Intel Xeon E-2236 vs Intel Xeon E5-1680 v4 Comparison

The Intel Xeon E-2236 and the Intel Xeon E5-1680 v4 are both end-of-life server and workstation processors from Intel, but they represent very different design philosophies. The E-2236 is a newer Coffee Lake-S part, built for the mainstream Socket 1151 platform, while the E5-1680 v4 is a Broadwell-EP part from the high-end Socket 2011-3 platform. The recorded benchmark data shows that the E5-1680 v4 wins every single head-to-head Cinebench test, yet the margins are remarkably thin, making the choice between them far more nuanced than a simple score comparison.

Where Each One Wins

Based on the six Cinebench benchmark results in the database, the Intel Xeon E5-1680 v4 wins in every single test. This includes both multi-core and single-core workloads across three different Cinebench versions (R15, R20, and R23). The E5-1680 v4 takes all six victories, while the E-2236 records zero wins. The data is unambiguous: in pure rendering performance, the E5-1680 v4 is consistently ahead.

However, the victory is not a landslide. The largest delta between the two processors is a mere 2.5% in the Cinebench R20 single-core test, where the E5-1680 v4 scores 716 against the E-2236's 698. The smallest margin is 2.3% in the R15 single-core test, with scores of 171 and 167 respectively. All multi-core deltas sit at 2.4%. This tells a story of a processor that wins through a slight edge in every discipline, rather than dominating in any one area.

The E-2236 does have a clear theoretical advantage in clock speed, with a boost clock of 4.80 GHz compared to the E5-1680 v4's 4.00 GHz. Yet, the actual benchmark results show that this frequency advantage does not translate into a performance win. The E5-1680 v4 compensates for its lower boost clock with a larger core count (8 versus 6) and a larger shared L3 cache (20 MB versus 12 MB). The data suggests that the E5-1680 v4's additional cores and cache are more impactful in these specific rendering workloads than the E-2236's higher frequency ceiling.

The E-2236 is not without its own wins in the broader context of its nearest rivals. The database shows it sits at a 54th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 3410. It trades blows with the AMD Ryzen Embedded V3C18I (score 3406, delta 0.1%) and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7530U (score 3394, delta 0.5%). It also matches its direct sibling, the Intel Xeon E-2146G, with an identical average score of 3410. The E5-1680 v4, meanwhile, sits at a 55th percentile with an average score of 3494, placing it slightly ahead of the E-2236 in the overall hierarchy, just as the head-to-head results indicate.

The Verdict

The verdict from the recorded data is straightforward for anyone prioritizing raw Cinebench performance: choose the Intel Xeon E5-1680 v4. It wins every single benchmark in the comparison, from the older R15 tests to the more demanding R23 workloads. Its multi-core scores of 1217 (R15), 5073 (R20), and 12080 (R23) all outpace the E-2236's corresponding scores of 1188, 4952, and 11792. For rendering tasks that scale with Cinebench, the E5-1680 v4 is the stronger processor.

Yet, the margins are so small that the decision may come down to platform-level considerations that the benchmark scores alone cannot capture. The E-2236 operates on the Intel Socket 1151 platform with a TDP of 80 W, while the E5-1680 v4 uses the Intel Socket 2011-3 platform and has a TDP of 140 W. The E-2236 also features integrated UHD Graphics P630, while the E5-1680 v4 has no integrated graphics. The E-2236 supports dual-channel memory with a bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s, while the E5-1680 v4 supports quad-channel memory with a bandwidth of 76.8 GB/s.

From a pure performance-per-watt perspective, the E-2236 is clearly more efficient, delivering scores within 2.5% of the E5-1680 v4 while drawing significantly less power. The E-2236 also has a much higher boost clock of 4.80 GHz, which may be beneficial for lightly threaded applications that do not appear in this benchmark set. The database does not include system-level power or thermal data, so the choice must be made on the available facts: the E5-1680 v4 is the performance winner, while the E-2236 offers a more efficient and integrated package with a newer architecture.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data is remarkably consistent. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the E5-1680 v4 scores 1217 against the E-2236's 1188, a 2.4% advantage. The single-core R15 test shows a 2.3% lead for the E5-1680 v4, with scores of 171 and 167. Moving to Cinebench R20, the multi-core result is 5073 versus 4952, again a 2.4% delta. The single-core R20 gap widens slightly to 2.5%, with the E5-1680 v4 scoring 716 and the E-2236 scoring 698.

The trend continues in Cinebench R23, the most modern test in the set. The E5-1680 v4 scores 12080 in multi-core, while the E-2236 scores 11792, a 2.4% difference. The single-core R23 test shows the E5-1680 v4 at 1705 versus 1664 for the E-2236, another 2.4% delta. In every single iteration, the E5-1680 v4 wins by a margin between 2.3% and 2.5%. This consistency indicates a stable performance gap across different Cinebench versions, suggesting that the architectural advantages of the E5-1680 v4 are not workload-specific but rather a general property.

The average benchmark scores in the database reinforce this picture. The E5-1680 v4 has an average benchmark score of 3494, while the E-2236 has an average score of 3410. This places the E5-1680 v4 roughly 2.4% ahead on average, exactly matching the head-to-head deltas. The E5-1680 v4's nearest rival, the Intel Xeon E-2246G, scores 3492, a 0.1% difference, while the E-2236's nearest rival, the Intel Xeon E-2146G, scores an identical 3410. This shows that both processors are competitive within their respective tiers, but the E5-1680 v4 sits in a slightly higher performance bracket.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Xeon E-2236 has a boost clock of 4.80 GHz, while the Intel Xeon E5-1680 v4 has a boost clock of 4.00 GHz. The E-2236 is the higher-clocked part.

Q: Does the Intel Xeon E-2236 have integrated graphics?

A: Yes, the Intel Xeon E-2236 includes integrated UHD Graphics P630. The Intel Xeon E5-1680 v4 does not have integrated graphics.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference between the two?

A: The Intel Xeon E5-1680 v4 supports quad-channel memory with a bandwidth of 76.8 GB/s. The Intel Xeon E-2236 supports dual-channel memory with a bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s. The E5-1680 v4 offers significantly higher theoretical memory bandwidth.

Q: Which processor has more cores?

A: The Intel Xeon E5-1680 v4 has 8 cores and 16 threads, while the Intel Xeon E-2236 has 6 cores and 12 threads. The E5-1680 v4 has two more physical cores.

Q: Which processor has a larger L3 cache?

A: The Intel Xeon E5-1680 v4 has a shared L3 cache of 20 MB, while the Intel Xeon E-2236 has a shared L3 cache of 12 MB. The E5-1680 v4's cache is larger.

Q: How did the processors compare in the Cinebench R23 multi-core test?

A: The Intel Xeon E5-1680 v4 scored 12080, while the Intel Xeon E-2236 scored 11792. This gives the E5-1680 v4 a 2.4% advantage in that test.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different architectural eras and platforms. The Intel Xeon E-2236 is based on the Coffee Lake architecture, specifically the Coffee Lake-S WS variant, and uses a 14 nm process node manufactured by Intel. Its die size is 154 mm². The Intel Xeon E5-1680 v4 is based on the Broadwell architecture, specifically Broadwell-EP, also on a 14 nm process node, but its die size is much larger at 246 mm², and it contains 3,400 million transistors.

The core and cache configurations differ significantly. The E-2236 has 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz. Its L1 cache is 64 KB per core, L2 cache is 256 KB per core, and it has a shared L3 cache of 12 MB. The E5-1680 v4 has 8 cores and 16 threads, with the same base clock of 3.40 GHz but a lower boost clock of 4.00 GHz. Its L1 and L2 caches are identical per core (64 KB and 256 KB), but its shared L3 cache is larger at 20 MB.

Memory support is a major differentiator. The E-2236 uses a dual-channel memory bus with a bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s, while the E5-1680 v4 uses a quad-channel memory bus with a bandwidth of 76.8 GB/s. Both support DDR4 memory and ECC. PCIe lane counts also differ: the E-2236 provides Gen 3 with 16 lanes (CPU only), while the E5-1680 v4 provides Gen 3 with 40 lanes (CPU only).

The sockets are incompatible. The E-2236 uses Intel Socket 1151, while the E5-1680 v4 uses Intel Socket 2011-3. This is a critical distinction, as it dictates the entire platform, including motherboard choice, memory channels, and expansion capabilities. The E-2236 has a TDP of 80 W, while the E5-1680 v4 has a TDP of 140 W, reflecting the E5-1680 v4's higher core count and memory bandwidth demands. The E-2236 also includes integrated UHD Graphics P630, whereas the E5-1680 v4 has no integrated graphics, requiring a discrete GPU for any display output. Both processors are end-of-life and have locked multipliers. The E-2236 was released in 2019, while the E5-1680 v4 was released in 2016.