Intel Xeon E5-1607 v3

The Intel Xeon E5-1607 v3 is a 4-core, 4-thread server/workstation processor built on Intel’s Haswell-EP architecture. It runs at a fixed 3.10 GHz base clock with no boost, carries a 140 W TDP, and targets the Intel Socket 2011-3 platform with quad-channel DDR4 memory and 40 PCIe Gen 3 lanes. Released in September 2014, this end-of-life chip now sits at the 35th percentile of all CPUs in the benchmark database, with an average score of 1217—exactly matching the Intel Pentium Gold G6500 and edging out a few other low-power rivals by fractions of a percent.

Platform and Compatibility

The Xeon E5-1607 v3 uses the Intel Socket 2011-3, a platform designed for server and workstation workloads. It supports quad-channel DDR4 memory with a theoretical bandwidth of 59.7 GB/s, and ECC memory is fully supported—a critical feature for error-sensitive applications. The CPU provides 40 PCIe Gen 3 lanes directly from the processor, allowing for multiple high-bandwidth expansion cards without a separate chipset. There is no integrated graphics, so any system built around this chip requires a discrete GPU for display output.

The architecture is Haswell-EP, fabricated on Intel’s 22 nm process with 2,600 million transistors on a 356 mm² die. The cache layout includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and a shared 10 MB L3 cache. The processor has a locked multiplier, meaning overclocking is not supported. As an end-of-life product, it is no longer in active production, and the socket’s upgrade path would depend on other compatible Haswell-EP Xeons—though the data does not specify which ones.

How It Compares

The nearest rival, the Intel Pentium Gold G6500, matches the Xeon E5-1607 v3 exactly in average benchmark score (1217 vs. 1217, delta 0%). This parity suggests that for typical mixed workloads, the two processors deliver indistinguishable performance, despite the Xeon’s server pedigree and higher TDP.

Against the AMD Ryzen Embedded R1606G, the Xeon leads by 0.2% (1217 vs. 1215). This is a negligible margin, indicating that the two chips are effectively tied in average performance, though they come from very different design philosophies—the Ryzen is a low-power embedded part, while the Xeon is a high-TDP workstation chip.

The Intel Core i5-3570 trails by 0.2% as well (1217 vs. 1214). The i5-3570 is a desktop processor from an earlier generation, yet the Xeon’s advantage is only a fraction of a percent, reinforcing that the E5-1607 v3 does not offer a meaningful performance lead over mainstream parts of its era.

Finally, the Intel Core i3-7300T is 0.3% behind (1217 vs. 1213). This dual-core with Hyper-Threading part nearly matches the quad-core Xeon in average score, highlighting that the Xeon’s lack of SMT and modest clock speed limit its competitiveness in modern benchmarks.

Power and Thermals

The Xeon E5-1607 v3 has a TDP of 140 W, which is high for a 4-core/4-thread processor. This power envelope implies that a robust cooling solution is necessary—likely a substantial air cooler or a liquid cooler capable of dissipating sustained heat. The chip runs at a fixed 3.10 GHz with no boost, so power draw remains constant under load, but the 140 W figure places it in a higher cooling tier than typical desktop CPUs. In a workstation chassis with adequate airflow, this is manageable, but it is not a part for compact or passively cooled systems. The lack of integrated graphics also means the cooling solution must accommodate the CPU alone, without the added heat of an iGPU.

FAQ

Q: Does the Intel Xeon E5-1607 v3 support ECC memory?

A: Yes, ECC memory is supported, and the processor uses quad-channel DDR4 memory.

Q: What is the maximum memory bandwidth?

A: The memory bus provides 59.7 GB/s of bandwidth.

Q: Does this CPU have integrated graphics?

A: No, there is no integrated graphics; a discrete GPU is required.

Q: Can the multiplier be unlocked for overclocking?

A: No, the multiplier is locked, so overclocking is not supported.

Q: How many PCIe lanes are available?

A: The CPU provides 40 PCIe Gen 3 lanes directly from the processor.

Q: What is the base clock speed?

A: The base clock is 3.10 GHz, and there is no boost clock.

Who Should Consider It

Given its 4-core/4-thread configuration and a 35th-percentile standing, the Xeon E5-1607 v3 is not a high-performance part by modern standards. It could still serve in legacy server or workstation environments where ECC memory and quad-channel bandwidth matter more than raw throughput. For single-threaded tasks, the 3.10 GHz base clock yields a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 594, which is modest but functional for older applications that rely on one core. Multi-threaded workloads, however, are limited: the R23 multi-core score of 4210 reflects the lack of SMT and only four physical cores. This makes the chip unsuitable for heavy content creation, 3D rendering, or video encoding, where even six-core mainstream parts would likely outperform it. Office productivity, light database work, or embedded control tasks might be acceptable, but the high TDP and end-of-life status argue against new builds.

Single-Thread vs Multi-Thread Behavior

The Cinebench R23 results reveal an interesting scaling pattern. The single-core score is 594, while the multi-core score is 4210—a ratio of approximately 7.1x. For a 4-core processor without SMT, the theoretical maximum scaling is 4x, so this ratio suggests that the single-core score is disproportionately low relative to the multi-core result. This could indicate that the single-core test is limited by thermal or power constraints, or that the multi-core test benefits from the chip’s architecture in a way that does not translate to single-threaded performance. In real-world terms, the chip will feel more capable in multi-threaded applications than its single-core score implies, but both scores are well below what modern mid-range CPUs achieve. The R15 and R20 scores follow a similar pattern: R15 multi-core is 424 and single-core is 59 (ratio 7.2x), while R20 multi-core is 1768 and single-core is 249 (ratio 7.1x). This consistent ratio across versions reinforces the observation that single-threaded performance is the weaker aspect of this processor.

Benchmark Performance

In the benchmark database, the Xeon E5-1607 v3 has an average score of 1217, placing it at the 35th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals, as listed, are all within 0.3% of this score. The Pentium Gold G6500 matches exactly (delta 0%), the AMD Ryzen Embedded R1606G is 0.2% lower (1215), the Intel Core i5-3570 is 0.2% lower (1214), and the Intel Core i3-7300T is 0.3% lower (1213). These deltas are tiny, meaning that in terms of overall benchmark average, the Xeon offers no practical advantage over these competing parts. However, the Xeon’s specific strengths—ECC memory support, quad-channel bandwidth, and 40 PCIe lanes—are not reflected in the average score, which aggregates compute performance only. For a server or workstation that requires memory reliability and high I/O capacity, the Xeon’s platform features may justify its selection despite its unremarkable compute scores. The Cinebench results themselves (R15 multi 424, single 59; R20 multi 1768, single 249; R23 multi 4210, single 594) provide a detailed view of its rendering performance, which is consistent with a 4-core Haswell part running at 3.1 GHz. The 140 W TDP is high for the performance delivered, making it an inefficient choice for energy-conscious deployments.