Xeon D-1540 vs Xeon E5-2687W

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.

Xeon D-1540 vs Xeon E5-2687W FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Xeon D-1540 vs Xeon E5-2687W: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Xeon D-1540

2015

Why buy it

✅+0% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 45W instead of 150W, a 105W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E5-2687W across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (1.5 MB vs 20 MB).

Xeon E5-2687W

2012

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+1233.3% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 1.5 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (10,036 vs 10,037).
❌Launch MSRP is still $1,885 MSRP, while Xeon D-1540 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌233.3% higher power demand at 150W vs 45W.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon D-1540 better than Xeon E5-2687W?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Xeon E5-2687W is ahead with a 5.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Xeon D-1540 pulls ahead with 0% better PassMark. Xeon E5-2687W also has the bigger cache pool with 1233.3% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 1.5 MB).

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon D-1540 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Xeon D-1540 is still the faster CPU overall, but Xeon E5-2687W is easier to justify if budget matters more than peak performance. Xeon D-1540 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $1,885 MSRP, and it still gives you 0% better PassMark. The compromise is that Xeon E5-2687W is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 5.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Xeon E5-2687W is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (5.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it can still make sense for tighter-budget builds on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Xeon D-1540 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2015 vs 2012) and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 8/16. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Xeon D-1540 vs Xeon E5-2687W Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Xeon D-1540

The Xeon D-1540 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 9 March 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Broadwell (2015−2019) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 2.6 GHz. L3 cache: 1.5 MB (per core). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1667. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 10,037 points. Launch price was $581.

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.

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Processing Power

Both the Xeon D-1540 and Xeon E5-2687W share an identical 8-core/16-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 2.6 GHz on the Xeon D-1540 versus 3.8 GHz on the Xeon E5-2687W — a 37.5% clock advantage for the Xeon E5-2687W (base: 2 GHz vs 3.1 GHz). The Xeon D-1540 uses the Broadwell (2015−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon E5-2687W uses Sandy Bridge-EP (2012) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon D-1540 scores 10,037 against the Xeon E5-2687W's 10,036 — a 0% lead for the Xeon D-1540. L3 cache: 1.5 MB (per core) on the Xeon D-1540 vs 20480 kB (total) on the Xeon E5-2687W.

Feature	Xeon D-1540	Xeon E5-2687W
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	8 / 16
Boost Clock	2.6 GHz	3.8 GHz+46%
Base Clock	2 GHz	3.1 GHz+55%
L3 Cache	1.5 MB (per core)	20480 kB (total)+1233%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256 kB (per core)
Process	14 nm-56%	32 nm
Architecture	Broadwell (2015−2019)	Sandy Bridge-EP (2012)
PassMark	10,037	10,036

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Memory & Platform

The Xeon D-1540 uses the FCBGA1667 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E5-2687W uses LGA2011 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.