Xeon E-2136 vs Xeon E5-2660 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 E-2136 vs Xeon E5-2660 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 E-2136 vs Xeon E5-2660 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 E-2136

2018

Why buy it

✅+0.9% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 80W instead of 105W, a 25W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E5-2660 v3 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 25 MB).
❌No AVX-512 support for niche heavy compute workloads where it can matter.

Xeon E5-2660 v3

2014

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.6% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+108.3% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 12 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (13,039 vs 13,150).
❌Launch MSRP is still $1,445 MSRP, while Xeon E-2136 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌31.3% higher power demand at 105W vs 80W.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon E-2136 better than Xeon E5-2660 v3?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Xeon E5-2660 v3 is ahead with a 3.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Xeon E-2136 pulls ahead with 0.9% better PassMark. Xeon E5-2660 v3 also has the bigger cache pool with 108.3% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 12 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon E-2136 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.9% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.

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

Xeon E-2136 is still the faster CPU overall, but Xeon E5-2660 v3 is easier to justify if budget matters more than peak performance. Xeon E-2136 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $1,445 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.9% better PassMark. The compromise is that Xeon E5-2660 v3 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 3.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Xeon E5-2660 v3 is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (9.0 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 E-2136 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 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 10/20. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Xeon E-2136 vs Xeon E5-2660 v3 Technical Specifications

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

Xeon E-2136

The Xeon E-2136 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 12 July 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-S WS (2018−2019) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 80 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 13,150 points. Launch price was $289.

Xeon E5-2660 v3

The Xeon E5-2660 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 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.3 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: 13,039 points. Launch price was $800.

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Processing Power

The Xeon E-2136 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon E5-2660 v3 offers 10 cores / 20 threads — the Xeon E5-2660 v3 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.5 GHz on the Xeon E-2136 versus 3.3 GHz on the Xeon E5-2660 v3 — a 30.8% clock advantage for the Xeon E-2136 (base: 3.3 GHz vs 2.6 GHz). The Xeon E-2136 uses the Coffee Lake-S WS (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon E5-2660 v3 uses Haswell-EP (2014−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E-2136 scores 13,150 against the Xeon E5-2660 v3's 13,039 — a 0.8% lead for the Xeon E-2136. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Xeon E-2136 vs 25 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-2660 v3.

Feature	Xeon E-2136	Xeon E5-2660 v3
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	10 / 20+67%
Boost Clock	4.5 GHz+36%	3.3 GHz
Base Clock	3.3 GHz+27%	2.6 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	25 MB (total)+108%
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	14 nm-36%	22 nm
Architecture	Coffee Lake-S WS (2018−2019)	Haswell-EP (2014−2015)
PassMark	13,150	13,039

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Memory & Platform

The Xeon E-2136 uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E5-2660 v3 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.