Xeon E5-1660 v3 vs Xeon E5-2650L 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.

Xeon E5-1660 v3 vs Xeon E5-2650L v4 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 E5-1660 v3 vs Xeon E5-2650L v4: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Xeon E5-1660 v3

2014

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (12,582 vs 12,734).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (20 MB vs 35 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $1,080 MSRP, while Xeon E5-2650L v4 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌115.4% higher power demand at 140W vs 65W.

Xeon E5-2650L v4

2016

Why buy it

✅+1.2% higher PassMark.
✅+75% larger total L3 cache (35 MB vs 20 MB).
✅Draws 65W instead of 140W, a 75W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon E5-2650L v4 better than Xeon E5-1660 v3?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Xeon E5-1660 v3 is ahead with a 2.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Xeon E5-2650L v4 pulls ahead with 1.2% better PassMark. Xeon E5-2650L v4 also has the bigger cache pool with 75% larger total L3 cache (35 MB vs 20 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon E5-2650L v4 is the stronger fit. You are getting 1.2% better PassMark, backed by 14 cores and 28 threads. It also has the larger cache pool with 75% larger total L3 cache (35 MB vs 20 MB).

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

Xeon E5-2650L v4 is still the faster CPU overall, but Xeon E5-1660 v3 is easier to justify if budget matters more than peak performance. Xeon E5-2650L v4 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $1,080 MSRP, and it still gives you 1.2% better PassMark. The compromise is that Xeon E5-1660 v3 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 2.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Xeon E5-1660 v3 is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (11.7 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 E5-2650L v4 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2016 vs 2014), 75% larger total L3 cache (35 MB vs 20 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 14 cores / 28 threads instead of 8/16. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Xeon E5-1660 v3 vs Xeon E5-2650L v4 Technical Specifications

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

Xeon E5-1660 v3

The Xeon E5-1660 v3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 20 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 140 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1333, DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866, DDR4-2133. Passmark benchmark score: 12,582 points. Launch price was $800.

Xeon E5-2650L v4

The Xeon E5-2650L 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 1.7 GHz, with boost up to 2.5 GHz. L3 cache: 35 MB. L2 cache: 3.5 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866, DDR4-2133, DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 12,734 points. Launch price was $1,329.

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Processing Power

The Xeon E5-1660 v3 packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Xeon E5-2650L v4 offers 14 cores / 28 threads — the Xeon E5-2650L v4 has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.5 GHz on the Xeon E5-1660 v3 versus 2.5 GHz on the Xeon E5-2650L v4 — a 33.3% clock advantage for the Xeon E5-1660 v3 (base: 3 GHz vs 1.7 GHz). The Xeon E5-1660 v3 uses the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Xeon E5-2650L v4 uses Broadwell (2015−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5-1660 v3 scores 12,582 against the Xeon E5-2650L v4's 12,734 — a 1.2% lead for the Xeon E5-2650L v4. L3 cache: 20 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-1660 v3 vs 35 MB on the Xeon E5-2650L v4.

Feature	Xeon E5-1660 v3	Xeon E5-2650L v4
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	14 / 28+75%
Boost Clock	3.5 GHz+40%	2.5 GHz
Base Clock	3 GHz+76%	1.7 GHz
L3 Cache	20 MB (total)	35 MB+75%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)+7214%	3.5 MB
Process	22 nm	14 nm-36%
Architecture	Haswell-EP (2014−2015)	Broadwell (2015−2019)
PassMark	12,582	12,734+1%