CPU Comparison
Intel Xeon E-2276G
Xeon E5-2678 v3
PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKS
Analysis: Intel Xeon E-2276G vs Intel Xeon E5-2678 v3
The Intel Xeon E-2276G and the Intel Xeon E5-2678 v3 are both end-of-life server/workstation processors from Intel, yet they represent fundamentally different design philosophies. The E-2276G is a modern 6-core Coffee Lake part built on a 14 nm process with high clock speeds, while the E5-2678 v3 is an older 12-core Haswell-EP part on a 22 nm process with more cores and memory bandwidth. Despite these architectural chasms, benchmark data reveals they are nearly identical in average performance, with the E5-2678 v3 holding a slim but consistent edge across every tested workload. The data shows a fascinating collision between core count and clock speed, where the older, larger chip edges out the newer one in both single-threaded and multi-threaded tests.
FAQ
Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?
A: The Intel Xeon E5-2678 v3 has 12 cores and 24 threads, exactly double the 6 cores and 12 threads of the Intel Xeon E-2276G.
Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?
A: The E-2276G has an average benchmark score of 3614, while the E5-2678 v3 scores 3608. This makes them near-identical, with the E-2276G leading by just 0.2% in the head-to-head nearestRivals delta.
Q: Which CPU wins in single-core performance?
A: The E5-2678 v3 wins every single-core benchmark in the head-to-head data, despite having a lower base clock of 2.50 GHz compared to the E-2276G's 3.80 GHz. For example, it leads by 4.5% in Cinebench R15 single-core (177 vs 169).
Q: What is the difference in memory bandwidth?
A: The E5-2678 v3 offers 68.3 GB/s of memory bandwidth via a quad-channel memory bus, while the E-2276G provides 42.7 GB/s through a dual-channel bus. The E5-2678 v3 also supports both DDR3 and DDR4, whereas the E-2276G only supports DDR4.
Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?
A: Yes, both the Intel Xeon E-2276G and the Intel Xeon E5-2678 v3 support ECC memory, making them suitable for server and workstation environments.
Q: Which processor has integrated graphics?
A: Only the Intel Xeon E-2276G includes integrated graphics, featuring HD Graphics P630. The Intel Xeon E5-2678 v3 has no integrated graphics at all.
Architecture Differences
The two CPUs come from different eras of Intel's roadmap. The E-2276G is based on the Coffee Lake architecture, specifically the Coffee Lake-S WS variant, built on a 14 nm process node at Intel's foundry. Its die size is 154 mm². In contrast, the E5-2678 v3 uses the Haswell-EP architecture (codename Haswell-EP) on a larger 22 nm process, with a die size of 356 mm² and a transistor count of 2,600 million. This older, physically larger die packs double the cores but requires a higher 120 W TDP compared to the E-2276G's 80 W.
Cache configurations also diverge significantly. Both share the same per-core L1 (64 KB) and L2 (256 KB) cache sizes, but the shared L3 cache is vastly different: the E-2276G has 12 MB shared, while the E5-2678 v3 has 30 MB shared. The E5-2678 v3's larger cache and more cores suggest a design aimed at heavy parallel workloads, whereas the E-2276G's smaller cache and higher clocks (base 3.80 GHz, boost 4.90 GHz) target responsiveness and lightly threaded tasks.
Memory architecture is another key difference. The E-2276G uses a dual-channel memory bus with 42.7 GB/s bandwidth and DDR4 support only. The E5-2678 v3 uses a quad-channel bus, doubling the theoretical bandwidth to 68.3 GB/s, and supports both DDR3 and DDR4 memory. PCIe lanes also differ: the E-2276G provides 16 CPU-connected Gen 3 lanes, while the E5-2678 v3 offers 40 Gen 3 lanes, which is a substantial advantage for expansion in server platforms.
The Verdict
Based strictly on benchmark results, the Intel Xeon E5-2678 v3 is the better performer across every test in the head-to-head data. It wins all six benchmarks, with deltas ranging from -4.1% to -4.5% against the E-2276G. This is a uniform victory in both single-core and multi-core workloads, which is surprising given the E-2276G's much higher boost clock of 4.90 GHz versus 3.30 GHz. The data implies that the E5-2678 v3's 12 cores and 30 MB L3 cache more than compensate for its lower clock speeds, even in single-threaded tests.
However, the choice is not purely about raw scores. The E-2276G has a lower TDP (80 W vs 120 W), integrated graphics, and a more modern 14 nm process. If a system requires a lighter power footprint or needs a display output without a discrete GPU, the E-2276G is the only option. For pure compute density, the E5-2678 v3 wins outright. The percentiles are identical (both at the 55th percentile vs all CPUs), and their average scores are within 0.2% of each other, so the E5-2678 v3's edge is real but narrow in overall terms. Users needing maximum multi-threaded or memory bandwidth should pick the E5-2678 v3; those prioritizing lower power and integrated graphics should pick the E-2276G.
Specification Differences
The two processors differ in nearly every major specification. The E-2276G has 6 cores and 12 threads, while the E5-2678 v3 has 12 cores and 24 threads. Base clocks are 3.80 GHz for the E-2276G and 2.50 GHz for the E5-2678 v3; boost clocks are 4.90 GHz and 3.30 GHz, respectively. TDP is 80 W for the E-2276G and 120 W for the E5-2678 v3. The sockets are incompatible: Intel Socket 1151 for the E-2276G and Intel Socket 2011-3 for the E5-2678 v3.
The process nodes differ (14 nm vs 22 nm), as do the die sizes (154 mm² vs 356 mm²). The E5-2678 v3 lists a transistor count of 2,600 million, while the E-2276G does not report one. L3 cache is 12 MB shared on the E-2276G versus 30 MB shared on the E5-2678 v3. Memory support sees the E-2276G limited to DDR4, while the E5-2678 v3 supports DDR3 and DDR4. Memory bus width is dual-channel on the E-2276G and quad-channel on the E5-2678 v3, with bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s and 68.3 GB/s, respectively. PCIe lanes are 16 on the E-2276G and 40 on the E5-2678 v3. The E-2276G has integrated HD Graphics P630; the E5-2678 v3 has none. Launch MSRP for the E-2276G is $362; the E5-2678 v3 has no launch MSRP listed. The E-2276G has a release date of 2019-05-28, while the E5-2678 v3 has none listed.
Head-to-Head Benchmarks
The head-to-head benchmark data is remarkable for its consistency: the E5-2678 v3 wins every single test, and the margin is tightly clustered. In Cinebench R15, the E5-2678 v3 scores 1257 in multi-core versus the E-2276G's 1205, a 4.1% advantage. In single-core, the E5-2678 v3 scores 177 versus 169, a 4.5% lead. This pattern repeats in Cinebench R20, where the E5-2678 v3 leads 5239 to 5021 in multi-core (-4.2%) and 739 to 708 in single-core (-4.2%).
Cinebench R23 shows the same story: the E5-2678 v3 hits 12474 in multi-core versus 11957 for the E-2276G (-4.1%), and 1761 versus 1688 in single-core (-4.1%). The E-2276G has no Geekbench scores listed in the head-to-head, but its standalone Geekbench scores are 6551 multi-core and 1610 single-core, which are not directly compared here. The wins are unanimous: 6 for the E5-2678 v3, 0 for the E-2276G. The largest margin is 4.5% in R15 single-core, and the smallest is 4.1% across several tests, suggesting a stable performance gap regardless of workload type.
Where Each One Wins
The E5-2678 v3 is the clear winner in every benchmark category tested, making it the superior choice for compute-heavy applications. Its 4.1-4.5% lead in multi-core tests across R15, R20, and R23 indicates that workloads like rendering, video encoding, and scientific simulations will run faster on this chip. Its 30 MB L3 cache and quad-channel memory bandwidth (68.3 GB/s) further support data-intensive tasks, though these specific numbers are not directly benchmarked. The E5-2678 v3 also provides 40 PCIe lanes, enabling more expansion cards or NVMe drives, which is a practical win for server builds.
The E-2276G, despite losing all benchmarks, has its own domain. Its 80 W TDP makes it far more power-efficient on paper, and its integrated HD Graphics P630 eliminates the need for a separate GPU in basic display or troubleshooting scenarios. Its higher boost clock of 4.90 GHz might suggest a win in lightly threaded or latency-sensitive tasks, but the data contradicts this, the E5-2678 v3 wins single-core tests too. The E-2276G's 14 nm process and smaller die (154 mm²) imply lower manufacturing overhead, but that is not a performance metric. In practical terms, the E-2276G wins only where the platform requirements (socket 1151, lower TDP, integrated graphics, DDR4-only) are the deciding factors, not where raw speed matters.