Intel Xeon E5-1650 v3 vs Intel Xeon E5-4620 v3 Comparison

The Intel Xeon E5-4620 v3 and Intel Xeon E5-1650 v3 are both Haswell-EP server/workstation processors on the LGA 2011-3 platform, yet they are engineered for different workload profiles. The E5-4620 v3 is a 10-core part with a 2.00 GHz base clock, while the E5-1650 v3 is a 6-core part with a substantially higher 3.50 GHz base clock and a 3.80 GHz boost. Benchmark data across all Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 tests shows the E5-4620 v3 winning every single head-to-head matchup, albeit by narrow margins of 1.6% to 1.7%. This outcome is counterintuitive given the E5-1650 v3's clock advantage, but the extra four cores and additional 10 MB of L3 cache on the E5-4620 v3 prove decisive in these specific rendering workloads. Both processors occupy the 49th percentile among all CPUs tracked, and their average benchmark scores (2587 for the E5-4620 v3, 2545 for the E5-1650 v3) place them within 1.7% of each other.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Xeon E5-4620 v3 has 10 cores and 20 threads, while the Intel Xeon E5-1650 v3 has 6 cores and 12 threads.

Q: What is the clock speed difference between the two?

A: The E5-1650 v3 has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 3.80 GHz, significantly higher than the E5-4620 v3's 2.00 GHz base and 2.60 GHz boost.

Q: Which CPU won the head-to-head benchmark comparisons?

A: The E5-4620 v3 won all 6 head-to-head benchmarks, including every Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 multi-core and single-core test, with delta percentages ranging from 1.6% to 1.7%.

Q: How does their L3 cache differ?

A: The E5-4620 v3 features 25 MB of shared L3 cache, whereas the E5-1650 v3 has 15 MB of shared L3 cache.

Q: Are both processors compatible with the same socket and memory?

A: Yes, both use Intel Socket 2011-3, support DDR4 memory, and feature quad-channel memory buses, though their memory bandwidth figures differ (59.7 GB/s for the E5-4620 v3 versus 68.3 GB/s for the E5-1650 v3).

Q: What is the TDP of each processor?

A: The E5-4620 v3 has a TDP of 105 watts, while the E5-1650 v3 has a higher TDP of 140 watts.

Where Each One Wins

The data presents a clear but nuanced picture. In every benchmark recorded, the E5-4620 v3 emerges as the victor, yet the margins are remarkably slim. The largest advantage is a 1.7% lead in Cinebench R20 multi-core (3757 vs 3696) and Cinebench R23 multi-core (8946 vs 8800). This suggests that the E5-4620 v3's advantage scales with thread count in heavily parallelized rendering workloads, where its 10 cores and 20 threads provide a structural edge over the E5-1650 v3's 6 cores and 12 threads.

However, the E5-1650 v3 is not without its own merits, even if it fails to secure a benchmark win. Its 3.80 GHz boost clock is 46% higher than the E5-4620 v3's 2.60 GHz boost, which would typically favor single-threaded responsiveness in real-world applications. The E5-1650 v3 also delivers higher memory bandwidth (68.3 GB/s versus 59.7 GB/s) and carries a slightly lower average benchmark score (2545 versus 2587), yet its unlocked multiplier (true versus false for the E5-4620 v3) offers overclocking headroom that the 10-core part lacks. For workloads that are latency-sensitive or lightly threaded but not captured in the Cinebench suite, the E5-1650 v3's clock speed could be the more practical choice, despite losing the recorded benchmark comparisons.

Architecture Differences

Both processors share the same fundamental architecture: Haswell-EP codename, 22 nm process node, and a die size of 356 mm². They are built by Intel with 2,600 million transistors each, indicating they are derived from the same silicon design. Both support ECC memory, integrate no graphics, and offer PCIe Gen 3 with 40 lanes from the CPU. The socket is identical (Intel Socket 2011-3), and both belong to the same Xeon E5 (Haswell-EP) generation.

The key architectural divergence lies in core configuration and cache hierarchy. The E5-4620 v3 allocates its 10 cores with 64 KB of L1 cache per core and 256 KB of L2 cache per core, plus a larger 25 MB shared L3 cache. The E5-1650 v3, with only 6 cores, uses the same per-core L1 and L2 allocations but a smaller 15 MB shared L3 cache. This means the E5-4620 v3 has 67% more L3 cache, which can be critical for holding larger working sets in multi-threaded server workloads. The memory controller also differs in peak bandwidth, with the E5-1650 v3 rated at 68.3 GB/s versus 59.7 GB/s for the E5-4620 v3, despite both using quad-channel DDR4.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Xeon E5-4620 v3 | Intel Xeon E5-1650 v3 |

|---|---|---|

| Cores | 10 | 6 |

| Threads | 20 | 12 |

| Base Clock | 2.00 GHz | 3.50 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 2.60 GHz | 3.80 GHz |

| TDP | 105 W | 140 W |

| L3 Cache | 25 MB (shared) | 15 MB (shared) |

| Memory Bandwidth | 59.7 GB/s | 68.3 GB/s |

| Multiplier Unlocked | false | true |

| Part Number | SR22K | QFSTSR20J |

| Release Date | 2015-05-31 | 2014-09-07 |

| Launch MSRP | $1668 | null |

The specification sheet reveals a trade-off between core count and clock speed. The E5-4620 v3 doubles the core count advantage (10 vs 6) while consuming 25% less power (105 W vs 140 W), but it sacrifices 1.5 GHz of base clock and 1.2 GHz of boost clock. The E5-1650 v3 is the only one with an unlocked multiplier, making it the overclocking candidate, and it also edges out the E5-4620 v3 in memory bandwidth by 14%. Their release dates are roughly eight months apart, with the E5-1650 v3 launching earlier in September 2014 and the E5-4620 v3 following in May 2015.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head results are striking for their consistency: the E5-4620 v3 wins all six benchmarks, but never by more than 1.7%. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the E5-4620 v3 scores 901 against 887 for the E5-1650 v3, a 1.6% lead. The single-core R15 test shows the same 1.6% delta, with scores of 127 and 125 respectively. This pattern holds in Cinebench R20, where the multi-core score of 3757 versus 3696 represents a 1.7% advantage, and the single-core score of 530 versus 521 is also a 1.7% edge.

Cinebench R23 results reinforce the trend. The multi-core test yields 8946 for the E5-4620 v3 and 8800 for the E5-1650 v3, again a 1.7% margin, while the single-core test shows 1263 versus 1242, also 1.7%. The E5-4620 v3's aggregate wins (6-0) might suggest dominance, but the delta percentages tell a different story: these are effectively performance ties. The E5-4620 v3's 10 cores and 25 MB L3 cache provide just enough throughput to edge out the E5-1650 v3's higher clocks in these render benchmarks. Notably, the E5-1650 v3's average benchmark score of 2545 sits within 1.7% of the E5-4620 v3's 2587, and both CPUs rank at the 49th percentile, indicating they are peers in overall CPU performance. The nearest rivals for the E5-4620 v3 include the Intel Xeon E-2174G (delta 0%) and AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS (delta 0.5%), while the E5-1650 v3 is bracketed by the Intel Xeon E5-4640 v3 (delta -0.2%) and Intel Core i3-10325 (delta 0.6%).