Xeon E5-2699 v3 vs Xeon E5-2686 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.

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.

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 E5-2699 v3

#21

Xeon Platinum 8260M

MSRP: $7705|Avg: N/A

122%

#22

Xeon Platinum 8268

MSRP: $6302|Avg: N/A

122%

#24

Xeon Gold 6130H

MSRP: $1894|Avg: N/A

118%

#35

Xeon E5-2699 v3

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#41

Xeon W-2195

MSRP: $150|Avg: $5

93%

#50

Xeon Gold 6238R

MSRP: $2612|Avg: N/A

73%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5-2686 v4

#65

EPYC 4364P

MSRP: $399|Avg: $334

129%

#66

EPYC 4585PX

MSRP: $699|Avg: $826

127%

#67

EPYC 4545P

MSRP: $549|Avg: $595

124%

#71

Ryzen 7 PRO 7745

MSRP: $400|Avg: $343

110%

#73

EPYC 4484PX

MSRP: $599|Avg: $599

106%

#80

Xeon E5-2686 v4

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#86

Xeon Platinum 8260

MSRP: $400|Avg: $400

97%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Performance Leadership: The Xeon E5-2699 v3 delivers superior performance across the board. It outperforms the Xeon E5-2686 v4 in both compute-intensive tasks (0.8% faster) and gaming workloads.

Insight	Xeon E5-2699 v3	Xeon E5-2686 v4
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	🛑 Legacy (Haswell-EP (2014−2015) / 22 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Broadwell (2015−2019) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

Insight	Xeon E5-2699 v3	Xeon E5-2686 v4
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.

Xeon E5-2699 v3 Benchmark Check

Xeon E5-2686 v4 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E5-2699 v3 and Xeon E5-2686 v4

Xeon E5-2699 v3

The Xeon E5-2699 v3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) 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 (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 145 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866, DDR4-2133. Passmark benchmark score: 20,028 points. Launch price was $800.

Xeon E5-2686 v4

The Xeon E5-2686 v4 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. 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 GHz. L3 cache: 45 MB. L2 cache: 4.5 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCLGA2011-3. Thermal design power (TDP): 145 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 19,860 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Xeon E5-2699 v3 and Xeon E5-2686 v4 share an identical 18-core/36-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.6 GHz on the Xeon E5-2699 v3 versus 3 GHz on the Xeon E5-2686 v4 — a 18.2% clock advantage for the Xeon E5-2699 v3 (base: 2.3 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The Xeon E5-2699 v3 uses the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Xeon E5-2686 v4 uses Broadwell (2015−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5-2699 v3 scores 20,028 against the Xeon E5-2686 v4's 19,860 — a 0.8% lead for the Xeon E5-2699 v3. L3 cache: 45 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-2699 v3 vs 45 MB on the Xeon E5-2686 v4.

Feature	Xeon E5-2699 v3	Xeon E5-2686 v4
Cores / Threads	18 / 36	18 / 36
Boost Clock	3.6 GHz+20%	3 GHz
Base Clock	2.3 GHz	2.3 GHz
L3 Cache	45 MB (total)	45 MB
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	4.5 MB+1700%
Process	22 nm	14 nm-36%
Architecture	Haswell-EP (2014−2015)	Broadwell (2015−2019)
PassMark	20,028	19,860
Geekbench 6 Single	—	895
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	6,822

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon E5-2699 v3 uses the LGA2011 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E5-2686 v4 uses FCLGA2011-3 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches 2400 on the Xeon E5-2699 v3 versus DDR4-2400 on the Xeon E5-2686 v4 — the Xeon E5-2699 v3 supports 199.3% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 1536 of RAM. Both feature 4-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 40 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: C612 (Xeon E5-2699 v3) and C612,X99 (Xeon E5-2686 v4).

Feature	Xeon E5-2699 v3	Xeon E5-2686 v4
Socket	LGA2011	FCLGA2011-3
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	2400+59900%	DDR4-2400
Max RAM Capacity	1536	1536 GB+104857500%
RAM Channels	4	4
ECC Support	✅	✅
PCIe Lanes	40	40

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Xeon E5-2699 v3) vs Yes (Xeon E5-2686 v4). Direct competitor: Xeon E5-2699 v3 rivals Xeon Silver 4114.