Xeon E-2278GEL vs Xeon E5-2650L 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-2278GEL vs Xeon E5-2650L 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-2278GEL vs Xeon E5-2650L 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-2278GEL

2019

Why buy it

✅+1.3% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 35W instead of 65W, a 30W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E5-2650L v3 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 30 MB).

Xeon E5-2650L v3

2014

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +8.0% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+87.5% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 16 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (11,865 vs 12,024).
❌Launch MSRP is still $1,329 MSRP, while Xeon E-2278GEL mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌85.7% higher power demand at 65W vs 35W.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon E-2278GEL better than Xeon E5-2650L v3?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Xeon E5-2650L v3 is ahead with a 8.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Xeon E-2278GEL pulls ahead with 1.3% better PassMark. Xeon E5-2650L v3 also has the bigger cache pool with 87.5% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 16 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon E-2278GEL is the stronger fit. You are getting 1.3% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Xeon E-2278GEL is still the faster CPU overall, but Xeon E5-2650L v3 is easier to justify if budget matters more than peak performance. Xeon E-2278GEL comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $1,329 MSRP, and it still gives you 1.3% better PassMark. The compromise is that Xeon E5-2650L v3 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 8.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Xeon E5-2650L v3 is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (8.9 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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-2278GEL makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 vs 2014) and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 12/24. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Xeon E-2278GEL vs Xeon E5-2650L v3 Technical Specifications

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

Xeon E-2278GEL

The Xeon E-2278GEL is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 June 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-S WS (2018−2019) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 12,024 points. Launch price was $519.

Xeon E5-2650L v3

The Xeon E5-2650L v3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 1.8 GHz, with boost up to 2.5 GHz. L3 cache: 30 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866, DDR4-2133. Passmark benchmark score: 11,865 points. Launch price was $800.

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Processing Power

The Xeon E-2278GEL packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Xeon E5-2650L v3 offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the Xeon E5-2650L v3 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.9 GHz on the Xeon E-2278GEL versus 2.5 GHz on the Xeon E5-2650L v3 — a 43.7% clock advantage for the Xeon E-2278GEL (base: 2 GHz vs 1.8 GHz). The Xeon E-2278GEL uses the Coffee Lake-S WS (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon E5-2650L v3 uses Haswell-EP (2014−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E-2278GEL scores 12,024 against the Xeon E5-2650L v3's 11,865 — a 1.3% lead for the Xeon E-2278GEL. L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Xeon E-2278GEL vs 30 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-2650L v3.

Feature	Xeon E-2278GEL	Xeon E5-2650L v3
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	12 / 24+50%
Boost Clock	3.9 GHz+56%	2.5 GHz
Base Clock	2 GHz+11%	1.8 GHz
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)	30 MB (total)+88%
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	12,024+1%	11,865

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Memory & Platform

The Xeon E-2278GEL uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E5-2650L v3 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Xeon E-2278GEL	Xeon E5-2650L v3
Socket	LGA1151	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

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Xeon E-2278GEL) / VT-x, VT-d (Xeon E5-2650L v3). Primary use case: Xeon E5-2650L v3 targets Server Low Power.