CPU Comparison

# Intel Xeon E-2374G vs Intel Xeon E5-1660 v4

The Intel Xeon E-2374G and Intel Xeon E5-1660 v4 present a fascinating generational clash: a 4-core Rocket Lake part from 2021 against an 8-core Broadwell-EP part from 2016. Despite the E5-1660 v4 having double the cores and threads, the benchmark data shows the E-2374G winning all six head-to-head Cinebench tests, albeit by razor-thin margins of 0.4% to 0.6%. The average benchmark scores sit nearly identical, 3278 for the E-2374G versus 3264 for the E5-1660 v4, and both land at the 53rd percentile among all CPUs. This suggests the architectural leap of Rocket Lake effectively neutralizes the E5-1660 v4's core-count advantage in these workloads, but the story is more nuanced when considering platform capabilities like memory bandwidth and PCIe lanes.

Where Each One Wins

The E-2374G wins every single benchmark in the head-to-head comparison, but the margins are remarkably small. In Cinebench R15 multicore, it scores 1142 versus 1137, a 0.4% edge. The single-core R15 result shows 161 against 160, a 0.6% advantage. Moving to R20, the E-2374G posts 4760 multicore and 672 single-core, while the E5-1660 v4 manages 4739 and 669, respectively. The R23 results follow the same pattern: 11335 versus 11285 in multicore (0.4% ahead) and 1600 versus 1593 in single-core (0.4% ahead). Across all six tests, the E-2374G's wins are consistent but never decisive.

The E5-1660 v4's strengths lie outside the Cinebench suite. It offers quad-channel memory support with 76.8 GB/s of bandwidth, compared to the E-2374G's dual-channel 51.2 GB/s. For workloads that are memory-bandwidth sensitive, large database scans, scientific computing, or virtualized environments, the E5-1660 v4's 50% higher theoretical memory bandwidth could translate to real-world advantages that Cinebench does not capture. Additionally, the E5-1660 v4 provides 40 PCIe Gen 3 lanes versus the E-2374G's 20 PCIe Gen 4 lanes. While the E-2374G's lanes are newer and faster per-lane, the E5-1660 v4's higher lane count supports more expansion cards, storage controllers, or GPUs simultaneously. The E5-1660 v4 also carries 3,400 million transistors on a 246 mm² die, whereas the E-2374G's transistor count is not listed in the data.

In terms of production status, the E5-1660 v4 is end-of-life, while the E-2374G remains active. For new system builds, this favors the E-2374G, but for existing socket 2011-3 platforms, the E5-1660 v4 remains a viable upgrade path.

Architecture Differences

The two processors belong to different Intel generations separated by five years of development. The E-2374G uses Rocket Lake architecture on the Rocket Lake-E codename, built on a 14 nm process with a 276 mm² die size. The E5-1660 v4 uses Broadwell architecture on the Broadwell-EP codename, also on 14 nm but with a smaller 246 mm² die. Both are Intel-manufactured, but the Rocket Lake design incorporates newer microarchitectural improvements that boost instructions-per-clock.

Core configuration starkly differs: the E-2374G has 4 cores and 8 threads, while the E5-1660 v4 has 8 cores and 16 threads. The E-2374G compensates with significantly higher clock speeds, 3.70 GHz base and 5.00 GHz boost versus 3.20 GHz base and 3.80 GHz boost. This 1.2 GHz boost advantage explains how a 4-core part keeps pace with an 8-core part in multi-threaded Cinebench tests.

Cache hierarchies also differ. The E-2374G features 80 KB of L1 per core and 512 KB of L2 per core, totaling 8 MB of shared L3. The E5-1660 v4 has smaller per-core caches, 64 KB L1 and 256 KB L2, but a much larger 20 MB shared L3. The E5-1660 v4's larger L3 cache may benefit workloads with large working sets, though the E-2374G's higher clocks and newer core design seem to compensate in the tested benchmarks.

Memory support is DDR4 for both, but the E-2374G uses a dual-channel bus while the E5-1660 v4 uses quad-channel. Both support ECC memory, which is crucial for server reliability. The E-2374G includes integrated UHD Graphics P750, whereas the E5-1660 v4 has no integrated graphics. The E-2374G's PCIe Gen 4 support with 20 lanes offers newer connectivity, while the E5-1660 v4's PCIe Gen 3 with 40 lanes offers more physical connectivity.

FAQ

Q: How much faster is the E-2374G in single-core performance?

A: The E-2374G wins all three single-core Cinebench tests by 0.4% to 0.6%. Specifically, it scores 161 versus 160 in R15 single-core, 672 versus 669 in R20 single-core, and 1600 versus 1593 in R23 single-core.

Q: Does the E5-1660 v4's higher core count matter for multi-core workloads?

A: Despite having 8 cores and 16 threads versus the E-2374G's 4 cores and 8 threads, the E5-1660 v4 actually loses all three multi-core Cinebench tests by 0.4%. In R23 multicore, the E-2374G scores 11335 versus 11285. The E-2374G's 5.00 GHz boost clock compensates for the core deficit.

Q: Which processor supports more memory bandwidth?

A: The E5-1660 v4 supports quad-channel DDR4 with 76.8 GB/s bandwidth, while the E-2374G supports dual-channel DDR4 with 51.2 GB/s. This gives the E5-1660 v4 a significant theoretical advantage for memory-bound applications.

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: Yes, both the E-2374G and E5-1660 v4 support ECC memory, making both suitable for error-sensitive server or workstation environments.

Q: What are the PCIe capabilities of each processor?

A: The E-2374G provides PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes (CPU only), while the E5-1660 v4 provides PCIe Gen 3 with 40 lanes (CPU only). The E-2374G offers newer, faster per-lane bandwidth, but the E5-1660 v4 offers double the lane count.

Q: Which processor has integrated graphics?

A: Only the E-2374G includes integrated graphics, specifically UHD Graphics P750. The E5-1660 v4 has no integrated graphics, requiring a discrete GPU for display output.

Specification Differences

The two CPUs differ across nearly every major specification category. The E-2374G has 4 cores and 8 threads, while the E5-1660 v4 doubles that to 8 cores and 16 threads. Clock speeds favor the E-2374G with a 3.70 GHz base and 5.00 GHz boost, compared to 3.20 GHz base and 3.80 GHz boost. Thermal design power differs substantially: the E-2374G is rated at 80 W TDP, while the E5-1660 v4 consumes 140 W.

Sockets are incompatible: the E-2374G uses Intel Socket 1200, while the E5-1660 v4 uses Intel Socket 2011-3. Process nodes are both 14 nm, but the E-2374G has a larger die at 276 mm² versus 246 mm². The transistor count is listed only for the E5-1660 v4 at 3,400 million.

Cache configurations differ significantly: the E-2374G has 80 KB L1 and 512 KB L2 per core with 8 MB shared L3, while the E5-1660 v4 has 64 KB L1 and 256 KB L2 per core with 20 MB shared L3. Memory channels differ, dual-channel for the E-2374G versus quad-channel for the E5-1660 v4, resulting in 51.2 GB/s versus 76.8 GB/s bandwidth.

The E-2374G supports PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes, while the E5-1660 v4 supports PCIe Gen 3 with 40 lanes. Integrated graphics are present only on the E-2374G (UHD Graphics P750). Production status shows the E-2374G as active and the E5-1660 v4 as end-of-life. Release dates are 2021-09-07 for the E-2374G and 2016-06-19 for the E5-1660 v4. The launch MSRP for the E-2374G is $334, while the E5-1660 v4 launched at $1113.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data presents a remarkably close contest. In Cinebench R15 multicore, the E-2374G scores 1142 against the E5-1660 v4's 1137, a 0.4% delta. The R15 single-core test shows 161 versus 160, a 0.6% advantage for the E-2374G, the largest single margin in the entire comparison. Moving to R20, the multicore result is 4760 versus 4739 (0.4%), and single-core is 672 versus 669 (0.4%). The R23 tests complete the sweep: multicore 11335 versus 11285 (0.4%) and single-core 1600 versus 1593 (0.4%).

The most striking observation is how consistent the E-2374G's advantage remains across all tests, never exceeding 0.6% but never falling behind. This consistency suggests the newer architecture's higher instructions-per-clock and superior boost clock of 5.00 GHz versus 3.80 GHz provide a stable performance edge that scales across single-threaded and multi-threaded workloads alike. The E5-1660 v4's additional 4 cores and 8 threads, plus its larger 20 MB L3 cache, cannot overcome this per-core efficiency gap in Cinebench's rendering workloads.

When contextualizing these scores against the broader market, both CPUs sit at the 53rd percentile among all CPUs. The E-2374G's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i3-12100T (avg score 3277, 0% delta), AMD Ryzen Embedded V2516 (3277, 0%), Intel Core i5-11500T (3288, -0.3%), and Intel Xeon E5-1680 v3 (3265, 0.4%). The E5-1660 v4's nearest rivals include the same Xeon E5-1680 v3 (3265, 0%), Ryzen Embedded V2516 (3277, -0.4%), Core i3-12100T (3277, -0.4%), and the E-2374G itself (3278, -0.4%). This places both CPUs in nearly identical performance territory, despite their architectural differences.

The Verdict

The data paints a clear picture for most workloads: the Intel Xeon E-2374G is the faster processor in Cinebench tests, winning all six benchmarks by margins of 0.4% to 0.6%. Its higher boost clock and newer Rocket Lake architecture effectively neutralize the E5-1660 v4's 2x core and thread advantage. For users running CPU-bound workloads similar to Cinebench, rendering, encoding, or general compute, the E-2374G is the better choice, especially considering its active production status, lower 80 W TDP, integrated UHD Graphics P750, and PCIe Gen 4 support.

However, the E5-1660 v4 retains relevance for specific use cases. Its quad-channel memory with 76.8 GB/s bandwidth and 40 PCIe Gen 3 lanes make it superior for memory-throughput-intensive applications and systems requiring many expansion cards. The 20 MB L3 cache could also benefit workloads with large, repeated data access patterns. For users already invested in the Socket 2011-3 platform, the E5-1660 v4 may still be a practical choice despite its end-of-life status.

Ultimately, the E-2374G wins on raw benchmark performance and platform modernity, while the E5-1660 v4 wins on memory bandwidth, lane count, and core count. The choice hinges on whether the workload is compute-bound (favoring the E-2374G) or memory/I-O-bound (favoring the E5-1660 v4). Given the near-identical average benchmark scores, 3278 versus 3264, and the E-2374G's consistent benchmark sweep, the newer processor offers the better all-around performance profile for most server and workstation tasks.