Xeon D-2146NT vs Xeon E5-2650 v3

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-2146NT vs Xeon E5-2650 v3 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-2146NT vs Xeon E5-2650 v3: 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-2146NT

2018

Why buy it

✅+0.6% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 80W instead of 105W, a 25W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E5-2650 v3 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (11 MB vs 25 MB).

Xeon E5-2650 v3

2014

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +10.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+127.3% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 11 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (11,662 vs 11,736).
❌31.3% higher power demand at 105W vs 80W.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon D-2146NT better than Xeon E5-2650 v3?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Xeon E5-2650 v3 is ahead with a 10.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Xeon D-2146NT pulls ahead with 0.6% better PassMark. Xeon E5-2650 v3 also has the bigger cache pool with 127.3% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 11 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon D-2146NT is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.6% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Xeon D-2146NT still makes the most sense overall. Xeon D-2146NT comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you 0.6% better PassMark.

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

Xeon D-2146NT makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2018 vs 2014) and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 10/20. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Xeon D-2146NT vs Xeon E5-2650 v3 Technical Specifications

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

Xeon D-2146NT

The Xeon D-2146NT is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 7 February 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 11 MB. L2 cache: 8 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA2518. Thermal design power (TDP): 80 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 11,736 points. Launch price was $641.

Xeon E5-2650 v3

The Xeon E5-2650 v3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture. It features 10 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 25 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866, DDR4-2133. Passmark benchmark score: 11,662 points. Launch price was $800.

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Processing Power

The Xeon D-2146NT packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Xeon E5-2650 v3 offers 10 cores / 20 threads — the Xeon E5-2650 v3 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3 GHz on the Xeon D-2146NT versus 3 GHz on the Xeon E5-2650 v3 — identical boost frequencies (base: 2.3 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The Xeon D-2146NT uses the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon E5-2650 v3 uses Haswell-EP (2014−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon D-2146NT scores 11,736 against the Xeon E5-2650 v3's 11,662 — a 0.6% lead for the Xeon D-2146NT. L3 cache: 11 MB on the Xeon D-2146NT vs 25 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-2650 v3.

Feature	Xeon D-2146NT	Xeon E5-2650 v3
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	10 / 20+25%
Boost Clock	3 GHz	3 GHz
Base Clock	2.3 GHz	2.3 GHz
L3 Cache	11 MB	25 MB (total)+127%
L2 Cache	8 MB	256K (per core)+3100%
Process	14 nm-36%	22 nm
Architecture	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)	Haswell-EP (2014−2015)
PassMark	11,736	11,662

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Memory & Platform

The Xeon D-2146NT uses the FCBGA2518 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E5-2650 v3 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Xeon D-2146NT	Xeon E5-2650 v3
Socket	FCBGA2518	LGA2011
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 5.0+67%
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-2133
Max RAM Capacity	—	768 GB
RAM Channels	—	4
ECC Support	—	Yes
PCIe Lanes	—	40