CPU Comparison

# Intel Xeon E-2176M vs Intel Xeon E5-2628L v3

The benchmark data presents a curious inversion of expectations. The Intel Xeon E5-2628L v3, a 2014-era Haswell part with a 75W TDP and a 2.00 GHz base clock, wins all six head-to-head benchmark comparisons against the newer Intel Xeon E-2176M, which boosts to 4.40 GHz and draws only 45W. The margins are consistent, roughly 3% across Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 in both single-core and multi-core tests, yet the underlying architectures could hardly be more different. The E5-2628L v3 achieves its edge through raw core count (10 cores versus 6) and a much larger 25 MB shared L3 cache, while the E-2176M counters with a far higher clock ceiling and a more modern 14 nm process. The data suggests that for this specific pairing, the older server chip's additional cores and cache outweigh the newer chip's clock advantage in every tested workload.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear but narrow victory for the Intel Xeon E5-2628L v3. Across all six Cinebench tests, R15, R20, and R23, each in single-core and multi-core variants, the E5-2628L v3 finishes ahead, with deltas ranging from -2.9% to -3% relative to the E-2176M. The largest gap appears in Cinebench R23 multi-core, where the E5-2628L v3 scores 9417 versus 9140, a 277-point difference. The single-core gaps are similarly consistent: 133 versus 129 in R15, 558 versus 541 in R20, and 1329 versus 1290 in R23. The E-2176M never wins a single benchmark in this head-to-head set.

However, the average benchmark scores tell a slightly different story. The E-2176M has an average benchmark score of 2751, while the E5-2628L v3 sits at 2724, meaning the newer chip actually edges ahead when considering a broader benchmark aggregate. The E-2176M's percentile ranking (50th) matches the E5-2628L v3's (50th), so both sit at the median of all CPUs tracked. The nearest rivals for the E-2176M include the AMD Ryzen 3 4300GE (delta -0.3%) and the AMD Ryzen 3 5400U (delta -0.5%), while the E5-2628L v3's closest competitors are the AMD Ryzen 7 4700U (delta 0.1%) and the Intel Core i7-11390H (delta 0.3%). Neither chip dominates its weight class; both are positioned squarely in the middle of the performance distribution.

For a buyer choosing strictly on the basis of these Cinebench scores, the E5-2628L v3 is the pick for rendering workloads. But the E-2176M's higher clock speeds and lower TDP make it a more compelling option for tasks that favor responsiveness and efficiency, even if the data does not directly show wins in those areas.

Where Each One Wins

The E5-2628L v3 wins every Cinebench test in the head-to-head comparison, but the margins are small enough that the reasons matter more than the raw numbers. Multi-core workloads benefit from the E5-2628L v3's 10 cores and 20 threads, which outnumber the E-2176M's 6 cores and 12 threads by 4 cores and 8 threads. The larger 25 MB shared L3 cache also helps keep more working data closer to the cores, reducing the need to fetch from main memory. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the E5-2628L v3's 9417 score is 2.9% higher than the E-2176M's 9140, a modest but real advantage that likely scales with thread count.

Single-core performance is where the E-2176M should theoretically shine, given its 4.40 GHz boost clock versus the E5-2628L v3's 2.50 GHz boost. Yet the data shows the opposite: the E5-2628L v3 wins single-core tests by the same 3% margin. In Cinebench R23 single-core, the E5-2628L v3 scores 1329 versus 1290, a 39-point lead. This suggests that the Haswell architecture's per-core efficiency, despite its older 22 nm process, is sufficient to overcome a 1.90 GHz clock deficit. The E-2176M's Coffee Lake architecture does not translate its clock advantage into benchmark wins in this comparison.

The E-2176M's wins are not reflected in the head-to-head benchmarks, but its average benchmark score of 2751 is higher than the E5-2628L v3's 2724. The E-2176M also has integrated graphics (UHD Graphics P630), while the E5-2628L v3 has none. That makes the E-2176M a more self-contained option for systems without a discrete GPU, even though the benchmark data does not capture graphics performance.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different eras and design philosophies. The E-2176M is built on Intel's Coffee Lake-H architecture at 14 nm, with a die size of 154 mm². It uses an Intel BGA 1440 socket, which is a soldered, mobile-oriented package. The E5-2628L v3, by contrast, is a Haswell-EP part on a 22 nm process, with a much larger die size of 356 mm² and 2,600 million transistors. It uses the Intel Socket 2011-3, a server-class socket with support for more memory channels and PCIe lanes.

Cache hierarchies differ significantly. Both have 64 KB of L1 cache per core and 256 KB of L2 cache per core, but the L3 cache is where the gap emerges: the E-2176M has 12 MB shared, while the E5-2628L v3 has 25 MB shared. That is more than double the L3 capacity, which directly benefits workloads with large working sets.

Memory support also diverges. The E-2176M uses dual-channel DDR4 with a memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s, while the E5-2628L v3 uses quad-channel DDR4 with a bandwidth of 59.7 GB/s. The E5-2628L v3's extra memory channels provide 40% more bandwidth, which can matter in memory-bound server workloads. Both support ECC memory, but the E5-2628L v3 also offers 40 PCIe Gen 3 lanes (CPU only) versus the E-2176M's 16 lanes, making the older chip more suitable for multi-GPU or high-I/O configurations.

The E-2176M includes integrated UHD Graphics P630, a feature the E5-2628L v3 lacks entirely. The E-2176M also has a lower TDP of 45W versus 75W, and a far higher boost clock of 4.40 GHz versus 2.50 GHz. The E-2176M's base clock of 2.70 GHz is also higher than the E5-2628L v3's 2.00 GHz, but that does not translate into benchmark wins.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Xeon E5-2628L v3 has 10 cores and 20 threads, while the Intel Xeon E-2176M has 6 cores and 12 threads.

Q: Does the E-2176M ever beat the E5-2628L v3 in the head-to-head benchmarks?

A: No. The E5-2628L v3 wins all six Cinebench tests (R15, R20, R23 in both single-core and multi-core), with deltas of -2.9% to -3% relative to the E-2176M.

Q: What is the average benchmark score difference?

A: The E-2176M has an average benchmark score of 2751, while the E5-2628L v3 scores 2724, meaning the E-2176M is slightly higher by 27 points.

Q: Which CPU supports more memory channels?

A: The E5-2628L v3 supports quad-channel DDR4 with 59.7 GB/s bandwidth, while the E-2176M supports dual-channel DDR4 with 42.7 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Does either CPU have integrated graphics?

A: The E-2176M includes UHD Graphics P630, while the E5-2628L v3 has no integrated graphics.

Q: Which CPU has a larger L3 cache?

A: The E5-2628L v3 has 25 MB shared L3 cache, compared to the E-2176M's 12 MB shared L3 cache.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head results are remarkably uniform. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the E5-2628L v3 scores 949 against the E-2176M's 921, a 3% delta. The single-core R15 test shows 133 versus 129, again a 3% gap. Moving to Cinebench R20, the multi-core score is 3955 for the E5-2628L v3 and 3838 for the E-2176M, with the same 3% delta. The single-core R20 result is 558 versus 541, also 3%. In Cinebench R23, the multi-core score is 9417 versus 9140, a 2.9% delta, and the single-core score is 1329 versus 1290, also 2.9%.

The consistency of these margins is striking. Whether the workload is single-threaded or multi-threaded, the E5-2628L v3 maintains a roughly 3% lead. This suggests that the bottleneck is not thread count or clock speed alone, but rather a combination of factors, likely the larger L3 cache and the quad-channel memory interface, that give the E5-2628L v3 an edge across the board. The E-2176M's higher boost clock (4.40 GHz versus 2.50 GHz) does not help in these specific tests, possibly because the Haswell architecture's IPC (instructions per clock) is higher than Coffee Lake's at the same power envelope, or because the E5-2628L v3's cache and memory subsystem compensate for its clock disadvantage.

The E-2176M's best relative performance comes in Cinebench R23, where the delta narrows to 2.9% in both single-core and multi-core. That is still a loss, but the trend hints that newer workloads might favor the Coffee Lake architecture slightly more than older ones.

Specification Differences

The two CPUs differ in nearly every major specification. The E-2176M has 6 cores and 12 threads, while the E5-2628L v3 has 10 cores and 20 threads. Base clocks are 2.70 GHz versus 2.00 GHz, and boost clocks are 4.40 GHz versus 2.50 GHz. TDP is 45W for the E-2176M and 75W for the E5-2628L v3. The socket is Intel BGA 1440 for the E-2176M versus Intel Socket 2011-3 for the E5-2628L v3.

The process node is 14 nm for the E-2176M and 22 nm for the E5-2628L v3. Die size is 154 mm² versus 356 mm², and the E5-2628L v3 has 2,600 million transistors while the E-2176M's transistor count is not provided. L3 cache is 12 MB shared versus 25 MB shared. Memory support is dual-channel DDR4 with 42.7 GB/s bandwidth for the E-2176M, versus quad-channel DDR4 with 59.7 GB/s for the E5-2628L v3. PCIe lanes are 16 (Gen 3, CPU only) for the E-2176M and 40 (Gen 3, CPU only) for the E5-2628L v3. The E-2176M has integrated UHD Graphics P630; the E5-2628L v3 has none. The E-2176M's launch MSRP is $450, while the E5-2628L v3's launch MSRP is $1364. Release dates are 2018-04-03 for the E-2176M and 2014-09-07 for the E5-2628L v3. Both are end-of-life and neither has an unlocked multiplier.