CPU Comparison

The Intel Xeon E-2278G and the Intel Xeon E5-2698B v3 represent two distinct approaches to server processing, separated by generations and design philosophies. The E-2278G is a modern 8-core Coffee Lake part with a high 5.00 GHz boost clock, while the E5-2698B v3 is a 16-core Haswell-EP processor with a much lower 3.40 GHz boost but double the core count. The benchmark data reveals a surprisingly consistent outcome: despite its older architecture and lower clocks, the 16-core E5-2698B v3 wins every single head-to-head benchmark included in the data, though by a narrow margin of roughly 2-2.5% in each test.

Where Each One Wins

The win distribution in the head-to-head benchmarks is one-sided, with the Intel Xeon E5-2698B v3 claiming victory in all six recorded tests. The Intel Xeon E-2278G does not win any of the direct comparisons. In multi-core workloads, the E5-2698B v3’s advantage is consistent, showing a 2.5% lead in Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 multi-core tests. This pattern suggests that the additional 8 cores and 16 threads of the E5-2698B v3 provide a tangible, if modest, throughput advantage over the E-2278G’s higher clock speed, even in the face of a significant architectural generation gap.

The single-core results tell a similar story, which is more surprising given the E-2278G’s 5.00 GHz boost clock compared to the E5-2698B v3’s 3.40 GHz. In Cinebench R15 single-core, the E5-2698B v3 scores 196 against the E-2278G’s 192, a 2% lead. The R20 single-core test shows 820 versus 800 (2.4% lead), and R23 single-core shows 1954 versus 1906 (2.5% lead). This indicates that the older Haswell architecture, despite its lower clock speed, still manages to edge out the Coffee Lake part in these specific single-threaded workloads. The E-2278G’s only potential advantage lies in its integrated HD Graphics P630, which is absent on the E5-2698B v3, but this does not factor into the CPU benchmark scores.

The Verdict

From the data alone, the choice is clear if raw benchmark performance is the sole criterion. The Intel Xeon E5-2698B v3 is the superior processor in every measured test. It leads in all Cinebench iterations, both multi-core and single-core, by a consistent margin of 2% to 2.5%. For workloads that rely on Cinebench-style rendering, the E5-2698B v3 is the better performer. The E-2278G, while offering a higher boost clock and a more modern architecture, simply does not translate that into a benchmark victory.

However, the data also points to other differentiating factors that might sway a decision. The E-2278G has a significantly lower TDP of 95 watts compared to the E5-2698B v3’s 135 watts, suggesting it may be more power-efficient under load. It also features a much smaller die size of 180 mm² versus the E5-2698B v3’s 356 mm², and it is built on a more advanced 14 nm process versus the older 22 nm node. The E-2278G also includes integrated graphics, which the E5-2698B v3 lacks entirely. For a system requiring a discrete GPU, this is irrelevant, but for a basic server setup, it could be a functional difference. Ultimately, the data says the E5-2698B v3 wins on performance, while the E-2278G offers a more modern platform with lower power consumption and integrated graphics.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head results are remarkably uniform, showing a narrow but consistent victory for the Intel Xeon E5-2698B v3 across all tests. The largest margin of victory is a 2.5% lead, seen in several tests, including Cinebench R15 multi-core (1395 vs 1360), Cinebench R20 multi-core (5814 vs 5670), and Cinebench R23 multi-core (13843 vs 13502). This consistency suggests that the E5-2698B v3’s advantage is structural, likely stemming from its 16 cores and 32 threads, which provide more parallel processing capacity than the E-2278G’s 8 cores and 16 threads.

The single-core results are tighter but still favor the E5-2698B v3. In Cinebench R15 single-core, the scores are 196 for the E5-2698B v3 and 192 for the E-2278G, a 2.0% delta. The R20 single-core test shows a 2.4% lead (820 vs 800), and R23 single-core shows a 2.5% lead (1954 vs 1906). These results are notable because the E-2278G has a significantly higher boost clock of 5.00 GHz, which would typically be expected to dominate single-threaded performance. The fact that it does not indicates that the older Haswell architecture of the E5-2698B v3 has a higher instructions-per-clock (IPC) efficiency in these specific tests, or that the benchmark is not purely clock-speed dependent. The overall average benchmark score for the E5-2698B v3 is 4004, while the E-2278G averages 4052, placing the E-2278G slightly higher in the aggregate despite losing every head-to-head test.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins the most benchmark tests?

A: The Intel Xeon E5-2698B v3 wins all six head-to-head benchmark tests, including every Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 multi-core and single-core test.

Q: What is the biggest performance gap between the two in the head-to-head tests?

A: The largest delta is 2.5%, which occurs in four tests: Cinebench R15 multi-core, Cinebench R20 multi-core, Cinebench R23 multi-core, and Cinebench R23 single-core.

Q: Does the E-2278G's higher boost clock help it win any single-core tests?

A: No. Despite its 5.00 GHz boost clock versus the E5-2698B v3's 3.40 GHz, the E5-2698B v3 still wins all single-core tests by a margin of 2.0% to 2.5%.

Q: How do the core counts differ between the two processors?

A: The Intel Xeon E5-2698B v3 has 16 cores and 32 threads, while the Intel Xeon E-2278G has 8 cores and 16 threads.

Q: Which processor has integrated graphics?

A: The Intel Xeon E-2278G features HD Graphics P630, while the Intel Xeon E5-2698B v3 has no integrated graphics.

Q: What is the difference in their average benchmark scores?

A: The E-2278G has an average benchmark score of 4052, while the E5-2698B v3 has an average score of 4004. Both processors sit at the 57th percentile compared to all CPUs.

Architecture Differences

The two processors are built on fundamentally different architectures and process nodes. The Intel Xeon E-2278G uses the Coffee Lake architecture, specifically the Coffee Lake-S WS codename, and is manufactured on a 14 nm process. The Intel Xeon E5-2698B v3 uses the older Haswell architecture, with the Haswell-EP codename, and is built on a larger 22 nm process. This generational gap is reflected in the die size, with the E-2278G measuring 180 mm² compared to the E5-2698B v3’s 356 mm².

The core and cache configurations also differ significantly. The E-2278G has 8 cores and 16 threads, while the E5-2698B v3 doubles that to 16 cores and 32 threads. The L3 cache is also larger on the E5-2698B v3, offering 40 MB shared compared to the E-2278G’s 16 MB shared. Both have identical L1 and L2 cache sizes per core, at 64 KB and 256 KB respectively. The E5-2698B v3 also has a much higher transistor count of 2,600 million, while the E-2278G’s transistor count is not specified in the data.

Another key architectural difference is the memory interface. The E-2278G supports dual-channel DDR4 memory with a bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s, while the E5-2698B v3 supports quad-channel DDR4 with a bandwidth of 68.3 GB/s. This gives the E5-2698B v3 a significant theoretical memory bandwidth advantage, which can be crucial for memory-intensive server workloads. Both processors support ECC memory and are built on the Intel Socket 1151 and Intel Socket 2011-3 platforms, respectively.

Specification Differences

The specification sheets for these two processors show several key differences beyond the core count and architecture. The base clock speeds are drastically different, with the E-2278G running at 3.40 GHz and the E5-2698B v3 at a much lower 2000.00 MHz (2.00 GHz). However, the boost clocks are also different, with the E-2278G reaching 5.00 GHz and the E5-2698B v3 topping out at 3.40 GHz. The TDP also differs, with the E-2278G rated at 95 watts and the E5-2698B v3 at 135 watts.

The memory support is another differentiator, as the E-2278G uses a dual-channel memory bus, while the E5-2698B v3 uses a quad-channel bus. This leads to a substantial difference in memory bandwidth, with the E5-2698B v3 offering 68.3 GB/s against the E-2278G’s 42.7 GB/s. The PCIe configurations also differ, with the E-2278G supporting 16 PCIe Gen 3 lanes, while the E5-2698B v3 supports 40 PCIe Gen 3 lanes. The E-2278G includes integrated HD Graphics P630, whereas the E5-2698B v3 has none. The release dates also differ, with the E-2278G launched on 2019-05-28 and a launch MSRP of $494, while the E5-2698B v3 has no release date or MSRP listed in the data.