Intel Xeon E5-1410 v2 vs Intel Xeon W-2104 Comparison

The Intel Xeon W-2104 and Intel Xeon E5-1410 v2 are both end-of-life server/workstation processors, but they represent different eras of Intel’s Xeon lineup. The W-2104, a Skylake-W part launched in 2017, and the E5-1410 v2, an Ivy Bridge-EN part from 2014, land in the same performance percentile (36th) despite their architectural gap. Benchmark data shows the older E5-1410 v2 consistently edges out the newer W-2104 across all tested Cinebench workloads, albeit by narrow margins. This analysis breaks down their head-to-head results, use-case strengths, and the specification and architecture differences that define their respective positions in the database.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Xeon E5-1410 v2 holds a higher average benchmark score of 1368, compared to the Intel Xeon W-2104’s 1350. This places the E5-1410 v2 slightly ahead in overall synthetic performance.

Q: How do the two chips compare in single-core performance?

A: The E5-1410 v2 wins every single-core test. In Cinebench R23 single-core, it scores 668 versus 659 for the W-2104, a 1.3% lead. Similar margins appear in R15 (67 vs 66) and R20 (280 vs 276) tests.

Q: What is the difference in thread count between the two?

A: The E5-1410 v2 has 8 threads from its 4 cores, while the W-2104 has 4 threads from 4 cores. This gives the E5-1410 v2 a 2x thread advantage despite matching core counts.

Q: Which processor supports newer memory technology?

A: The W-2104 supports DDR4 memory with a quad-channel bus and 85.3 GB/s bandwidth. The E5-1410 v2 supports DDR3 with a triple-channel bus and only 32.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Are the processors in the same performance percentile?

A: Yes, both chips are in the 36th percentile versus all CPUs. Their nearest rivals also show similar average scores, with the W-2104’s closest competitor (Intel Xeon E3-1226 v3) scoring 1357.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the W-2104?

A: The Intel Xeon W-2104 has a launch MSRP of $255. The E5-1410 v2 does not have a listed launch MSRP in the data.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head results are remarkably consistent: the Intel Xeon E5-1410 v2 wins all six benchmark comparisons, but never by more than 1.5%. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the E5-1410 v2 scores 476 against 470 for the W-2104, a 1.3% advantage. The single-core R15 test shows a similar pattern, with 67 versus 66 points, a 1.5% margin—the largest delta in the entire comparison.

Moving to Cinebench R20, the E5-1410 v2 takes multi-core with 1987 points versus 1960, again a 1.4% lead. Single-core R20 follows suit: 280 for the E5-1410 v2 and 276 for the W-2104, another 1.4% gap. The most modern test, Cinebench R23, shows the E5-1410 v2 winning multi-core with 4732 points against 4669, and single-core with 668 versus 659; both results are 1.3% deltas.

The consistency of these margins is telling. Despite the W-2104’s newer architecture and higher base clock (3.20 GHz vs 2.80 GHz), the E5-1410 v2’s boost clock of 3.20 GHz and doubled thread count appear to neutralize any architectural advantage. The W-2104 has no wins in this head-to-head, with a 0-6 record. The largest single-test gap is the 1.5% in R15 single-core, while the smallest are the 1.3% margins seen in R15 multi-core and both R23 tests.

Where Each One Wins

The E5-1410 v2 wins across the board in raw benchmark scores, making it the default choice for pure Cinebench performance. Its 8 threads provide a clear advantage in multi-threaded workloads, as evidenced by its consistent leads in multi-core tests. For single-threaded tasks, the E5-1410 v2 also holds a slim edge, likely due to its boost clock reaching 3.20 GHz—the same as the W-2104’s fixed base clock. Users prioritizing maximum render scores in Cinebench will find the E5-1410 v2 delivers slightly better results in every scenario.

The W-2104, while losing all benchmarks, offers strengths outside of raw Cinebench scores. Its memory subsystem is dramatically superior: DDR4 support with quad-channel bandwidth of 85.3 GB/s versus the E5-1410 v2’s DDR3 triple-channel 32.0 GB/s. This makes the W-2104 more suitable for memory-bandwidth-sensitive applications, despite losing in compute benchmarks. Additionally, the W-2104 provides 48 PCIe Gen 3 lanes (CPU only) versus 24 lanes on the E5-1410 v2, allowing for more expansion cards, NVMe drives, or accelerators.

The W-2104 also has a higher base clock of 3.20 GHz, which could benefit workloads that run at sustained frequencies without boost variability. However, the benchmark data does not capture this advantage, as the E5-1410 v2’s boost clock matches that frequency. For users with heavily multi-threaded workloads, the E5-1410 v2’s thread count is the decisive factor; for those needing massive memory bandwidth or PCIe lane count, the W-2104 is the only option between the two.

Specification Differences

The two processors diverge on nearly every major specification. The W-2104 has 4 cores and 4 threads, while the E5-1410 v2 has 4 cores and 8 threads. Base clocks differ: 3.20 GHz for the W-2104 versus 2.80 GHz for the E5-1410 v2, though the E5-1410 v2 adds a 3.20 GHz boost clock that the W-2104 lacks. Thermal design power favors the E5-1410 v2 at 80W, while the W-2104 draws 120W.

Memory support is a major split: the W-2104 uses DDR4 with a quad-channel bus and 85.3 GB/s bandwidth, while the E5-1410 v2 uses DDR3 with a triple-channel bus and 32.0 GB/s bandwidth. Both support ECC memory. PCIe connectivity also differs, with the W-2104 offering Gen 3, 48 lanes (CPU only) versus Gen 3, 24 lanes (CPU only) on the E5-1410 v2.

Sockets are incompatible: the W-2104 uses Intel Socket 2066, while the E5-1410 v2 uses Intel Socket 1356. Cache layouts differ as well: the W-2104 has 1 MB L2 per core and 8.25 MB shared L3, while the E5-1410 v2 has 256 KB L2 per core and 10 MB shared L3. Both have 64 KB L1 per core. The W-2104’s die size is 484 mm² versus 257 mm² for the E5-1410 v2, and the E5-1410 v2 lists 1,860 million transistors while the W-2104 does not specify a count.

The W-2104 was released on 2017-08-28 with a launch MSRP of $255; the E5-1410 v2 launched earlier on 2014-01-08 with no listed MSRP. Both are end-of-life and have locked multipliers. Part numbers are SR3LH for the W-2104 and SR1B0 for the E5-1410 v2.

Architecture Differences

The W-2104 is built on Intel’s Skylake architecture (codename Skylake-W) using a 14 nm process, while the E5-1410 v2 uses the older Ivy Bridge architecture (codename Ivy Bridge-EN) on a 22 nm process. This process shrink gives the W-2104 a density advantage, though its die is larger at 484 mm² compared to 257 mm² for the E5-1410 v2. The E5-1410 v2’s transistor count is listed at 1,860 million; the W-2104’s count is not provided, but its larger die suggests a higher transistor budget.

Cache architecture differs significantly. The W-2104 allocates 1 MB of L2 cache per core, while the E5-1410 v2 provides only 256 KB per core. However, the E5-1410 v2 compensates with a larger shared L3 cache of 10 MB versus 8.25 MB on the W-2104. This means the W-2104 favors per-core cache locality, while the E5-1410 v2 relies more on a larger pool of shared cache for multi-threaded workloads.

The generation gap is clear: the W-2104 belongs to the Xeon W (Skylake-W) generation, while the E5-1410 v2 is from the Xeon E5 (Ivy Bridge-EN) generation. Both are server/workstation parts with ECC memory support, but the memory controllers reflect their respective eras. The W-2104’s DDR4 quad-channel controller is a substantial upgrade over the E5-1410 v2’s DDR3 triple-channel design, offering 2.7x more theoretical memory bandwidth.

PCIe capabilities also reflect the architectural leap. The W-2104 doubles the PCIe Gen 3 lanes to 48, versus 24 on the E5-1410 v2. Neither chip has integrated graphics, and both are foundry-built by Intel. The Skylake-W architecture’s newer design does not translate into better Cinebench scores against the Ivy Bridge-EN part, highlighting how thread count and boost clocks can outweigh process node advantages in synthetic tests.