Intel Xeon E3-1235L v5 vs Intel Xeon E5-1607 v3 Comparison

The Intel Xeon E3-1235L v5 and the Intel Xeon E5-1607 v3 are both end-of-life server/workstation processors with identical core and thread counts, but they represent two very different approaches to the Xeon lineup. The E3-1235L v5 is a low-power, modern Skylake part, while the E5-1607 v3 is a high-TDP, older Haswell chip with a much larger platform footprint. Benchmark results show a remarkably consistent, if narrow, victory for the E3-1235L v5 across every single test.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head data is unusually one-sided. The Intel Xeon E3-1235L v5 wins all six benchmark comparisons, but the margins are consistently slim. In Cinebench R15, the E3-1235L v5 scores 429 in the multi-core test against the E5-1607 v3's 422, a 1.7% advantage. The single-core test in R15 shows the same 1.7% delta, with scores of 60 and 59 respectively.

Moving to Cinebench R20, the pattern holds with a 1.6% lead for the E3-1235L v5. It posts 1789 points in multi-core versus 1761 for the E5-1607 v3. In single-core R20, the scores are 252 and 248, again a 1.6% gap. The newest test, Cinebench R23, shows the E3-1235L v5 scoring 4261 in multi-core and 601 in single-core, while the E5-1607 v3 manages 4193 and 591. The multi-core delta is 1.6%, and the single-core delta is 1.7%.

These results are surprisingly uniform. The E3-1235L v5 is faster in every discipline, but never by more than 1.7%. For context, the E3-1235L v5's average benchmark score is 1232, which places it in the 34th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i3-8109U at 1235 (a -0.2% delta) and the Intel Core i5-2500 at 1220 (a +1% delta). The E5-1607 v3 averages 1212, also in the 34th percentile, with rivals like the Intel Core i3-7300T at 1211 (a +0.1% delta) and the Intel Xeon D-1520 at 1209 (a +0.3% delta). The two Xeons are separated by roughly 20 average benchmark points, which is within the noise of their respective peer groups.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Xeon E3-1235L v5 wins every benchmark, so the "wins" split is 6-0 in its favor. However, the magnitude of those wins tells a more nuanced story. The E3-1235L v5's advantage is largest in single-core tests, where it leads by 1.7% in both R15 and R23, and by 1.6% in R20. This suggests a slight per-thread efficiency edge, likely stemming from its newer architecture and higher boost clock.

The E5-1607 v3 does not win any benchmark, but it is not far behind. Its multi-core deficits are 1.7% (R15), 1.6% (R20), and 1.6% (R23), which are almost identical to its single-core deficits. This indicates that the E5-1607 v3 is not losing due to a scaling problem across cores; it is simply slightly slower on a per-thread basis. The E5-1607 v3 does have a higher base clock at 3.10 GHz versus the E3-1235L v5's 2.00 GHz, but it lacks a boost clock entirely, whereas the E3-1235L v5 boosts to 3.00 GHz. The result is that the E3-1235L v5 effectively matches or slightly exceeds the E5-1607 v3's peak frequency during single-threaded workloads.

For use cases, the data suggests the E3-1235L v5 is the better choice for any workload where Cinebench scores are a proxy for performance, including both single-threaded and multi-threaded rendering tasks. The E5-1607 v3's appeal would have to come from platform features rather than raw compute, as its benchmark results are uniformly lower. There is no test where the E5-1607 v3 pulls ahead, so users optimizing purely for Cinebench-style performance should favor the E3-1235L v5.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different generations and are built for entirely different platforms. The Intel Xeon E3-1235L v5 uses the Skylake architecture (Skylake-DT) on a 14 nm process node, while the Intel Xeon E5-1607 v3 uses the Haswell architecture (Haswell-EP) on a 22 nm node. This process difference is significant: the E3-1235L v5 packs 1,750 million transistors into a 122 mm² die, whereas the E5-1607 v3 contains 2,600 million transistors on a much larger 356 mm² die.

Both chips have 4 cores and 4 threads, but their cache configurations differ. Each core has 64 KB of L1 and 256 KB of L2 cache on both processors. The shared L3 cache, however, is 8 MB on the E3-1235L v5 and 10 MB on the E5-1607 v3. The extra 2 MB of L3 on the Haswell part does not translate into a performance win in these benchmarks, suggesting the Skylake architecture's other efficiencies compensate for the smaller cache.

The sockets are completely different. The E3-1235L v5 uses Intel Socket 1151, while the E5-1607 v3 uses Intel Socket 2011-3. This means they are not interchangeable in any system. Memory support also diverges: the E3-1235L v5 supports both DDR3 and DDR4 in a dual-channel configuration, offering 34.1 GB/s of bandwidth. The E5-1607 v3 only supports DDR4, but in a quad-channel configuration that delivers 59.7 GB/s — a 75% higher theoretical bandwidth.

PCIe lane counts are another major differentiator. The E3-1235L v5 provides 16 PCIe Gen 3 lanes from the CPU, while the E5-1607 v3 provides 40 lanes. This makes the E5-1607 v3 far more suited to systems with multiple GPUs or high-bandwidth expansion cards. The E3-1235L v5 also includes integrated graphics (HD Graphics P530), whereas the E5-1607 v3 has no integrated GPU, requiring a discrete graphics card for display output.

FAQ

Q: Which processor is faster in multi-core workloads?

A: The Intel Xeon E3-1235L v5 wins all multi-core tests, scoring 429 vs 422 in Cinebench R15, 1789 vs 1761 in R20, and 4261 vs 4193 in R23. The margins range from 1.6% to 1.7%.

Q: Do these processors have the same core and thread counts?

A: Yes, both have 4 cores and 4 threads. They also share identical L1 cache (64 KB per core) and L2 cache (256 KB per core) configurations.

Q: What is the biggest architectural difference between them?

A: The E3-1235L v5 uses a 14 nm Skylake architecture, while the E5-1607 v3 uses a 22 nm Haswell architecture. The E5-1607 v3 has a larger die (356 mm² vs 122 mm²) and more transistors (2,600 million vs 1,750 million).

Q: Which processor supports more memory bandwidth?

A: The Intel Xeon E5-1607 v3, with its quad-channel DDR4 memory bus, offers 59.7 GB/s of bandwidth. The E3-1235L v5's dual-channel bus provides 34.1 GB/s.

Q: Does the E5-1607 v3 have integrated graphics?

A: No, the E5-1607 v3 has no integrated graphics. The E3-1235L v5 includes HD Graphics P530.

Q: How do their average benchmark scores compare?

A: The E3-1235L v5 has an average benchmark score of 1232, while the E5-1607 v3 averages 1212. Both sit in the 34th percentile of all CPUs.

Specification Differences

The following specifications differ between the two processors:

• Base Clock: 2.00 GHz (E3-1235L v5) vs 3.10 GHz (E5-1607 v3)
• Boost Clock: 3.00 GHz (E3-1235L v5) vs None (E5-1607 v3)
• TDP: 25 W (E3-1235L v5) vs 140 W (E5-1607 v3)
• Socket: Intel Socket 1151 (E3-1235L v5) vs Intel Socket 2011-3 (E5-1607 v3)
• Architecture: Skylake (E3-1235L v5) vs Haswell (E5-1607 v3)
• Process Node: 14 nm (E3-1235L v5) vs 22 nm (E5-1607 v3)
• Transistors: 1,750 million (E3-1235L v5) vs 2,600 million (E5-1607 v3)
• Die Size: 122 mm² (E3-1235L v5) vs 356 mm² (E5-1607 v3)
• L3 Cache: 8 MB shared (E3-1235L v5) vs 10 MB shared (E5-1607 v3)
• Memory Support: DDR3, DDR4 (E3-1235L v5) vs DDR4 only (E5-1607 v3)
• Memory Bus: Dual-channel (E3-1235L v5) vs Quad-channel (E5-1607 v3)
• Memory Bandwidth: 34.1 GB/s (E3-1235L v5) vs 59.7 GB/s (E5-1607 v3)
• PCIe Lanes: 16 (E3-1235L v5) vs 40 (E5-1607 v3)
• Integrated Graphics: HD Graphics P530 (E3-1235L v5) vs None (E5-1607 v3)
• Release Date: 2015-10-18 (E3-1235L v5) vs 2014-09-07 (E5-1607 v3)
• Launch MSRP: $250 (E3-1235L v5) vs None listed (E5-1607 v3)
• Part Number: SR2LM (E3-1235L v5) vs QGDASR20M (E5-1607 v3)