Xeon E5-2637 v2
VS
Core i7-6700HQ

Xeon E5-2637 v2 vs Core i7-6700HQ

Intel

Xeon E5-2637 v2

4 Cores8 Thrd130 WWMax: 3.8 GHz2013
VS
Intel

Core i7-6700HQ

4 Cores8 Thrd45 WWMax: 3.5 GHz2015

Performance Spectrum - CPU

About PassMark

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.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Xeon E5-2637 v2 is positioned at rank 446 and the Core i7-6700HQ is on rank 937, so the Xeon E5-2637 v2 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5-2637 v2

#1
Xeon Platinum 8454H
MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A
6402%
#6
Xeon Gold 6240R
MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A
1209%
#10
Xeon 6337P
MSRP: $60|Avg: $5
1074%
#15
EPYC 9174F
MSRP: $194|Avg: $30
830%
#287
EPYC 9355P
MSRP: $2998|Avg: $3026
100%
#288
Xeon w7-2595X
MSRP: $2039|Avg: $1600
100%
#289
Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9965WX
MSRP: $2899|Avg: $2699.99
100%
#290
Xeon Gold 5420+
MSRP: $1848|Avg: $1848
97%
#292
Xeon w7-2575X
MSRP: $1689|Avg: $1860
97%
#446
Xeon E5-2637 v2
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#451
Xeon D-1718T
MSRP: $302|Avg: $302
99%
#452
Xeon D-1622
MSRP: $195|Avg: $170
98%
#453
Xeon E3-1290 v2
MSRP: $885|Avg: $125
98%
#454
Xeon E5-2420 v2
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $112
98%
#455
Xeon E3-1285 v6
MSRP: $450|Avg: N/A
98%
#456
Xeon E3-1268L v5
MSRP: $377|Avg: $93
98%
#460
Xeon E5-1428L V2
MSRP: $494|Avg: $83
96%
#461
Xeon E5-1428L
MSRP: $480|Avg: N/A
96%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-6700HQ

#925
Atom x5-Z8300
MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A
1701%
#926
Atom Z3735G
MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A
1676%
#927
Core i5-480M
MSRP: $81|Avg: $77
1539%
#928
Core i5-460M
MSRP: $80|Avg: $129
1532%
#929
Core i5-2540M
MSRP: $266|Avg: $10
1518%
#931
Core i5-450M
MSRP: $32|Avg: $31
1466%
#932
Core i3-380M
MSRP: $49|Avg: $25
1405%
#933
Core i5-430M
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33
1403%
#934
Core 2 Duo T6600
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4
1365%
#937
Core i7-6700HQ
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#939
FX-7600P
MSRP: $150|Avg: $45
99%
#940
Athlon II M300
MSRP: $100|Avg: $10
99%
#944
Athlon Neo X2 L335
MSRP: $80|Avg: $15
96%
#945
Core i7-3610QE
MSRP: $315|Avg: $105
96%
#948
A8-8600P
MSRP: $150|Avg: $30
95%
#950
FX-9800P
MSRP: $150|Avg: $45
95%
#951
Celeron 1020E
MSRP: $86|Avg: $20
95%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Use Case Distinction: This is a comparison between a Professional Workstation processor ($0) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon E5-2637 v2 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.
InsightXeon E5-2637 v2Core i7-6700HQ
Gaming
Superior gaming performance
Lower gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
Equivalent pricing
Equivalent pricing
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge-EP (2013) / 22 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Skylake (2015−2016) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-6700HQ ($0), however, is optimized for mixed workloads and gaming. For most users, it offers superior single-thread performance and responsiveness at a fraction of the cost ($0 less, NaN% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.
InsightXeon E5-2637 v2Core i7-6700HQ
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
Equivalent pricing
Equivalent pricing

Performance Check

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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E5-2637 v2 and Core i7-6700HQ

Intel

Xeon E5-2637 v2

The Xeon E5-2637 v2 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge-EP (2013) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 10 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 6,492 points. Launch price was $1,090.

Intel

Core i7-6700HQ

The Core i7-6700HQ is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2015 (10 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (2015−2016) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 6 MB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1440. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 6,522 points. Launch price was $378.

Processing Power

Both the Xeon E5-2637 v2 and Core i7-6700HQ share an identical 4-core/8-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.8 GHz on the Xeon E5-2637 v2 versus 3.5 GHz on the Core i7-6700HQ — a 8.2% clock advantage for the Xeon E5-2637 v2 (base: 3.5 GHz vs 2.6 GHz). The Xeon E5-2637 v2 uses the Ivy Bridge-EP (2013) architecture (22 nm), while the Core i7-6700HQ uses Skylake (2015−2016) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5-2637 v2 scores 6,492 against the Core i7-6700HQ's 6,522 — a 0.5% lead for the Core i7-6700HQ. L3 cache: 10 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-2637 v2 vs 6 MB on the Core i7-6700HQ.

FeatureXeon E5-2637 v2Core i7-6700HQ
Cores / Threads
4 / 8
4 / 8
Boost Clock
3.8 GHz+9%
3.5 GHz
Base Clock
3.5 GHz+35%
2.6 GHz
L3 Cache
10 MB (total)+67%
6 MB
L2 Cache
256 kB (per core)
1 MB+300%
Process
22 nm
14 nm-36%
Architecture
Ivy Bridge-EP (2013)
Skylake (2015−2016)
PassMark
6,492
6,522
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon E5-2637 v2 uses the LGA2011 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Core i7-6700HQ uses BGA1440 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureXeon E5-2637 v2Core i7-6700HQ
Socket
LGA2011
BGA1440
PCIe Generation
PCIe 4.0+33%
PCIe 3.0