Xeon E5-2640 v3 vs Xeon Silver 4209T

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 E5-2640 v3 vs Xeon Silver 4209T 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 E5-2640 v3 vs Xeon Silver 4209T: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Xeon E5-2640 v3

2014

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +9.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+81.8% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 11 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (11,055 vs 11,080).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 11.8 vs 19.7 PassMark/$ ($939 MSRP vs $563 MSRP).
❌28.6% higher power demand at 90W vs 70W.

Xeon Silver 4209T

2019

Why buy it

✅+0.2% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $376 less on MSRP ($563 MSRP vs $939 MSRP).
✅Delivers 67.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 19.7 vs 11.8 PassMark/$ ($563 MSRP vs $939 MSRP).
✅Draws 70W instead of 90W, a 20W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E5-2640 v3 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (11 MB vs 20 MB).
❌No AVX-512 support for niche heavy compute workloads where it can matter.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon Silver 4209T better than Xeon E5-2640 v3?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Xeon E5-2640 v3 is ahead with a 9.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Silver 4209T pulls ahead with 0.2% better PassMark. Xeon E5-2640 v3 also has the bigger cache pool with 81.8% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 11 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Silver 4209T is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.2% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Xeon Silver 4209T is the better buy right now. Xeon Silver 4209T comes in $376 cheaper on MSRP at $563 MSRP versus $939 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.2% better PassMark. The compromise is that Xeon E5-2640 v3 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 9.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 67.2% better value on MSRP (19.7 vs 11.8 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.

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

Xeon Silver 4209T 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 8/16. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Xeon E5-2640 v3 vs Xeon Silver 4209T Technical Specifications

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

Xeon E5-2640 v3

The Xeon E5-2640 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 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 20 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 90 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866. Passmark benchmark score: 11,055 points. Launch price was $800.

Xeon Silver 4209T

The Xeon Silver 4209T is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 April 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Cascade Lake (2019−2020) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 11 MB. L2 cache: 8 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 70 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 11,080 points. Launch price was $501.

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Processing Power

Both the Xeon E5-2640 v3 and Xeon Silver 4209T share an identical 8-core/16-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.4 GHz on the Xeon E5-2640 v3 versus 3.2 GHz on the Xeon Silver 4209T — a 6.1% clock advantage for the Xeon E5-2640 v3 (base: 2.6 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Xeon E5-2640 v3 uses the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Xeon Silver 4209T uses Cascade Lake (2019−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5-2640 v3 scores 11,055 against the Xeon Silver 4209T's 11,080 — a 0.2% lead for the Xeon Silver 4209T. L3 cache: 20 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-2640 v3 vs 11 MB on the Xeon Silver 4209T.

Feature	Xeon E5-2640 v3	Xeon Silver 4209T
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	8 / 16
Boost Clock	3.4 GHz+6%	3.2 GHz
Base Clock	2.6 GHz+18%	2.2 GHz
L3 Cache	20 MB (total)+82%	11 MB
L2 Cache	256K (per core)+3100%	8 MB
Process	22 nm	14 nm-36%
Architecture	Haswell-EP (2014−2015)	Cascade Lake (2019−2020)
PassMark	11,055	11,080

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Memory & Platform

The Xeon E5-2640 v3 uses the LGA2011 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Xeon Silver 4209T uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Xeon E5-2640 v3	Xeon Silver 4209T
Socket	LGA2011	LGA3647
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+67%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-1866	—
Max RAM Capacity	768 GB	—
RAM Channels	4	—
ECC Support	Yes	—
PCIe Lanes	40	—

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Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Xeon E5-2640 v3) / not specified (Xeon Silver 4209T). Primary use case: Xeon E5-2640 v3 targets Server.

Feature	Xeon E5-2640 v3	Xeon Silver 4209T
Integrated GPU	No	—
Unlocked	No	—
AVX-512	Yes	—
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	—
Target Use	Server	—

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Value Analysis

At launch, the Xeon E5-2640 v3 was priced at $939, while the Xeon Silver 4209T came in at $563. On launch pricing ($939 vs $563), Xeon Silver 4209T was $376 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Xeon E5-2640 v3 delivers 11.8 pts/$ vs 19.7 pts/$ for the Xeon Silver 4209T — making the Xeon Silver 4209T the 50.3% better value option.

Feature	Xeon E5-2640 v3	Xeon Silver 4209T
MSRP	$939	$563-40%
Performance per Dollar	11.8	19.7+67%
Release Date	2014	2019

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