Xeon E5-2648L V3 vs Xeon E5-2690

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 E5-2648L V3 vs Xeon E5-2690 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 E5-2648L V3 vs Xeon E5-2690: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Xeon E5-2648L V3

2014

Why buy it

✅+0.9% higher PassMark.
✅+50% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 20 MB).
✅Draws 75W instead of 135W, a 60W reduction.

Trade-offs

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

Xeon E5-2690

2012

Why buy it

✅100+% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (9,764 vs 9,847).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (20 MB vs 30 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $2,057 MSRP, while Xeon E5-2648L V3 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌80% higher power demand at 135W vs 75W.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon E5-2648L V3 better than Xeon E5-2690?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Xeon E5-2690 is ahead with a 0.9% average FPS lead across 48 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Xeon E5-2648L V3 pulls ahead with 0.9% better PassMark. Xeon E5-2648L V3 also has the bigger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 20 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon E5-2648L V3 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.9% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 24 threads. It also has the larger cache pool with 50% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 20 MB).

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

Xeon E5-2648L V3 is still the faster CPU overall, but Xeon E5-2690 is easier to justify if budget matters more than peak performance. Xeon E5-2648L V3 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $2,057 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.9% better PassMark. The compromise is that Xeon E5-2690 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 0.9% average FPS lead across 48 shared CPU game tests in our data. Xeon E5-2690 is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (4.7 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 E5-2648L V3 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2014 vs 2012), 50% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 20 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 12 cores / 24 threads instead of 8/16. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Xeon E5-2648L V3 vs Xeon E5-2690 Technical Specifications

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

Xeon E5-2648L V3

The Xeon E5-2648L 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 1.8 GHz, with boost up to 2.5 GHz. L3 cache: 30 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011-3. Thermal design power (TDP): 75 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2133. Passmark benchmark score: 9,847 points. Launch price was $800.

Xeon E5-2690

The Xeon E5-2690 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 6 March 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge-EP (2012) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 20480 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 135 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 9,764 points. Launch price was $397.

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Processing Power

The Xeon E5-2648L V3 packs 12 cores / 24 threads, while the Xeon E5-2690 offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Xeon E5-2648L V3 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.5 GHz on the Xeon E5-2648L V3 versus 3.8 GHz on the Xeon E5-2690 — a 41.3% clock advantage for the Xeon E5-2690 (base: 1.8 GHz vs 2.9 GHz). The Xeon E5-2648L V3 uses the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Xeon E5-2690 uses Sandy Bridge-EP (2012) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5-2648L V3 scores 9,847 against the Xeon E5-2690's 9,764 — a 0.8% lead for the Xeon E5-2648L V3. L3 cache: 30 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-2648L V3 vs 20480 kB (total) on the Xeon E5-2690.

Feature	Xeon E5-2648L V3	Xeon E5-2690
Cores / Threads	12 / 24+50%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	2.5 GHz	3.8 GHz+52%
Base Clock	1.8 GHz	2.9 GHz+61%
L3 Cache	30 MB (total)+50%	20480 kB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256 kB (per core)
Process	22 nm-31%	32 nm
Architecture	Haswell-EP (2014−2015)	Sandy Bridge-EP (2012)
PassMark	9,847	9,764

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Memory & Platform

The Xeon E5-2648L V3 uses the LGA2011-3 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Xeon E5-2690 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Xeon E5-2648L V3	Xeon E5-2690
Socket	LGA2011-3	LGA2011
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+150%	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR3-1600
Max RAM Capacity	—	384 GB
RAM Channels	—	4
ECC Support	—	Yes
PCIe Lanes	—	40