CPU Comparison

The Intel Xeon E5-2637 v3 and Intel Xeon E-2224 are both four-core server processors, but they represent vastly different eras and design philosophies from Intel. The E5-2637 v3 is a high-end Haswell-EP part from 2014, built for dual-socket enterprise platforms with a massive L3 cache and quad-channel memory. The E-2224 is a newer Coffee Lake-S workstation chip from 2019, designed for single-socket simplicity with a much higher boost clock and integrated graphics. Benchmark data shows the older chip holds a razor-thin lead across every single test, yet the architectural gap between them tells a more complex story about workloads and platform priorities.

Where Each One Wins

Based on the head-to-head benchmark data, the Intel Xeon E5-2637 v3 wins all six Cinebench tests, but the margins are remarkably small. In multi-core tests, the E5-2637 v3 scores 617 in Cinebench R15 versus 614 for the E-2224, a 0.5% advantage. That pattern holds in Cinebench R20 (2574 vs 2559, a 0.6% lead) and Cinebench R23 (6130 vs 6093, a 0.6% lead). The E5-2637 v3’s advantage comes from its 8 threads versus the E-2224’s 4 threads, allowing it to process roughly twice the parallel workload despite its lower boost clock.

In single-core tests, the E5-2637 v3 also edges out the E-2224, but the deltas are similarly tiny: 87 vs 86 in Cinebench R15 (1.2% lead), 363 vs 361 in Cinebench R20 (0.6% lead), and 865 vs 860 in Cinebench R23 (0.6% lead). This is notable because the E-2224 has a 4.60 GHz boost clock versus the E5-2637 v3’s 3.70 GHz, yet the older chip still manages to win. The data suggests the E5-2637 v3’s 15 MB shared L3 cache provides a tangible latency advantage that compensates for its lower clock speed in these specific workloads.

The E-2224 has no benchmark wins in this comparison. Its strengths lie outside Cinebench, in areas like integrated graphics (UHD Graphics P630) and power efficiency, where its 71 W TDP is dramatically lower than the E5-2637 v3’s 135 W TDP. For workloads that are heavily single-threaded and don’t benefit from the larger cache, the E-2224’s higher boost clock could offer an advantage, but the available Cinebench data does not confirm this.

Architecture Differences

The two processors are built on different process nodes and microarchitectures. The E5-2637 v3 uses Intel’s 22 nm Haswell-EP architecture, featuring 2,600 million transistors on a 356 mm² die. The E-2224 uses the 14 nm Coffee Lake-S WS architecture, with a much smaller 126 mm² die and no disclosed transistor count. This size difference reflects the E5-2637 v3’s enterprise pedigree: the larger die accommodates the 15 MB shared L3 cache and the infrastructure for a quad-channel memory controller, while the E-2224 makes do with 8 MB of shared L3 and a dual-channel controller.

Both chips have 4 cores and 64 KB of L1 cache per core, plus 256 KB of L2 cache per core. The critical difference is threading: the E5-2637 v3 supports Hyper-Threading, giving it 8 threads, while the E-2224 has 4 threads. This doubles the E5-2637 v3’s parallel throughput capacity, which is why it wins all multi-core benchmarks. The E-2224 compensates with a 4.60 GHz boost clock versus the E5-2637 v3’s 3.70 GHz, but this is not enough to overcome the threading deficit in Cinebench.

Memory and I/O also diverge sharply. The E5-2637 v3 supports quad-channel DDR4 with 68.3 GB/s of memory bandwidth, while the E-2224 supports dual-channel DDR4 with 42.7 GB/s. The E5-2637 v3 offers 40 PCIe Gen 3 lanes (CPU only), while the E-2224 offers 16 lanes. The E-2224 includes integrated UHD Graphics P630, whereas the E5-2637 v3 has no integrated graphics. Both support ECC memory, but the E5-2637 v3 uses the Intel Socket 2011-3 platform while the E-2224 uses the mainstream Intel Socket 1151.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more threads?

A: The Intel Xeon E5-2637 v3 has 8 threads, while the Intel Xeon E-2224 has 4 threads. This is because the E5-2637 v3 supports Hyper-Threading on its 4 cores, whereas the E-2224 does not.

Q: Does the E-2224 have integrated graphics?

A: Yes, the Intel Xeon E-2224 includes UHD Graphics P630. The Intel Xeon E5-2637 v3 has no integrated graphics, requiring a discrete GPU for display output.

Q: Which processor has higher memory bandwidth?

A: The Intel Xeon E5-2637 v3 has 68.3 GB/s of memory bandwidth thanks to its quad-channel DDR4 controller. The Intel Xeon E-2224 has 42.7 GB/s with its dual-channel controller.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The Intel Xeon E5-2637 v3 has an average benchmark score of 1773, while the Intel Xeon E-2224 scores 1762. Both sit at the 41st percentile among all CPUs, with the E5-2637 v3 holding a 0.6% lead.

Q: What are their TDP ratings?

A: The Intel Xeon E5-2637 v3 has a 135 W TDP, while the Intel Xeon E-2224 has a 71 W TDP. This makes the E-2224 significantly more power-efficient for compact or lower-power systems.

Q: Which processor has a larger L3 cache?

A: The Intel Xeon E5-2637 v3 has 15 MB of shared L3 cache, while the Intel Xeon E-2224 has 8 MB of shared L3 cache. The E5-2637 v3’s larger cache helps offset its lower clock speeds in cache-sensitive workloads.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Xeon E5-2637 v3 | Intel Xeon E-2224 |

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

| Threads | 8 | 4 |

| Base Clock | 3.50 GHz | 3.40 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 3.70 GHz | 4.60 GHz |

| TDP | 135 W | 71 W |

| Socket | Intel Socket 2011-3 | Intel Socket 1151 |

| Architecture | Haswell | Coffee Lake |

| Process Node | 22 nm | 14 nm |

| Die Size | 356 mm² | 126 mm² |

| L3 Cache | 15 MB (shared) | 8 MB (shared) |

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

| Memory Bandwidth | 68.3 GB/s | 42.7 GB/s |

| PCIe | Gen 3, 40 Lanes (CPU only) | Gen 3, 16 Lanes (CPU only) |

| Integrated Graphics | None | UHD Graphics P630 |

| Launch MSRP | $996 | $193 |

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Cinebench results are remarkably consistent, with the Intel Xeon E5-2637 v3 winning every test by less than 1.2%. The largest single-core margin comes in Cinebench R15, where the E5-2637 v3 scores 87 versus the E-2224’s 86, a 1.2% delta. This is the biggest percentage gap in the entire comparison, which is striking given that the E-2224 boosts 0.90 GHz higher (4.60 GHz vs 3.70 GHz). The E5-2637 v3’s superior single-core performance in this test likely stems from its larger 15 MB L3 cache, which reduces memory latency for frequently accessed data.

In multi-core tests, the E5-2637 v3’s 8 threads provide a consistent edge. The Cinebench R15 multi-core result shows 617 vs 614, a 0.5% lead. The margin widens slightly in Cinebench R20 (2574 vs 2559, 0.6%) and Cinebench R23 (6130 vs 6093, 0.6%). These deltas are small but consistent, indicating the threading advantage translates directly into measurable, if modest, performance gains across all Cinebench versions.

The single-core results in Cinebench R20 (363 vs 361) and R23 (865 vs 860) both show a 0.6% lead for the E5-2637 v3. This pattern suggests that the E-2224’s higher boost clock does not overcome the older chip’s architectural advantages in these specific workloads. The data concludes that the E5-2637 v3 is the faster processor in every measured metric, but the E-2224 remains competitive due to its lower TDP, integrated graphics, and much lower launch MSRP of $193 versus the E5-2637 v3’s $996. The benchmark averages reflect this near-parity: the E5-2637 v3’s 1773 average score sits just 0.6% above the E-2224’s 1762, with both landing at the 41st percentile among all CPUs.