Xeon E5-2678 v3 vs Xeon E5-2687W v3

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 E5-2678 v3 vs Xeon E5-2687W v3 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 E5-2678 v3 vs Xeon E5-2687W v3: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Xeon E5-2678 v3

2015

Why buy it

✅+0.8% higher PassMark.
✅+20% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 25 MB).
✅Draws 120W instead of 160W, a 40W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E5-2687W v3 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Xeon E5-2687W v3

2014

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (14,538 vs 14,653).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (25 MB vs 30 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $2,141 MSRP, while Xeon E5-2678 v3 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌33.3% higher power demand at 160W vs 120W.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon E5-2678 v3 better than Xeon E5-2687W v3?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Xeon E5-2687W v3 is ahead with a 4.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Xeon E5-2678 v3 pulls ahead with 0.8% better PassMark. Xeon E5-2678 v3 also has the bigger cache pool with 20% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 25 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon E5-2678 v3 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.8% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 24 threads. It also has the larger cache pool with 20% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 25 MB).

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

Xeon E5-2678 v3 is still the faster CPU overall, but Xeon E5-2687W v3 is easier to justify if budget matters more than peak performance. Xeon E5-2678 v3 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $2,141 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.8% better PassMark. The compromise is that Xeon E5-2687W v3 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 4.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Xeon E5-2687W v3 is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (6.8 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 E5-2678 v3 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2015 vs 2014), 20% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 25 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 12 cores / 24 threads instead of 10/20. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Xeon E5-2678 v3 vs Xeon E5-2687W v3 Technical Specifications

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

Xeon E5-2678 v3

The Xeon E5-2678 v3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.3 GHz. L3 cache: 30 MB. L2 cache: 3072 kB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011-3. Thermal design power (TDP): 120 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 14,653 points. Launch price was $800.

Xeon E5-2687W v3

The Xeon E5-2687W v3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture. It features 10 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 25 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 160 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866, DDR4-2133. Passmark benchmark score: 14,538 points. Launch price was $800.

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Processing Power

The Xeon E5-2678 v3 packs 12 cores / 24 threads, while the Xeon E5-2687W v3 offers 10 cores / 20 threads — the Xeon E5-2678 v3 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.3 GHz on the Xeon E5-2678 v3 versus 3.5 GHz on the Xeon E5-2687W v3 — a 5.9% clock advantage for the Xeon E5-2687W v3 (base: 2.5 GHz vs 3.1 GHz). The Xeon E5-2678 v3 uses the Haswell (2013−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Xeon E5-2687W v3 uses Haswell-EP (2014−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5-2678 v3 scores 14,653 against the Xeon E5-2687W v3's 14,538 — a 0.8% lead for the Xeon E5-2678 v3. L3 cache: 30 MB on the Xeon E5-2678 v3 vs 25 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-2687W v3.

Feature	Xeon E5-2678 v3	Xeon E5-2687W v3
Cores / Threads	12 / 24+20%	10 / 20
Boost Clock	3.3 GHz	3.5 GHz+6%
Base Clock	2.5 GHz	3.1 GHz+24%
L3 Cache	30 MB+20%	25 MB (total)
L2 Cache	3072 kB+1100%	256K (per core)
Process	22 nm	22 nm
Architecture	Haswell (2013−2015)	Haswell-EP (2014−2015)
PassMark	14,653	14,538

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Memory & Platform

The Xeon E5-2678 v3 uses the LGA2011-3 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E5-2687W v3 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Xeon E5-2678 v3	Xeon E5-2687W v3
Socket	LGA2011-3	LGA2011
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-2133
Max RAM Capacity	—	768 GB
RAM Channels	—	4
ECC Support	—	Yes
PCIe Lanes	—	40