Intel Xeon E-2226G vs Intel Xeon E5-4650 v3 Comparison

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data splits cleanly along one axis: the Intel Xeon E-2226G wins every recorded Cinebench test, while the Intel Xeon E5-4650 v3 does not win a single one. That is a decisive sweep in the six head-to-head measurements, with the E-2226G taking all six contests. The margins are narrow, ranging from 1.5% to 1.7%, but they are consistent across every workload type, both single-core and multi-core.

The E-2226G leads in single-threaded performance by a small but uniform margin. In Cinebench R15 single-core, it scores 133 against 131 for the E5-4650 v3, a 1.5% advantage. In Cinebench R20 single-core, it scores 555 against 546, a 1.6% edge. In Cinebench R23 single-core, it scores 1322 against 1300, again a 1.7% lead. These are not dramatic differences, but they repeat identically across three generations of the Cinebench suite, which indicates the advantage is structural rather than an artifact of any single test version.

The multi-core picture is where the data becomes more interesting. The E5-4650 v3 has 12 cores and 24 threads, exactly double the core count and quadruple the thread count of the E-2226G, which has 6 cores and 6 threads. Yet in Cinebench R15 multi-core, the E-2226G scores 944 versus 928 for the E5-4650 v3, a 1.7% win. In Cinebench R20 multi-core, the E-2226G scores 3934 versus 3869, another 1.7% margin. In Cinebench R23 multi-core, the E-2226G scores 9368 versus 9212, again 1.7%. The E5-4650 v3 cannot convert its massive thread count advantage into a benchmark win, which suggests its older Haswell architecture and lower clock speeds hold it back in these workloads.

The average benchmark scores tell a similar story. The E-2226G has an average benchmark score of 2709, while the E5-4650 v3 averages 2664. The E-2226G sits at the 50th percentile among all CPUs, and its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 5650U at 2713 (0.2% ahead) and the Intel Xeon D-1577 at 2715 (0.2% ahead). The E5-4650 v3 also sits at the 50th percentile, but its nearest rivals are different: the Intel Core i7-9750HF at 2662 (0.1% ahead), the Intel Core i7-9700T at 2668 (0.1% behind), and the Intel Core i5-9500F at 2670 (0.2% behind). The E-2226G lands in slightly faster company overall.

The Verdict

The data points to the Intel Xeon E-2226G as the better processor for anyone running the Cinebench workloads recorded in the database. It wins all six head-to-head tests, both single-core and multi-core, and it does so despite having half the cores and a quarter of the threads of its rival. Its higher clock speeds, with a base of 3.40 GHz and a boost of 4.70 GHz against the E5-4650 v3's 2.10 GHz base and 2.80 GHz boost, appear to compensate fully for the core count deficit. The E-2226G also carries integrated HD Graphics P630, while the E5-4650 v3 has no integrated graphics at all, which makes the E-2226G the more self-contained option for systems that do not use a discrete GPU.

The E5-4650 v3 is the choice for a different kind of deployment, though the benchmark data does not reward it. It offers 12 cores and 24 threads, which matters for heavily threaded software beyond the Cinebench suite, and it has a 30 MB shared L3 cache against the E-2226G's 12 MB. Its quad-channel memory bus delivers 68.3 GB/s of bandwidth, compared to the dual-channel 42.7 GB/s of the E-2226G. It also provides 40 PCIe Gen 3 lanes from the CPU, versus 16 lanes for the E-2226G. Those are meaningful hardware advantages for memory-bandwidth-sensitive and I/O-heavy server roles, even though they do not show up as wins in the recorded Cinebench results.

The launch MSRP for the E-2226G is $255, and the launch MSRP for the E5-4650 v3 is $2838. The E-2226G is the more sensible default for most buyers based on the recorded performance, while the E5-4650 v3 makes sense only when the specific demands of a server workload require its extra cores, memory channels, or PCIe lanes. Both processors are end-of-life, so neither is a forward-looking investment, but the E-2226G is the stronger performer in every measured test.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The most decisive result in the head-to-head data is the multi-core sweep. The E-2226G wins Cinebench R15 multi-core with 944 points against 928, a 1.7% margin. It wins Cinebench R20 multi-core with 3934 against 3869, also 1.7%. It wins Cinebench R23 multi-core with 9368 against 9212, again 1.7%. The consistency of the margin across all three Cinebench versions is striking, and it suggests that the E-2226G's clock speed advantage is enough to overcome the E5-4650 v3's 2x core and 4x thread advantage in these specific workloads.

The single-core results mirror the multi-core results. The E-2226G leads Cinebench R15 single-core by 1.5%, scoring 133 to 131. It leads Cinebench R20 single-core by 1.6%, scoring 555 to 546. It leads Cinebench R23 single-core by 1.7%, scoring 1322 to 1300. The single-core margins are slightly tighter than the multi-core margins in the R15 and R20 tests, but they converge at 1.7% in R23.

The average benchmark score gap is larger than any individual head-to-head margin. The E-2226G averages 2709, which is 45 points higher than the E5-4650 v3's 2664. That difference is roughly 1.7%, consistent with the head-to-head deltas. The E-2226G's nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 5650U, averages 2713 and beats it by 0.2%, while the Intel Xeon E5-2640 v3 and Intel Core i7-1185G7E both average 2703 and trail by 0.2%. The E5-4650 v3's nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-1365UE, averages 2677 and leads it by 0.5%, while the Intel Core i5-9500F averages 2670 and leads it by 0.2%.

The recorded data shows no workload category where the E5-4650 v3 pulls ahead. Its best multi-core result, 9212 in Cinebench R23, still trails the E-2226G's 9368. Its best single-core result, 1300 in Cinebench R23, still trails the E-2226G's 1322. The only way to interpret these numbers is that the E-2226G is the faster chip in every Cinebench test the database recorded.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU wins more benchmark tests?

A: The Intel Xeon E-2226G wins all six head-to-head tests. The Intel Xeon E5-4650 v3 wins none of them.

Q: How big is the multi-core performance gap?

A: The E-2226G leads by 1.7% in Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 multi-core tests. The scores are 944 versus 928 in R15, 3934 versus 3869 in R20, and 9368 versus 9212 in R23.

Q: Does the E5-4650 v3's higher core count help it in multi-core tests?

A: No. Despite having 12 cores and 24 threads against 6 cores and 6 threads for the E-2226G, the E5-4650 v3 still loses every multi-core test by 1.7%.

Q: What are the single-core scores for each CPU?

A: In Cinebench R15, the E-2226G scores 133 and the E5-4650 v3 scores 131. In R20, the E-2226G scores 555 and the E5-4650 v3 scores 546. In R23, the E-2226G scores 1322 and the E5-4650 v3 scores 1300.

Q: How do the average benchmark scores compare?

A: The E-2226G has an average benchmark score of 2709, while the E5-4650 v3 has an average of 2664. Both sit at the 50th percentile among all CPUs.

Q: Which CPU has integrated graphics?

A: The Intel Xeon E-2226G includes HD Graphics P630. The Intel Xeon E5-4650 v3 has no integrated graphics.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different architectural generations. The Intel Xeon E-2226G is built on Coffee Lake, specifically the Coffee Lake-S WS die, and uses a 14 nm process node with a die size of 154 mm². The Intel Xeon E5-4650 v3 is built on Haswell, specifically the Haswell-EP die, and uses a 22 nm process node with a die size of 356 mm². The E5-4650 v3 also lists 2,600 million transistors, while the E-2226G has no transistor count recorded in the database.

The cache configurations differ substantially. Both CPUs have 64 KB of L1 cache per core and 256 KB of L2 cache per core, but the shared L3 cache is 12 MB for the E-2226G and 30 MB for the E5-4650 v3. The E5-4650 v3's larger L3 cache is consistent with its role as a high-core-count server processor, but it did not translate into a benchmark win in the recorded tests.

The memory architecture is another major split. The E-2226G supports DDR4 over a dual-channel memory bus with 42.7 GB/s of bandwidth. The E5-4650 v3 also supports DDR4, but over a quad-channel bus with 68.3 GB/s of bandwidth. Both support ECC memory. The PCIe connectivity also differs: the E-2226G provides Gen 3 with 16 lanes from the CPU, while the E5-4650 v3 provides Gen 3 with 40 lanes from the CPU.

The E-2226G includes integrated HD Graphics P630, which the E5-4650 v3 lacks entirely. This makes the E-2226G a complete package for systems without a discrete GPU, while the E5-4650 v3 requires one. The socket types also differ, with the E-2226G on Intel Socket 1151 and the E5-4650 v3 on Intel Socket 2011-3. Neither CPU has an unlocked multiplier. The E-2226G was released on 2019-05-28, while the E5-4650 v3 was released on 2015-05-31, a gap of roughly four years that explains the architectural differences.

Specification Differences

The core and thread counts are the most obvious difference. The E-2226G has 6 cores and 6 threads, while the E5-4650 v3 has 12 cores and 24 threads. Clock speeds also differ sharply: the E-2226G runs at 3.40 GHz base and 4.70 GHz boost, while the E5-4650 v3 runs at 2.10 GHz base and 2.80 GHz boost.

Thermal design power differs as well. The E-2226G has a TDP of 80 watts, while the E5-4650 v3 has a TDP of 105 watts. The socket types are different, as noted: Intel Socket 1151 for the E-2226G and Intel Socket 2011-3 for the E5-4650 v3. The process nodes differ, with 14 nm for the E-2226G and 22 nm for the E5-4650 v3, and the die sizes are 154 mm² versus 356 mm². The transistor count is listed only for the E5-4650 v3 at 2,600 million.

The L3 cache is 12 MB for the E-2226G and 30 MB for the E5-4650 v3. Memory bandwidth is 42.7 GB/s for the E-2226G and 68.3 GB/s for the E5-4650 v3, with dual-channel versus quad-channel buses. PCIe lanes are 16 for the E-2226G and 40 for the E5-4650 v3. The E-2226G has integrated HD Graphics P630, while the E5-4650 v3 has none. The part numbers are SRF7F for the E-2226G and SR22J for the E5-4650 v3. The launch MSRP for the E-2226G is $255, and the launch MSRP for the E5-4650 v3 is $2838. Both are end-of-life products.