Intel Xeon E5-4620 v3 vs Intel Xeon W-2125 Comparison

The Intel Xeon W-2125 and Intel Xeon E5-4620 v3 are both end-of-life server/workstation processors, but they target very different corners of the market. The W-2125 is a 4-core, 8-thread Skylake part built for high clock speeds on a modern platform, while the E5-4620 v3 is a 10-core, 20-thread Haswell chip designed for massive parallel throughput. Benchmark data shows the E5-4620 v3 wins every single head-to-head test, yet the W-2125 has structural advantages in platform features and per-core resources that matter for specific workloads.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Xeon E5-4620 v3 has 10 cores and 20 threads, while the Intel Xeon W-2125 has only 4 cores and 8 threads. This 6-core and 12-thread difference is the primary driver of the E5-4620 v3's multicore benchmark victories.

Q: Which processor has a higher boost clock?

A: The Intel Xeon W-2125 has a boost clock of 4.50 GHz, substantially higher than the E5-4620 v3's 2.60 GHz boost. The W-2125 also has a 4.00 GHz base clock, versus the E5-4620 v3's 2.00 GHz base clock.

Q: Is there a difference in process node?

A: Yes. The W-2125 is built on Intel's 14 nm process, while the E5-4620 v3 uses the older 22 nm node. This is reflected in the die sizes: the W-2125 measures 484 mm², while the E5-4620 v3 is 356 mm².

Q: How do their L3 caches compare?

A: The E5-4620 v3 has a 25 MB shared L3 cache, while the W-2125 has an 8.25 MB shared L3 cache. Per-core, the W-2125 actually has more L3 (roughly 2.06 MB per core) compared to the E5-4620 v3 (2.5 MB per core), but the E5's total capacity is far larger.

Q: Which CPU supports more PCIe lanes?

A: The W-2125 supports 48 PCIe Gen 3 lanes (CPU only), while the E5-4620 v3 provides 40 PCIe Gen 3 lanes. This gives the W-2125 an advantage for multi-GPU or high-density NVMe configurations.

Q: What are their average benchmark scores relative to peers?

A: The W-2125 has an average benchmark score of 2623, placing it at the 49th percentile. The E5-4620 v3 scores 2587, also at the 49th percentile. The W-2125's nearest rival is the Intel Core i7-1195G7 (2638, -0.6% delta), while the E5-4620 v3's closest competitor is the Intel Xeon E-2174G (2588, 0% delta).

Where Each One Wins

The Intel Xeon E5-4620 v3 wins every head-to-head benchmark in the data, making it the clear choice for multi-threaded rendering and heavily parallel workloads. Its 10 cores and 20 threads deliver consistently higher scores across Cinebench R15, R20, and R23, with margins hovering around 5.4% to 5.5%. For tasks like video encoding, 3D rendering, or virtual machine hosting that scale with core count, the E5-4620 v3 is the superior part.

The Intel Xeon W-2125, despite losing all six head-to-head tests, wins in platform-level flexibility. It offers 48 PCIe lanes versus 40, a newer 14 nm process, and a much higher boost clock of 4.50 GHz. This makes it more suitable for workloads that are latency-sensitive or depend on single-thread responsiveness, even if the aggregate scores fall short. The W-2125 also has a smaller die (484 mm² vs 356 mm²), which may indicate different thermal characteristics, though TDP is lower on the E5-4620 v3 at 105 W versus 120 W.

The E5-4620 v3 is the winner for throughput-oriented tasks where core count matters more than clock speed. The W-2125 is the winner for users prioritizing a modern platform with more PCIe bandwidth and higher per-core clock ceilings, accepting lower raw multi-core performance.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different architectural generations. The W-2125 uses the Skylake architecture (Skylake-W codename), built on Intel's 14 nm process with a die size of 484 mm². The E5-4620 v3 uses the Haswell architecture (Haswell-EP codename), built on the older 22 nm process with a die size of 356 mm² and 2,600 million transistors.

Cache organization differs significantly. The W-2125 has 64 KB of L1 cache per core and 1 MB of L2 cache per core, with a shared 8.25 MB L3 cache. The E5-4620 v3 also has 64 KB of L1 per core, but only 256 KB of L2 per core, and a much larger 25 MB shared L3 cache. This means the E5-4620 v3 has four times the L3 capacity, which can be crucial for large working sets in server workloads, while the W-2125's larger per-core L2 (1 MB vs 256 KB) may reduce latency for single-threaded tasks.

Both CPUs support DDR4 memory with quad-channel buses, but memory bandwidth differs: the W-2125 delivers 85.3 GB/s, while the E5-4620 v3 delivers 59.7 GB/s. Both support ECC memory. PCIe support is Gen 3 on both, but the W-2125 offers 48 lanes versus 40 lanes on the E5-4620 v3. The sockets are incompatible: the W-2125 uses Intel Socket 2066, while the E5-4620 v3 uses Intel Socket 2011-3.

Specification Differences

The core specifications that differ between the two processors are substantial. The W-2125 has 4 cores and 8 threads, while the E5-4620 v3 has 10 cores and 20 threads. Clock speeds are dramatically different: the W-2125 runs at 4.00 GHz base and 4.50 GHz boost, while the E5-4620 v3 runs at 2.00 GHz base and 2.60 GHz boost. TDP is lower on the E5-4620 v3 at 105 W versus 120 W on the W-2125.

Memory bandwidth favors the W-2125 at 85.3 GB/s versus 59.7 GB/s, despite both using quad-channel DDR4. L3 cache is much larger on the E5-4620 v3 at 25 MB shared, versus 8.25 MB shared on the W-2125. L2 cache per core is larger on the W-2125 (1 MB) versus 256 KB on the E5-4620 v3. PCIe lanes favor the W-2125 at 48 versus 40. The process node differs: 14 nm for the W-2125, 22 nm for the E5-4620 v3. Die size is 484 mm² for the W-2125 and 356 mm² for the E5-4620 v3, which also has 2,600 million transistors (the W-2125's transistor count is not listed).

The release dates differ by over two years: the E5-4620 v3 launched on 2015-05-31, while the W-2125 launched on 2017-08-28. The launch MSRP for the W-2125 is $444, while the E5-4620 v3 launched at $1668. Both are marked as end-of-life production status and lack integrated graphics. Neither has an unlocked multiplier.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The E5-4620 v3 dominates every single benchmark in the head-to-head comparison, with consistent margins of 5.4% to 5.5%. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the E5-4620 v3 scores 901 versus 852 for the W-2125, a 5.4% lead. The single-core R15 test shows a similar gap: 127 versus 120, a 5.5% difference.

Cinebench R20 results follow the same pattern. In multi-core, the E5-4620 v3 scores 3757 versus 3551 for the W-2125, a 5.5% advantage. Single-core R20 shows 530 versus 501, again a 5.5% lead for the E5-4620 v3. The R23 tests reinforce this: multi-core is 8946 versus 8455 (5.5%), and single-core is 1263 versus 1193 (5.5%).

The data shows that despite the W-2125's much higher clock speeds (4.50 GHz boost vs 2.60 GHz), the E5-4620 v3 still wins single-core tests by over 5%. This suggests the older Haswell architecture holds up well in per-thread performance, or that the benchmark conditions favor the E5-4620 v3's larger cache. The W-2125's higher clock speed does not translate into a single-core victory in any test.

The W-2125's only consolation is its average benchmark score of 2623 versus 2587 for the E5-4620 v3, a 1.4% advantage in the aggregate. This discrepancy arises because the W-2125 has Geekbench scores (4988 multi-core, 1323 single-core) that are not part of the head-to-head comparison, while the E5-4620 v3 lacks Geekbench data entirely. The E5-4620 v3 still wins all six listed Cinebench tests.

The Verdict

The Intel Xeon E5-4620 v3 is the outright performance winner across all six head-to-head benchmarks, with a 5.5% lead in every Cinebench R15, R20, and R23 test. For workloads that use all available threads—such as rendering, scientific computing, or heavy server virtualization—the E5-4620 v3's 10 cores and 20 threads deliver measurably better results than the W-2125's 4 cores and 8 threads. The fact that it achieves this with lower TDP (105 W vs 120 W) and a larger L3 cache (25 MB vs 8.25 MB) makes it the better choice for sustained multi-core throughput.

The Intel Xeon W-2125 is the better pick for users who prioritize platform features over raw multi-core performance. Its 48 PCIe Gen 3 lanes (versus 40) support more expansion devices, and its 85.3 GB/s memory bandwidth (versus 59.7 GB/s) provides faster data movement for memory-bound single-threaded tasks. The newer 14 nm process and higher 4.50 GHz boost clock suggest better per-core responsiveness, even though the benchmark data does not confirm this advantage in Cinebench single-core tests.

The data indicates that the E5-4620 v3 is the superior processor for nearly all compute-heavy workloads, winning every head-to-head test by a consistent margin. The W-2125's advantages are confined to platform specs—PCIe lanes, memory bandwidth, and a newer architecture—which may matter for specific I/O-intensive or latency-sensitive applications. Both CPUs sit at the 49th percentile, indicating they are mid-tier performers in the broader CPU landscape.

For a builder choosing between these two, the decision comes down to core count versus platform modernity. The E5-4620 v3 offers more cores, more cache, and lower power consumption, making it the obvious choice for multi-threaded server workloads. The W-2125 offers a newer socket, more PCIe lanes, and higher memory bandwidth, making it better suited for workstation configurations that need expansion and fast memory access, accepting a 5.5% performance deficit in Cinebench tests.