Xeon E5-2673 v4 vs Xeon E5-2697 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 E5-2673 v4

2016

Why buy it

✅+1.4% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 135W instead of 145W, a 10W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E5-2697 v4 across 21 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Xeon E5-2697 v4

2016

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.2% higher average FPS across 21 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (20,990 vs 21,277).

Xeon E5-2673 v4

2016

Xeon E5-2697 v4

2016

Why buy it

✅+1.4% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 135W instead of 145W, a 10W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.2% higher average FPS across 21 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E5-2697 v4 across 21 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (20,990 vs 21,277).

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon E5-2673 v4 better than Xeon E5-2697 v4?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Xeon E5-2697 v4 is ahead with a 6.2% average FPS lead across 21 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Xeon E5-2673 v4 pulls ahead with 1.4% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon E5-2673 v4 is the better fit. You are getting 1.4% better PassMark, backed by 20 cores and 40 threads.

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

Xeon E5-2673 v4 still looks like the safer overall buy. Xeon E5-2673 v4 is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you 1.4% better PassMark.

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

Xeon E5-2673 v4 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting more multi-core headroom with 20 cores / 40 threads instead of 18/36. 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 E5-2673 v4 Benchmark Check

Xeon E5-2697 v4 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Xeon E5-2673 v4	Xeon E5-2697 v4
1080p
low	180 FPS	182 FPS
medium	157 FPS	158 FPS
high	124 FPS	126 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	101 FPS
1440p
low	149 FPS	152 FPS
medium	125 FPS	128 FPS
high	95 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	69 FPS	69 FPS
medium	61 FPS	62 FPS
high	47 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	39 FPS

Open Xeon E5-2673 v4 Open Xeon E5-2697 v4

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Xeon E5-2673 v4	Xeon E5-2697 v4
1080p
low	365 FPS	364 FPS
medium	332 FPS	330 FPS
high	280 FPS	278 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	224 FPS
1440p
low	314 FPS	313 FPS
medium	285 FPS	284 FPS
high	243 FPS	242 FPS
ultra	189 FPS	188 FPS
4K
low	196 FPS	195 FPS
medium	179 FPS	178 FPS
high	153 FPS	153 FPS
ultra	121 FPS	120 FPS

Open Xeon E5-2673 v4 Open Xeon E5-2697 v4

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Xeon E5-2673 v4	Xeon E5-2697 v4
1080p
low	532 FPS	525 FPS
medium	505 FPS	525 FPS
high	458 FPS	525 FPS
ultra	410 FPS	525 FPS
1440p
low	522 FPS	525 FPS
medium	436 FPS	525 FPS
high	389 FPS	525 FPS
ultra	349 FPS	525 FPS
4K
low	400 FPS	466 FPS
medium	322 FPS	379 FPS
high	287 FPS	345 FPS
ultra	239 FPS	289 FPS

Open Xeon E5-2673 v4 Open Xeon E5-2697 v4

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Xeon E5-2673 v4	Xeon E5-2697 v4
1080p
low	532 FPS	525 FPS
medium	532 FPS	525 FPS
high	532 FPS	525 FPS
ultra	532 FPS	525 FPS
1440p
low	532 FPS	525 FPS
medium	532 FPS	525 FPS
high	532 FPS	525 FPS
ultra	456 FPS	486 FPS
4K
low	518 FPS	525 FPS
medium	465 FPS	494 FPS
high	411 FPS	437 FPS
ultra	352 FPS	374 FPS

Open Xeon E5-2673 v4 Open Xeon E5-2697 v4

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E5-2673 v4 and Xeon E5-2697 v4

Xeon E5-2673 v4

The Xeon E5-2673 v4 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Broadwell (2015−2019) architecture. It features 20 cores and 40 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 2.3 GHz. L3 cache: 50 MB. L2 cache: 5 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCLGA2011-3. Thermal design power (TDP): 135 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 21,277 points. Launch price was $800.

Xeon E5-2697 v4

The Xeon E5-2697 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 18 cores and 36 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 45 MB. L2 cache: 4.5 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 145 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866, DDR4-2133, DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 20,990 points. Launch price was $2,702.

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Processing Power

The Xeon E5-2673 v4 packs 20 cores / 40 threads, while the Xeon E5-2697 v4 offers 18 cores / 36 threads — the Xeon E5-2673 v4 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.3 GHz on the Xeon E5-2673 v4 versus 3.6 GHz on the Xeon E5-2697 v4 — a 44.1% clock advantage for the Xeon E5-2697 v4 (base: 2.3 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). Both are built on the Broadwell (2015−2019) architecture using a 14 nm process. In PassMark, the Xeon E5-2673 v4 scores 21,277 against the Xeon E5-2697 v4's 20,990 — a 1.4% lead for the Xeon E5-2673 v4. L3 cache: 50 MB on the Xeon E5-2673 v4 vs 45 MB on the Xeon E5-2697 v4.

Feature	Xeon E5-2673 v4	Xeon E5-2697 v4
Cores / Threads	20 / 40+11%	18 / 36
Boost Clock	2.3 GHz	3.6 GHz+57%
Base Clock	2.3 GHz	2.3 GHz
L3 Cache	50 MB+11%	45 MB
L2 Cache	5 MB+11%	4.5 MB
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Broadwell (2015−2019)	Broadwell (2015−2019)
PassMark	21,277+1%	20,990

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Memory & Platform

The Xeon E5-2673 v4 uses the FCLGA2011-3 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E5-2697 v4 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.