 cores and 32 threads; the E5-4650 v3 has 12 cores and 24 threads. The D-1577 runs at a 1300 MHz base clock with a 2.10 GHz boost, while the E5-4650 v3 runs at a 2.10 GHz base clock with a 2.80 GHz boost. Despite the higher clocks, the E5-4650 v3 still loses the benchmark comparisons.

The D-1577 has a 45 W TDP; the E5-4650 v3 has a 105 W TDP. The D-1577 uses Intel BGA 1667; the E5-4650 v3 uses Intel Socket 2011-3. The D-1577 is fabricated on a 14 nm process with 3,200 million transistors on a 246 mm² die; the E5-4650 v3 uses 22 nm with 2,600 million transistors on a 356 mm² die. The D-1577 supports both DDR3 and DDR4 on a dual-channel bus; the E5-4650 v3 supports only DDR4 on a quad-channel bus with 68.3 GB/s bandwidth.

The D-1577 provides 24 PCIe Gen 3 lanes; the E5-4650 v3 provides 40 PCIe Gen 3 lanes. The D-1577 has 1.5 MB L3 per core; the E5-4650 v3 has 30 MB shared L3. The D-1577 was released on 2016-02-23 and is Active; the E5-4650 v3 was released on 2015-05-31 and is End-of-life. The D-1577 has part number SR2M2; the E5-4650 v3 has SR22J. The launch MSRP for the D-1577 is 1379, and for the E5-4650 v3 it is $2838.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The D-1577 wins all six recorded head-to-head Cinebench tests, but the victories are narrow. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the D-1577 scores 946 against 928 for the E5-4650 v3, a 1.9% delta. The R15 single-core test shows 133 versus 131, a 1.5% delta. Moving to R20, the multicore result is 3943 versus 3869, another 1.9% delta, and the single-core result is 556 versus 546, a 1.8% delta. The R23 tests mirror this pattern: multicore is 9389 versus 9212, 1.9%, and single-core is 1325 versus 1300, 1.9%.

The consistency of these margins is notable. Every multicore test shows exactly 1.9% separation, and the single-core deltas range from 1.5% to 1.9%. This suggests the D-1577's advantage is systemic rather than workload-specific, likely stemming from its newer 14 nm architecture and higher core count. The E5-4650 v3's higher clock speeds, 2.80 GHz boost versus 2.10 GHz, are not enough to overcome the architectural gap.

Looking at the broader database context, the D-1577 has an average benchmark score of 2715, placing it at the 50th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-11390H at 2715 with a 0% delta, the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 5650U at 2713 with a 0.1% delta, and the Intel Xeon E-2226G at 2709 with a 0.2% delta. The E5-4650 v3 has an average score of 2664, also at the 50th percentile, with nearest rivals including the Intel Core i7-9750HF at 2662, a 0.1% delta, and the Intel Core i7-9700T at 2668, a negative 0.1% delta. This places the two processors in the same general performance class, with the D-1577 holding a small but real edge.

The Verdict

The data supports a clear split decision. For pure CPU compute as measured by Cinebench, the Intel Xeon D-1577 is the better processor. It wins every test, holds a consistent 1.5% to 1.9% lead, does so with 16 cores versus 12, and consumes less than half the power at 45 watts versus 105 watts. It is also the more modern part, built on 14 nm versus 22 nm, and remains in active production.

The Intel Xeon E5-4650 v3 is not without reason for selection. Its quad-channel memory bus with 68.3 GB/s bandwidth and 40 PCIe Gen 3 lanes make it the stronger platform for memory-intensive or expansion-heavy workloads. The 30 MB shared L3 cache could also benefit certain server workloads, though the recorded benchmarks do not show a measurable advantage. Its higher base and boost clocks, 2.10 GHz and 2.80 GHz, suggest better responsiveness in lightly threaded tasks, but the single-core scores do not confirm this, as the D-1577 wins those tests as well.

The verdict from the recorded data is straightforward: choose the D-1577 for compute density and energy efficiency, and choose the E5-4650 v3 only if the memory bandwidth, PCIe lane count, or socket compatibility of the 2011-3 platform is a deciding factor. The E5-4650 v3 is end-of-life, which further favors the D-1577 for new deployments. The benchmark scores are close enough that either processor would serve similar workloads, but the D-1577 is the faster chip in every measured category.