Intel Xeon E5-2650 v4 vs Intel Xeon W-2133 Comparison

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The recorded data presents an unusually consistent picture: the Intel Xeon E5-2650 v4 wins every single benchmark in the head-to-head comparison. That is six wins out of six, with the Xeon W-2133 failing to take a single test. The margins are narrow, however. The database shows a 2.1% advantage for the E5-2650 v4 in Cinebench R15 multicore (1098 versus 1075) and a 2.6% edge in R15 single-core (155 versus 151). The pattern holds in newer workloads: Cinebench R20 multicore shows the E5-2650 v4 ahead by 2.1% (4579 versus 4483), and R20 single-core shows a 2.2% lead (646 versus 632). Cinebench R23 multicore repeats the 2.1% delta (10904 versus 10676), and R23 single-core again lands at 2.1% (1539 versus 1507).

What is striking is the uniformity of the deltas. Across three generations of Cinebench, the multicore gap never moves beyond 2.1%, and the single-core gap stays between 2.1% and 2.6%. This suggests the two processors are trading blows at nearly identical performance levels, with the E5-2650 v4 consistently holding a slight edge. The average benchmark score in the database confirms the overall proximity: the E5-2650 v4 averages 3154, while the W-2133 averages 3087, a difference of roughly 2.2% across all recorded tests.

The percentile rankings reinforce the close contest. The E5-2650 v4 sits at the 53rd percentile among all CPUs in the database, while the W-2133 sits at the 52nd. Both are mid-pack performers. The nearest rivals for each chip tell a similar story. The E5-2650 v4 is bracketed by the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5850U at 3159 (-0.2%), the AMD Ryzen 3 5300GE at 3160 (-0.2%), and the AMD Ryzen 5 5560U at 3162 (-0.3%). The W-2133 is bracketed by the Intel Core i7-8700B at 3086 (0%), the Intel Xeon E5-1660 v3 at 3082 (0.2%), and the Intel Core i7-6850K at 3079 (0.3%). Neither chip dominates its peer group; both are firmly in the middle of the pack.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different architectural generations and different sockets. The E5-2650 v4 is built on Broadwell-EP, a 14 nm design with a die size of 246 mm² and 3,400 million transistors. It fits into Intel Socket 2011-3. The W-2133 is a Skylake-W part, also on 14 nm, but with a much larger die at 484 mm². It uses Intel Socket 2066. The transistor count for the W-2133 is not recorded in the database, which leaves a gap in direct comparison, but the die size difference is substantial: the W-2133's die is nearly double the E5-2650 v4's.

Core counts differ significantly. The E5-2650 v4 offers 12 cores and 24 threads, while the W-2133 offers 6 cores and 12 threads. The E5-2650 v4 doubles the thread count. Clock speeds tell the opposite story. The W-2133 runs at a 3.60 GHz base clock and boosts to 3.90 GHz. The E5-2650 v4 runs at 2.20 GHz base and boosts to 2.90 GHz. The W-2133 is substantially faster on a per-core basis, yet the benchmarks show it still trails in single-core tests. This is curious: a 1.00 GHz base clock advantage and a 1.00 GHz boost advantage should translate to a clear single-core win, but the data says otherwise. The E5-2650 v4's single-core scores are 155, 646, and 1539 in R15, R20, and R23 respectively, versus 151, 632, and 1507 for the W-2133. The architecture may matter more than raw clock speed here, or the boost behavior under the benchmark load may differ.

Cache layouts also diverge. The E5-2650 v4 has 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 30 MB of shared L3. The W-2133 has 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 8.25 MB of shared L3. The W-2133 gives each core four times the L2, but the E5-2650 v4 provides over 3.6 times the total L3. Memory bandwidth favors the W-2133 at 85.3 GB/s versus 68.3 GB/s, though both support DDR4 on a quad-channel bus. Both support ECC memory. PCIe lane counts differ: the E5-2650 v4 provides 40 lanes of Gen 3, while the W-2133 provides 48 lanes.

The TDP values are inverted relative to core count. The E5-2650 v4, with twice the cores, draws 105 W. The W-2133, with half the cores, draws 140 W. The W-2133's higher clocks and larger die likely explain the higher power draw. The release dates are also separated by roughly a year and a half: the E5-2650 v4 launched on 2016-03-15, the W-2133 on 2017-08-28. The launch MSRP for the E5-2650 v4 was $1166, while the W-2133 launched at $617.

Where Each One Wins

The benchmark data shows the E5-2650 v4 winning every recorded test, but the margins are small enough that the W-2133 still has practical strengths. The E5-2650 v4 wins all six Cinebench tests, with multicore deltas of 2.1% across R15, R20, and R23. That consistency suggests a genuine advantage in threaded workloads, likely driven by the doubling of cores and threads. For rendering tasks that scale across many threads, the E5-2650 v4 holds a slight but repeatable lead. The single-core wins, ranging from 2.1% to 2.6%, are more surprising given the W-2133's higher clock speeds. The data indicates the E5-2650 v4 is not just better in parallel work; it also edges out the W-2133 in lightly threaded tasks.

The W-2133 does not win a single benchmark in the head-to-head set. Its strengths are not visible in the Cinebench scores, but the architecture data hints at where it could shine. The 85.3 GB/s memory bandwidth versus 68.3 GB/s for the E5-2650 v4 could benefit memory-intensive workloads not captured by Cinebench. The larger L2 cache per core, at 1 MB versus 256 KB, might help in workloads with high per-thread data locality. The 48 PCIe lanes versus 40 could support more expansion devices. The higher base and boost clocks, 3.60 GHz and 3.90 GHz versus 2.20 GHz and 2.90 GHz, could translate to better performance in workloads that are latency-bound and do not sustain boost for long periods. But the recorded benchmarks do not reflect these advantages.

The average benchmark scores place the E5-2650 v4 at 3154 and the W-2133 at 3087, a 2.2% overall gap. The percentile data is close, 53rd versus 52nd, meaning both chips sit in the same performance tier relative to the full database. The nearest rivals for each chip overlap in performance range, with the E5-2650 v4's closest competitor (AMD Ryzen 5 5560U at 3162) and the W-2133's closest competitor (AMD Ryzen 5 5625U at 3096) separated by only 66 points. Neither chip has a wide performance moat.

The Verdict

The data points to the Intel Xeon E5-2650 v4 as the better processor in every benchmark recorded. It wins all six Cinebench tests, holds a higher average benchmark score (3154 versus 3087), and sits at a higher percentile (53rd versus 52nd). For buyers optimizing purely for Cinebench-style rendering workloads, the choice is clear: the E5-2650 v4 delivers a 2.1% to 2.6% advantage across the board. The 12-core, 24-thread configuration provides the threading headroom that the 6-core, 12-thread W-2133 cannot match, even with its higher clocks.

However, the W-2133 is not without merit in the database. It offers higher memory bandwidth (85.3 GB/s versus 68.3 GB/s), more PCIe lanes (48 versus 40), and a larger per-core L2 cache (1 MB versus 256 KB). Its launch MSRP was $617, roughly half the E5-2650 v4's $1166, though pricing should not be the deciding factor in a pure performance analysis. The W-2133 also runs on a newer socket, Socket 2066, which may offer platform features not present on the older Socket 2011-3. The 140 W TDP versus 105 W indicates the W-2133 trades power for clock speed.

The narrowness of the performance gap is the key finding. A 2.1% multicore delta and a 2.6% single-core delta are within run-to-run variance for many workloads. The E5-2650 v4 wins, but it does not dominate. For users who need maximum Cinebench scores, the E5-2650 v4 is the pick. For users who need more memory bandwidth, more PCIe lanes, or a newer platform, the W-2133 may be the better fit despite losing every recorded benchmark. The database does not include tests that would highlight those strengths, so the verdict must be cautious: the E5-2650 v4 is the benchmark winner, while the W-2133 retains architectural advantages that could matter outside the Cinebench suite.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU has the higher single-core score in Cinebench R23?

A: The Intel Xeon E5-2650 v4 scores 1539, while the Intel Xeon W-2133 scores 1507, giving the E5-2650 v4 a 2.1% lead.

Q: How many cores and threads does each processor have?

A: The E5-2650 v4 has 12 cores and 24 threads. The W-2133 has 6 cores and 12 threads.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference between the two?

A: The W-2133 has a memory bandwidth of 85.3 GB/s, while the E5-2650 v4 has 68.3 GB/s. Both support DDR4 on a quad-channel bus.

Q: Which CPU has the larger L3 cache?

A: The E5-2650 v4 has 30 MB of shared L3 cache, while the W-2133 has 8.25 MB of shared L3 cache.

Q: What are the TDP values for each processor?

A: The E5-2650 v4 has a TDP of 105 W, and the W-2133 has a TDP of 140 W.

Q: How many PCIe lanes does each CPU provide?

A: The E5-2650 v4 provides 40 PCIe Gen 3 lanes, while the W-2133 provides 48 PCIe Gen 3 lanes, both CPU-only.

Specification Differences

| Specification | Intel Xeon E5-2650 v4 | Intel Xeon W-2133 |

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

| Cores | 12 | 6 |

| Threads | 24 | 12 |

| Base Clock | 2.20 GHz | 3.60 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 2.90 GHz | 3.90 GHz |

| TDP | 105 W | 140 W |

| Socket | Intel Socket 2011-3 | Intel Socket 2066 |

| Architecture | Broadwell | Skylake |

| Codename | Broadwell-EP | Skylake-W |

| Generation | Xeon E5 (Broadwell-EP) | Xeon W (Skylake-W) |

| Die Size | 246 mm² | 484 mm² |

| Transistors | 3,400 million | Not recorded |

| L2 Cache | 256 KB (per core) | 1 MB (per core) |

| L3 Cache | 30 MB (shared) | 8.25 MB (shared) |

| Memory Bandwidth | 68.3 GB/s | 85.3 GB/s |

| PCIe Lanes | Gen 3, 40 Lanes (CPU only) | Gen 3, 48 Lanes (CPU only) |

| Release Date | 2016-03-15 | 2017-08-28 |

| Launch MSRP | $1166 | $617 |

| Part Number | SR2N3 | SR3LL |

| Average Benchmark Score | 3154 | 3087 |

| Percentile vs All CPUs | 53 | 52 |