Xeon E5-2640 v2 vs i7-6950X

VS

Aggregate performance score

Core i7-6950X
2016
10 cores / 20 threads, 140 Watt
10.92
+128%
Xeon E5-2640 v2
2013
8 cores / 16 threads, 95 Watt
4.78

Core i7-6950X outperforms Xeon E5-2640 v2 by a whopping 128% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-6950X and Xeon E5-2640 v2 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking7181259
Place by popularitynot in top-100not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation0.891.29
Market segmentDesktop processorServer
SeriesIntel Core i7 (Desktop)no data
Power efficiency7.384.76
Architecture codenameBroadwell-E (2016)Ivy Bridge-EP (2013)
Release date31 May 2016 (8 years ago)1 September 2013 (11 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)$1,723$728

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Xeon E5-2640 v2 has 45% better value for money than i7-6950X.

Detailed specifications

Core i7-6950X and Xeon E5-2640 v2 basic parameters such as number of cores, number of threads, base frequency and turbo boost clock, lithography, cache size and multiplier lock state. These parameters indirectly say of CPU speed, though for more precise assessment you have to consider their test results.

Physical cores10 (Deca-Core)8 (Octa-Core)
Threads2016
Base clock speed3 GHz2 GHz
Boost clock speed4 GHz2.5 GHz
Bus rate9.6 GT/s / QPI7.2 GT/s
L1 cache32K (per core)64 KB (per core)
L2 cache256K (per core)256 KB (per core)
L3 cache25 MB (shared)20 MB (shared)
Chip lithography14 nm22 nm
Die size246 mm2160 mm2
Maximum core temperatureno data75 °C
Maximum case temperature (TCase)72 °Cno data
Number of transistors3,800 million1,400 million
64 bit support++
Windows 11 compatibility--
Unlocked multiplier+-

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-6950X and Xeon E5-2640 v2 compatibility with other computer components: motherboard (look for socket type), power supply unit (look for power consumption) etc. Useful when planning a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. Note that power consumption of some processors can well exceed their nominal TDP, even without overclocking. Some can even double their declared thermals given that the motherboard allows to tune the CPU power parameters.

Number of CPUs in a configuration12
SocketFCLGA2011FCLGA2011
Power consumption (TDP)140 Watt95 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-6950X and Xeon E5-2640 v2. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensionsno dataIntel® AVX
AES-NI++
AVX++
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)++
Turbo Boost Technology2.02.0
Hyper-Threading Technology++
Idle States++
Thermal Monitoring-+
Flex Memory Accessno data-
Smart Response+no data
Demand Based Switchingno data+
PAEno data46 Bit
Turbo Boost Max 3.0+no data

Security technologies

Core i7-6950X and Xeon E5-2640 v2 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT++
EDB++
Secure Keyno data+
OS Guardno data+

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-6950X and Xeon E5-2640 v2 are enumerated here.

VT-d++
VT-x++
EPT++

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-6950X and Xeon E5-2640 v2. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory typesDDR4DDR3
Maximum memory size128 GB768 GB
Max memory channels44
Maximum memory bandwidthno data51.2 GB/s
ECC memory support-+

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-6950X and Xeon E5-2640 v2.

PCIe version3.03.0
PCI Express lanes4040

Synthetic benchmark performance

Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.


Combined synthetic benchmark score

This is our combined benchmark performance rating. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.

i7-6950X 10.92
+128%
Xeon E5-2640 v2 4.78

Passmark

Passmark CPU Mark is a widespread benchmark, consisting of 8 different types of workload, including integer and floating point math, extended instructions, compression, encryption and physics calculation. There is also one separate single-threaded scenario measuring single-core performance.

i7-6950X 17340
+128%
Xeon E5-2640 v2 7590

GeekBench 5 Single-Core

GeekBench 5 Single-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses only a single CPU core.

i7-6950X 1316
+233%
Xeon E5-2640 v2 395

GeekBench 5 Multi-Core

GeekBench 5 Multi-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses all available CPU cores.

i7-6950X 8570
+261%
Xeon E5-2640 v2 2377

Gaming performance

Pros & cons summary


Performance score 10.92 4.78
Recency 31 May 2016 1 September 2013
Physical cores 10 8
Threads 20 16
Chip lithography 14 nm 22 nm
Power consumption (TDP) 140 Watt 95 Watt

i7-6950X has a 128.5% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 2 years, 25% more physical cores and 25% more threads, and a 57.1% more advanced lithography process.

Xeon E5-2640 v2, on the other hand, has 47.4% lower power consumption.

The Core i7-6950X is our recommended choice as it beats the Xeon E5-2640 v2 in performance tests.

Note that Core i7-6950X is a desktop processor while Xeon E5-2640 v2 is a server/workstation one.


Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-6950X and Xeon E5-2640 v2, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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Intel Core i7-6950X
Core i7-6950X
Intel Xeon E5-2640 v2
Xeon E5-2640 v2

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Community ratings

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