Ryzen Z2 vs Xeon E5-2687W

Ryzen Z2

8 Cores16 Thrd8 WWMax: 5.1 GHz2025

Xeon E5-2687W

8 Cores16 Thrd150 WWMax: 3.8 GHz2012

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Ryzen Z2

8 / 16

10,106

+0.7%

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3995WX

Xeon E5-2687W

8 / 16

10,036

0.0%

About PassMark

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Ryzen Z2 is positioned at rank 115 and the Xeon E5-2687W is on rank 982, so the Ryzen Z2 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Ryzen Z2

#31

Ryzen 5 230

MSRP: $200|Avg: $190

100%

#103

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

290%

#104

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

286%

#105

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

263%

#106

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

261%

#107

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

259%

#109

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

250%

#110

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

240%

#111

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

239%

#112

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

233%

#115

Ryzen Z2

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#126

Celeron N4000

MSRP: $107|Avg: $30

97%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5-2687W

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

39064%

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

7376%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

6553%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

5062%

#982

Xeon E5-2687W

MSRP: $1885|Avg: $70

100%

#983

Xeon E5-4610

MSRP: $1219|Avg: $50

100%

#985

Xeon X7550

MSRP: $1500|Avg: $1400

99%

#986

Xeon E7540

MSRP: $1980|Avg: $146

98%

#987

Xeon E7530

MSRP: $1391|Avg: $146

98%

#988

Xeon E5-4627 v4

MSRP: $2500|Avg: $200

98%

#989

Xeon E5-4627 v3

MSRP: $2225|Avg: $200

96%

#990

Xeon X5660

MSRP: $1219|Avg: $10

92%

#991

Xeon E5-2667

MSRP: $1552|Avg: $31

90%

#992

Xeon E5-2690

MSRP: $2057|Avg: $150

89%

#993

Xeon E3-1565L v5

MSRP: $1552|Avg: $120

89%

#994

Xeon L5640

MSRP: $996|Avg: N/A

88%

#995

Xeon E5-4627 v2

MSRP: $2061|Avg: $70

86%

#996

Xeon L5335

MSRP: $380|Avg: $18

86%

#997

Xeon E-2144G

MSRP: $2090|Avg: $389

85%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Generational Difference: This comparison involves processors from different technological eras. The Ryzen Z2 (2025) utilizes 4 nm technology and DDR5, providing a fundamental performance advantage.

Insight	Ryzen Z2	Xeon E5-2687W
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($70)
Longevity	✨ Modern (Hawk Point-U (Zen 4) (2023−2025) / 4 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge-EP (2012) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Xeon E5-2687W (2012) relies on 32 nm technology and DDR3, placing it in a different performance category relative to modern standards.

Insight	Ryzen Z2	Xeon E5-2687W
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($70)

Performance Check

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Ryzen Z2 Benchmark Check

Xeon E5-2687W Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen Z2 and Xeon E5-2687W

Ryzen Z2

The Ryzen Z2 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Hawk Point-U (Zen 4) (2023−2025) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB. L2 cache: 8 MB. Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP7/FP7r2/FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 8 MB + 16 MB. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 10,106 points. Launch price was $149.

Xeon E5-2687W

The Xeon E5-2687W is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 6 March 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge-EP (2012) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 20480 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 150 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 10,036 points. Launch price was $815.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Ryzen Z2 and Xeon E5-2687W share an identical 8-core/16-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 5.1 GHz on the Ryzen Z2 versus 3.8 GHz on the Xeon E5-2687W — a 29.2% clock advantage for the Ryzen Z2 (base: 3.3 GHz vs 3.1 GHz). The Ryzen Z2 uses the Hawk Point-U (Zen 4) (2023−2025) architecture (4 nm), while the Xeon E5-2687W uses Sandy Bridge-EP (2012) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen Z2 scores 10,106 against the Xeon E5-2687W's 10,036 — a 0.7% lead for the Ryzen Z2. L3 cache: 16 MB on the Ryzen Z2 vs 20480 kB (total) on the Xeon E5-2687W.

Feature	Ryzen Z2	Xeon E5-2687W
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	8 / 16
Boost Clock	5.1 GHz+34%	3.8 GHz
Base Clock	3.3 GHz+6%	3.1 GHz
L3 Cache	16 MB	20480 kB (total)+25%
L2 Cache	8 MB+3100%	256 kB (per core)
Process	4 nm-88%	32 nm
Architecture	Hawk Point-U (Zen 4) (2023−2025)	Sandy Bridge-EP (2012)
PassMark	10,106	10,036

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen Z2 uses the FP7/FP7r2/FP8 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon E5-2687W uses LGA2011 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.