CPU Comparison
Intel Xeon E-2226GE
Xeon E5-2630L v3
PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKS
Analysis: Intel Xeon E-2226GE vs Intel Xeon E5-2630L v3
The Intel Xeon E5-2630L v3 and the Intel Xeon E-2226GE are both end-of-life server/workstation processors, yet they represent fundamentally different design philosophies from Intel. The E5-2630L v3 is an 8-core, 16-thread Haswell-EP part built for the LGA 2011-3 platform, while the E-2226GE is a 6-core, 6-thread Coffee Lake-S WS chip on LGA 1151. Benchmark data shows a remarkably consistent, albeit narrow, victory for the older E5-2630L v3 across every single Cinebench test, from R15 to R23, in both single-core and multi-core workloads. The deltas are small, never exceeding 1.9%, but they are uniform, giving the E5-2630L v3 a clean 6-0 sweep in head-to-head comparisons. This outcome is surprising given the E-2226GE's much higher clock speeds, suggesting that core count and memory bandwidth play a decisive role in these specific workloads.
The Verdict
Based strictly on the benchmark data, the Intel Xeon E5-2630L v3 is the superior processor for compute-heavy tasks. It wins every Cinebench benchmark, with multi-core scores of 839 (R15), 3498 (R20), and 8330 (R23) versus the E-2226GE's 824, 3434, and 8177, respectively. The single-core results follow the same pattern: 118 vs 116 in R15, 493 vs 484 in R20, and 1176 vs 1154 in R23. The margin is thin, but the data is unambiguous, the E5-2630L v3 holds a 1.8% to 1.9% advantage across the board.
Who should pick which? The E5-2630L v3 is for workloads that can utilize its 16 threads and benefit from its quad-channel memory bus, which delivers 59.7 GB/s of bandwidth. The E-2226GE, with its 6 threads and dual-channel 42.7 GB/s memory path, is a more modest option that still offers ECC memory support but lacks the parallel throughput of its rival. The E-2226GE does include integrated UHD Graphics P630, a feature entirely absent from the E5-2630L v3, making it the only choice if onboard graphics are a requirement. For pure CPU performance, however, the older chip wins. The average benchmark scores reflect this: the E5-2630L v3 scores 2409, while the E-2226GE scores 2365, placing both at the 48th percentile among all CPUs.
Where Each One Wins
The E5-2630L v3 wins in every measured benchmark, so its advantage lies in consistent, all-around performance. Its 8 cores and 16 threads allow it to edge out the E-2226GE in multi-threaded tasks, as seen in the R23 multi-core score of 8330, which is 1.9% higher than the E-2226GE's 8177. The quad-channel memory configuration also feeds the cores more efficiently, which likely explains the narrow but persistent lead. The E5-2630L v3's 20 MB of shared L3 cache, versus 12 MB on the E-2226GE, provides additional headroom for data-intensive operations.
The E-2226GE, despite losing all benchmarks, has its own niche. Its integrated UHD Graphics P630 is a feature the E5-2630L v3 does not offer, making it suitable for systems that need a display output without a discrete GPU. The E-2226GE also has a much higher boost clock of 4.60 GHz compared to 2.90 GHz on the E5-2630L v3, which could translate to better responsiveness in lightly threaded tasks that are not captured by the Cinebench single-core tests. However, in the measured data, the E-2226GE's clock advantage does not overcome the E5-2630L v3's architectural advantages.
Architecture Differences
The two processors come from distinct architectural eras. The E5-2630L v3 is built on Intel's 22 nm process as part of the Haswell-EP family, with a die size of 356 mm² and 2,600 million transistors. The E-2226GE is a 14 nm Coffee Lake-S WS part with a much smaller die at 154 mm². The E5-2630L v3 uses the LGA 2011-3 socket, designed for high-end servers, while the E-2226GE uses the mainstream LGA 1151 socket.
Core and thread counts differ significantly: the E5-2630L v3 has 8 cores and 16 threads, while the E-2226GE has 6 cores and 6 threads, no Hyper-Threading. Cache hierarchies also diverge: both have 64 KB L1 and 256 KB L2 per core, but the E5-2630L v3's shared L3 is 20 MB versus 12 MB on the E-2226GE. Memory support is another major split: the E5-2630L v3 uses quad-channel DDR4 with 59.7 GB/s bandwidth, whereas the E-2226GE uses dual-channel DDR4 with 42.7 GB/s. PCIe lanes also differ, with 40 lanes on the E5-2630L v3 versus 16 on the E-2226GE.
The E-2226GE integrates UHD Graphics P630, a feature the E5-2630L v3 lacks entirely. The E5-2630L v3 has a lower TDP of 55 W compared to 80 W on the E-2226GE, and its base clock is 1.80 GHz versus 3.40 GHz. The E-2226GE's boost clock is 4.60 GHz, far above the E5-2630L v3's 2.90 GHz. Both support ECC memory, and neither has an unlocked multiplier.
FAQ
Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?
A: The Intel Xeon E5-2630L v3 has 8 cores and 16 threads, while the Intel Xeon E-2226GE has 6 cores and 6 threads.
Q: Does the E-2226GE have integrated graphics?
A: Yes, the E-2226GE includes UHD Graphics P630. The E5-2630L v3 has no integrated graphics.
Q: Which chip has higher clock speeds?
A: The E-2226GE has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. The E5-2630L v3 has a base clock of 1.80 GHz and a boost clock of 2.90 GHz.
Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference?
A: The E5-2630L v3 supports quad-channel memory with 59.7 GB/s bandwidth, while the E-2226GE supports dual-channel memory with 42.7 GB/s bandwidth.
Q: Which processor won the Cinebench R23 multi-core test?
A: The E5-2630L v3 won with a score of 8330, which is 1.9% higher than the E-2226GE's 8177.
Q: Are both processors still in production?
A: No, both are listed as end-of-life. The E5-2630L v3 was released in 2014, and the E-2226GE was released in 2019.
Head-to-Head Benchmarks
The E5-2630L v3's victory is consistent but narrow. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, it scores 839 versus 824, a 1.8% lead. The single-core R15 test shows 118 vs 116, a 1.7% margin. Moving to R20, the multi-core gap widens slightly to 1.9% (3498 vs 3434), and the single-core test also shows a 1.9% difference (493 vs 484). The R23 results mirror this pattern: multi-core 8330 vs 8177 (1.9%) and single-core 1176 vs 1154 (1.9%).
The largest single win for the E5-2630L v3 is a 1.9% delta, appearing in four of the six tests. The smallest is the R15 single-core win at 1.7%. The E-2226GE never manages to take a single benchmark, despite its significant clock speed advantage. The data suggests that the E5-2630L v3's extra cores and threads, combined with its larger L3 cache and higher memory bandwidth, offset the E-2226GE's clock advantage in these rendering workloads. The average benchmark scores confirm the overall picture: the E5-2630L v3 averages 2409, slightly ahead of the E-2226GE's 2365.
Specification Differences
The two processors differ across nearly every major specification. The E5-2630L v3 has 8 cores and 16 threads, while the E-2226GE has 6 cores and 6 threads. Base clocks are 1.80 GHz vs 3.40 GHz, and boost clocks are 2.90 GHz vs 4.60 GHz. The E5-2630L v3 has a TDP of 55 W, while the E-2226GE has a TDP of 80 W. Sockets are different: LGA 2011-3 for the E5-2630L v3 and LGA 1151 for the E-2226GE.
The process nodes differ (22 nm vs 14 nm), as do die sizes (356 mm² vs 154 mm²). The E5-2630L v3 has 2,600 million transistors, while the E-2226GE has no listed transistor count. L3 cache is 20 MB on the E5-2630L v3 and 12 MB on the E-2226GE. Memory bandwidth is 59.7 GB/s vs 42.7 GB/s, with quad-channel versus dual-channel support. PCIe lanes are 40 vs 16. The E-2226GE has integrated UHD Graphics P630; the E5-2630L v3 has none. Release dates are 2014 and 2019, respectively. Launch MSRP for the E5-2630L v3 is $612, and for the E-2226GE it is $286. Both support ECC memory, and neither has an unlocked multiplier.