Xeon E-2386G vs Xeon E5-2690 v4

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-2386G

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +14.8% higher average FPS across 46 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 95W instead of 135W, a 40W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 35 MB).

Xeon E5-2690 v4

2016

Why buy it

✅+191.7% larger total L3 cache (35 MB vs 12 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E-2386G across 46 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,255 vs 19,468).
❌Launch MSRP is still $2,090 MSRP, while Xeon E-2386G mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌42.1% higher power demand at 135W vs 95W.

Xeon E-2386G

2021

Xeon E5-2690 v4

2016

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +14.8% higher average FPS across 46 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 95W instead of 135W, a 40W reduction.

Why buy it

✅+191.7% larger total L3 cache (35 MB vs 12 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 35 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E-2386G across 46 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (19,255 vs 19,468).
❌Launch MSRP is still $2,090 MSRP, while Xeon E-2386G mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌42.1% higher power demand at 135W vs 95W.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon E-2386G better than Xeon E5-2690 v4?

Yes. Xeon E-2386G is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 14.8% average FPS lead across 46 shared CPU game tests in our data, 1.1% 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-2386G is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 14.8% more average FPS across 46 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon E-2386G is the better fit. You are getting 1.1% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.

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

Xeon E-2386G is still the faster CPU overall, but Xeon E5-2690 v4 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Xeon E-2386G is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $2,090 MSRP, and it gives you a 14.8% average FPS lead across 46 shared CPU game tests in our data. Xeon E5-2690 v4 is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (9.2 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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-2386G is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2016) and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 14/28. 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-2386G Benchmark Check

Xeon E5-2690 v4 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Xeon E-2386G	Xeon E5-2690 v4
1080p
low	295 FPS	177 FPS
medium	260 FPS	154 FPS
high	218 FPS	121 FPS
ultra	187 FPS	97 FPS
1440p
low	242 FPS	148 FPS
medium	192 FPS	125 FPS
high	157 FPS	95 FPS
ultra	138 FPS	77 FPS
4K
low	167 FPS	69 FPS
medium	135 FPS	61 FPS
high	104 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	91 FPS	38 FPS

Open Xeon E-2386G Open Xeon E5-2690 v4

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Xeon E-2386G	Xeon E5-2690 v4
1080p
low	487 FPS	364 FPS
medium	423 FPS	330 FPS
high	380 FPS	279 FPS
ultra	336 FPS	224 FPS
1440p
low	475 FPS	313 FPS
medium	386 FPS	284 FPS
high	348 FPS	242 FPS
ultra	304 FPS	188 FPS
4K
low	380 FPS	195 FPS
medium	314 FPS	178 FPS
high	293 FPS	153 FPS
ultra	248 FPS	120 FPS

Open Xeon E-2386G Open Xeon E5-2690 v4

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Xeon E-2386G	Xeon E5-2690 v4
1080p
low	487 FPS	481 FPS
medium	487 FPS	481 FPS
high	487 FPS	481 FPS
ultra	487 FPS	481 FPS
1440p
low	487 FPS	481 FPS
medium	487 FPS	481 FPS
high	487 FPS	481 FPS
ultra	450 FPS	481 FPS
4K
low	487 FPS	447 FPS
medium	452 FPS	363 FPS
high	391 FPS	331 FPS
ultra	320 FPS	277 FPS

Open Xeon E-2386G Open Xeon E5-2690 v4

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Xeon E-2386G	Xeon E5-2690 v4
1080p
low	487 FPS	481 FPS
medium	487 FPS	481 FPS
high	487 FPS	481 FPS
ultra	487 FPS	481 FPS
1440p
low	487 FPS	481 FPS
medium	487 FPS	481 FPS
high	487 FPS	481 FPS
ultra	487 FPS	461 FPS
4K
low	487 FPS	481 FPS
medium	487 FPS	470 FPS
high	487 FPS	416 FPS
ultra	437 FPS	358 FPS

Open Xeon E-2386G Open Xeon E5-2690 v4

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E-2386G and Xeon E5-2690 v4

Xeon E-2386G

The Xeon E-2386G is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Rocket Lake-E (2021) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 19,468 points. Launch price was $800.

Xeon E5-2690 v4

The Xeon E5-2690 v4 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 20 June 2016 (9 years ago). It is based on the Broadwell (2015−2019) architecture. It features 14 cores and 28 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 35 MB. L2 cache: 3.5 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 135 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866, DDR4-2133, DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 19,255 points. Launch price was $2,090.

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Processing Power

The Xeon E-2386G packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon E5-2690 v4 offers 14 cores / 28 threads — the Xeon E5-2690 v4 has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.1 GHz on the Xeon E-2386G versus 3.5 GHz on the Xeon E5-2690 v4 — a 37.2% clock advantage for the Xeon E-2386G (base: 3.5 GHz vs 2.6 GHz). The Xeon E-2386G uses the Rocket Lake-E (2021) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon E5-2690 v4 uses Broadwell (2015−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E-2386G scores 19,468 against the Xeon E5-2690 v4's 19,255 — a 1.1% lead for the Xeon E-2386G. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Xeon E-2386G vs 35 MB on the Xeon E5-2690 v4.

Feature	Xeon E-2386G	Xeon E5-2690 v4
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	14 / 28+133%
Boost Clock	5.1 GHz+46%	3.5 GHz
Base Clock	3.5 GHz+35%	2.6 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	35 MB+192%
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	3.5 MB+600%
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Rocket Lake-E (2021)	Broadwell (2015−2019)
PassMark	19,468+1%	19,255

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Memory & Platform

The Xeon E-2386G uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E5-2690 v4 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Xeon E-2386G	Xeon E5-2690 v4
Socket	LGA1200	LGA2011
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-2400
Max RAM Capacity	—	1536 GB
RAM Channels	—	4
ECC Support	—	Yes
PCIe Lanes	—	40