Xeon E-2286M vs Xeon E5-2680 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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

Xeon E-2286M

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +10.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 45W instead of 120W, a 75W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 30 MB).
❌No AVX-512 support for niche heavy compute workloads where it can matter.

Xeon E5-2680 v3

2014

Why buy it

✅+87.5% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 16 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅AVX-512 support for select workstation, AI, and scientific workloads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E-2286M across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,864 vs 15,080).
❌Launch MSRP is still $1,745 MSRP, while Xeon E-2286M mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌166.7% higher power demand at 120W vs 45W.

Xeon E-2286M

2019

Xeon E5-2680 v3

2014

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +10.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 45W instead of 120W, a 75W reduction.

Why buy it

✅+87.5% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 16 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅AVX-512 support for select workstation, AI, and scientific workloads.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 30 MB).
❌No AVX-512 support for niche heavy compute workloads where it can matter.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E-2286M across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,864 vs 15,080).
❌Launch MSRP is still $1,745 MSRP, while Xeon E-2286M mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌166.7% higher power demand at 120W vs 45W.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon E-2286M better than Xeon E5-2680 v3?

Yes. Xeon E-2286M is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 10.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 1.5% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Xeon E-2286M is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 10.3% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon E-2286M is the better fit. You are getting 1.5% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Xeon E-2286M is still the faster CPU overall, but Xeon E5-2680 v3 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Xeon E-2286M is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $1,745 MSRP, and it gives you a 10.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Xeon E5-2680 v3 is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (8.5 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

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

Xeon E-2286M is the more future-proof choice 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 should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Games Benchmarks

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.

Xeon E-2286M Benchmark Check

Xeon E5-2680 v3 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Xeon E-2286M	Xeon E5-2680 v3
1080p
low	252 FPS	162 FPS
medium	235 FPS	142 FPS
high	196 FPS	115 FPS
ultra	169 FPS	94 FPS
1440p
low	224 FPS	136 FPS
medium	189 FPS	116 FPS
high	153 FPS	91 FPS
ultra	135 FPS	74 FPS
4K
low	156 FPS	63 FPS
medium	133 FPS	57 FPS
high	102 FPS	44 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	35 FPS

Open Xeon E-2286M Open Xeon E5-2680 v3

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Xeon E-2286M	Xeon E5-2680 v3
1080p
low	377 FPS	330 FPS
medium	335 FPS	299 FPS
high	298 FPS	258 FPS
ultra	264 FPS	212 FPS
1440p
low	356 FPS	285 FPS
medium	313 FPS	261 FPS
high	276 FPS	227 FPS
ultra	235 FPS	185 FPS
4K
low	239 FPS	185 FPS
medium	216 FPS	169 FPS
high	209 FPS	146 FPS
ultra	177 FPS	116 FPS

Open Xeon E-2286M Open Xeon E5-2680 v3

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Xeon E-2286M	Xeon E5-2680 v3
1080p
low	377 FPS	372 FPS
medium	377 FPS	372 FPS
high	377 FPS	372 FPS
ultra	377 FPS	372 FPS
1440p
low	377 FPS	372 FPS
medium	377 FPS	372 FPS
high	377 FPS	372 FPS
ultra	359 FPS	372 FPS
4K
low	377 FPS	372 FPS
medium	377 FPS	357 FPS
high	338 FPS	323 FPS
ultra	272 FPS	268 FPS

Open Xeon E-2286M Open Xeon E5-2680 v3

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Xeon E-2286M	Xeon E5-2680 v3
1080p
low	377 FPS	372 FPS
medium	377 FPS	372 FPS
high	377 FPS	372 FPS
ultra	377 FPS	372 FPS
1440p
low	377 FPS	372 FPS
medium	377 FPS	372 FPS
high	377 FPS	372 FPS
ultra	377 FPS	372 FPS
4K
low	377 FPS	372 FPS
medium	377 FPS	372 FPS
high	377 FPS	372 FPS
ultra	351 FPS	332 FPS

Open Xeon E-2286M Open Xeon E5-2680 v3

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E-2286M and Xeon E5-2680 v3

Xeon E-2286M

The Xeon E-2286M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 29 May 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-H (2018−2019) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1440. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666, LPDDR3-2133. Passmark benchmark score: 15,080 points. Launch price was $623.

Xeon E5-2680 v3

The Xeon E5-2680 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 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.3 GHz. L3 cache: 30 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 120 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866, DDR4-2133. Passmark benchmark score: 14,864 points. Launch price was $800.

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Processing Power

The Xeon E-2286M packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Xeon E5-2680 v3 offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the Xeon E5-2680 v3 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Xeon E-2286M versus 3.3 GHz on the Xeon E5-2680 v3 — a 41% clock advantage for the Xeon E-2286M (base: 2.4 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Xeon E-2286M uses the Coffee Lake-H (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon E5-2680 v3 uses Haswell-EP (2014−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E-2286M scores 15,080 against the Xeon E5-2680 v3's 14,864 — a 1.4% lead for the Xeon E-2286M. L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Xeon E-2286M vs 30 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-2680 v3.

Feature	Xeon E-2286M	Xeon E5-2680 v3
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	12 / 24+50%
Boost Clock	5 GHz+52%	3.3 GHz
Base Clock	2.4 GHz	2.5 GHz+4%
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-H (2018−2019)	Haswell-EP (2014−2015)
PassMark	15,080+1%	14,864

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Memory & Platform

The Xeon E-2286M uses the BGA1440 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E5-2680 v3 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.