Intel Xeon E5-1650 v3 vs Intel Xeon W-2125 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data paints a consistent picture: the Intel Xeon E5-1650 v3 wins every single head-to-head comparison in the database, though by a narrow margin. Across all six Cinebench tests, the E5-1650 v3 leads the Xeon W-2125 by roughly 4% in every discipline. The largest gap appears in Cinebench R15 single-core, where the E5-1650 v3 scores 125 against the W-2125's 120, a 4% advantage. The multi-core tests tell a similar story: in Cinebench R15 multi-core, the E5-1650 v3 posts 887 versus 852, a 3.9% lead, and that exact 3.9% delta repeats in Cinebench R20 multi-core (3696 vs 3551) and Cinebench R23 multi-core (8800 vs 8455).

Single-core performance follows the same pattern. In Cinebench R20 single-core, the E5-1650 v3 scores 521 compared to 501, a 3.8% edge. Cinebench R23 single-core shows 1242 for the E5-1650 v3 against 1193 for the W-2125, again a 3.9% difference. The consistency of these deltas, all hovering between 3.8% and 4%, suggests the performance gap is systemic rather than test-specific. The W-2125 never manages a single win across the six recorded comparisons, and the database records zero wins for the W-2125 and six for the E5-1650 v3.

Looking at the broader average benchmark scores, the two processors sit remarkably close in the overall rankings. The W-2125 averages 2623 points across all recorded benchmarks, while the E5-1650 v3 averages 2545. That is a counterintuitive result: the E5-1650 v3 wins every head-to-head Cinebench test, yet its overall average score is 3% lower. This discrepancy stems from the W-2125 having additional Geekbench results in the database, which boost its average. The W-2125 records a Geekbench multi-core score of 4988 and a single-core score of 1323, while the E5-1650 v3 has no Geekbench entries recorded. Both processors land at the 49th percentile of all CPUs, meaning they sit squarely in the middle of the performance distribution, surrounded by very different hardware. The W-2125's nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-1195G7 (average 2638, 0.6% behind the W-2125), the Intel Core i9-8950HK (2641, 0.7% behind), and the Intel Core i7-5820K (2642, 0.7% behind), while the Intel Core i7-8850H trails by 0.7% at 2604. The E5-1650 v3's nearest rivals are the Intel Xeon E5-4640 v3 (2550, 0.2% behind), the AMD Ryzen 7 4800HS (2557, 0.4% behind), the Intel Core i3-10325 (2530, 0.6% ahead), and the Intel Xeon E-2244G (2527, 0.7% ahead). These tight deltas show both parts are competitive with mainstream and enterprise silicon from several generations.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different eras and fundamentally different design philosophies. The Intel Xeon W-2125 is built on Intel's 14 nm process and belongs to the Skylake-W family, specifically the Skylake architecture with the codename Skylake-W. It was released in August 2017 as part of the Xeon W generation. The Intel Xeon E5-1650 v3 uses the older 22 nm process and is based on the Haswell architecture, with the codename Haswell-EP. It launched in September 2014 as part of the Xeon E5 generation. This three-year gap shows in the process technology: the W-2125's 14 nm node is denser and more power-efficient than the E5-1650 v3's 22 nm node, which uses 2,600 million transistors on a 356 mm² die. The W-2125's die size is notably larger at 484 mm², though the transistor count is not recorded in the database.

Core and thread counts differ significantly. The W-2125 packs 4 cores and 8 threads, while the E5-1650 v3 offers 6 cores and 12 threads. That is a 50% core advantage for the older chip, which explains why it wins multi-core tests despite the newer architecture of the W-2125. Clock speeds tell the opposite story: the W-2125 runs at a 4.00 GHz base clock and boosts to 4.50 GHz, while the E5-1650 v3 starts at 3.50 GHz and boosts to 3.80 GHz. The W-2125 has a 0.5 GHz base clock advantage and a 0.7 GHz boost advantage, yet it still loses single-core tests by 4%. This suggests the Haswell architecture's single-thread efficiency, at least in this configuration, outpaces the Skylake part's higher clock speed.

Cache hierarchies also differ. Both use 64 KB of L1 cache per core, but the L2 cache differs: the W-2125 has 1 MB per core, while the E5-1650 v3 has 256 KB per core. The L3 cache is where the E5-1650 v3 pulls ahead, with 15 MB shared versus 8.25 MB shared for the W-2125. The larger L3 cache, combined with two additional cores, gives the E5-1650 v3 a substantial on-die advantage for multi-threaded workloads.

Memory support is similar in type but different in bandwidth. Both support DDR4 memory with a quad-channel memory bus, and both support ECC memory. However, the W-2125 offers 85.3 GB/s of memory bandwidth, while the E5-1650 v3 offers 68.3 GB/s, a 25% gap in favor of the newer chip. PCIe connectivity also differs: the W-2125 provides 48 PCIe Gen 3 lanes, while the E5-1650 v3 provides 40 lanes. The W-2125 uses the Intel Socket 2066, while the E5-1650 v3 uses the Intel Socket 2011-3, meaning they are not interchangeable on the same motherboard.

FAQ

Q: Which processor wins more benchmarks in the database?

A: The Intel Xeon E5-1650 v3 wins all six recorded head-to-head Cinebench comparisons against the Intel Xeon W-2125. The database records zero wins for the W-2125 and six wins for the E5-1650 v3.

Q: How large is the performance difference in multi-core workloads?

A: The E5-1650 v3 leads by 3.9% in Cinebench R15 multi-core (887 vs 852), Cinebench R20 multi-core (3696 vs 3551), and Cinebench R23 multi-core (8800 vs 8455). The consistency of the 3.9% delta across all three tests indicates a stable performance gap.

Q: Does the W-2125's higher clock speed translate to better single-core performance?

A: No. Despite a 4.00 GHz base clock and 4.50 GHz boost clock versus 3.50 GHz and 3.80 GHz for the E5-1650 v3, the W-2125 loses all three single-core Cinebench tests by roughly 4%. The E5-1650 v3 scores 125, 521, and 1242 in Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 single-core, respectively, against 120, 501, and 1193 for the W-2125.

Q: How do the two processors compare in terms of core and thread counts?

A: The E5-1650 v3 has 6 cores and 12 threads, while the W-2125 has 4 cores and 8 threads. The E5-1650 v3's 50% core advantage is likely the primary driver of its multi-core wins, despite the W-2125's newer architecture.

Q: What are the memory bandwidth differences between the two?

A: The W-2125 offers 85.3 GB/s of memory bandwidth, while the E5-1650 v3 offers 68.3 GB/s. Both support quad-channel DDR4 memory and ECC, but the W-2125 provides roughly 25% more bandwidth.

Q: Which processor has more PCIe lanes?

A: The W-2125 provides 48 PCIe Gen 3 lanes, while the E5-1650 v3 provides 40 lanes. This gives the W-2125 more headroom for expansion cards, NVMe storage, or other PCIe devices.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ in nearly every major specification category. The W-2125 uses 4 cores and 8 threads, while the E5-1650 v3 uses 6 cores and 12 threads. Clock speeds favor the W-2125: it runs at 4.00 GHz base and 4.50 GHz boost, compared to 3.50 GHz base and 3.80 GHz boost for the E5-1650 v3. Thermal design power differs as well: the W-2125 is rated at 120 W, while the E5-1650 v3 is rated at 140 W. The sockets are incompatible: the W-2125 uses Intel Socket 2066, while the E5-1650 v3 uses Intel Socket 2011-3.

The architectures are from different generations. The W-2125 is built on Skylake (codename Skylake-W) using a 14 nm process, while the E5-1650 v3 is built on Haswell (codename Haswell-EP) using a 22 nm process. The die sizes differ substantially: the W-2125 measures 484 mm², while the E5-1650 v3 measures 356 mm². The E5-1650 v3 has a recorded transistor count of 2,600 million, while the W-2125's transistor count is not listed.

Cache configurations differ in L2 and L3. The W-2125 has 1 MB of L2 cache per core, while the E5-1650 v3 has 256 KB per core. The L3 cache favors the E5-1650 v3 at 15 MB shared, compared to 8.25 MB shared for the W-2125. Both share the same 64 KB L1 cache per core.

Memory bandwidth favors the W-2125 at 85.3 GB/s versus 68.3 GB/s for the E5-1650 v3. PCIe lane counts also differ: the W-2125 provides 48 lanes, while the E5-1650 v3 provides 40 lanes. The multiplier unlock status differs: the W-2125 has a locked multiplier, while the E5-1650 v3 has an unlocked multiplier, allowing overclocking. The release dates are about three years apart: the W-2125 launched in August 2017, while the E5-1650 v3 launched in September 2014. The W-2125 has a recorded launch MSRP of $444, while the E5-1650 v3 has no launch MSRP recorded. The part numbers also differ: SR3LM for the W-2125 and QFSTSR20J for the E5-1650 v3.

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Xeon E5-1650 v3 is the clear winner for multi-threaded workloads. Its 6 cores and 12 threads, combined with 15 MB of L3 cache, deliver a consistent 3.9% edge in every Cinebench multi-core test recorded. This makes it the better choice for rendering, video encoding, scientific computing, or any application that scales across cores. The single-core advantage is also present, though narrower at 4%, which means even lightly threaded tasks like legacy applications or single-threaded scripting will see a slight performance benefit on the E5-1650 v3. The unlocked multiplier adds flexibility for users willing to overclock, potentially widening the gap further.

The Intel Xeon W-2125 wins on platform features rather than raw benchmark scores. Its 14 nm process is newer and more power-efficient, reflected in the lower 120 W TDP versus 140 W for the E5-1650 v3. Memory bandwidth is substantially higher at 85.3 GB/s, which benefits workloads that are bandwidth-bound rather than core-bound, such as large dataset processing or in-memory databases. The 48 PCIe Gen 3 lanes provide more expansion capacity for multiple GPUs, high-speed networking, or NVMe storage arrays. The higher base and boost clocks, at 4.00 GHz and 4.50 GHz respectively, give it a theoretical edge in latency-sensitive tasks, though the benchmark data does not confirm this in practice.

For users deciding between the two, the choice hinges on workload type. If the priority is maximum multi-threaded throughput in Cinebench-style rendering workloads, the E5-1650 v3 delivers better results despite its older architecture. If the priority is memory bandwidth, PCIe expansion, or power efficiency, the W-2125 offers superior platform capabilities. Both processors sit at the 49th percentile of all CPUs, indicating they are mid-pack performers in the overall database, and both are end-of-life products. The W-2125's 14 nm node and higher clock speeds represent a more modern design, but the E5-1650 v3's additional cores and larger L3 cache prove that raw core count often trumps architectural refinement in multi-threaded benchmarks.