Xeon E5-4657L v2
VS
Core i7-6850K

Xeon E5-4657L v2 vs Core i7-6850K

Intel

Xeon E5-4657L v2

12 Cores24 Thrd115 WWMax: 2.9 GHz2014
VS
Intel

Core i7-6850K

6 Cores12 Thrd140 WWMax: 4 GHz2016

Performance Spectrum - CPU

About PassMark

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. The Xeon E5-4657L v2 is positioned at rank 302 and the Core i7-6850K is on rank 827, so the Xeon E5-4657L v2 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

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 E5-4657L v2

#1
Xeon Platinum 8454H
MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A
4474%
#6
Xeon Gold 6240R
MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A
845%
#10
Xeon 6337P
MSRP: $60|Avg: $5
751%
#15
EPYC 9174F
MSRP: $194|Avg: $30
580%
#233
Xeon w5-2545
MSRP: $889|Avg: $1100
99%
#234
Xeon W-1250P
MSRP: $311|Avg: $311
99%
#302
Xeon E5-4657L v2
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#304
Xeon E5-2620 v4
MSRP: $417|Avg: $410
100%
#306
Xeon Silver 4108
MSRP: $417|Avg: $46
99%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-6850K

#1
Ryzen 9 7950X
MSRP: $194|Avg: $20
16904%
#2
Core i9-10900T
MSRP: $120|Avg: $5
15973%
#3
Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE
MSRP: $423|Avg: $5
11598%
#4
Ryzen Threadripper 3960X
MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85
3494%
#5
Ryzen 9 9950X
MSRP: $649|Avg: $129
2768%
#6
Ryzen 5 8400F
MSRP: $303|Avg: $55
2421%
#7
Ryzen 7 PRO 2700
MSRP: $299|Avg: $60
1387%
#8
Ryzen 5 2600X
MSRP: $229|Avg: $55
1369%
#9
Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G
MSRP: $150|Avg: $60
1246%
#10
Core Ultra 5 245KF
MSRP: $294|Avg: $189
1246%
#11
Ryzen 5 5500
MSRP: $159|Avg: $85
1232%
#12
Ryzen 5 3600
MSRP: $199|Avg: $80
1199%
#13
Core i3-9100E
MSRP: $202|Avg: $30
1182%
#14
Core Ultra 5 245K
MSRP: $319|Avg: $200
1177%
#15
Core i3-8300T
MSRP: $138|Avg: $25
1167%
#295
Core i9-7940X
MSRP: $1399|Avg: $275
99%
#827
Core i7-6850K
MSRP: $617|Avg: $80
100%
#828
Core i5-2500K
MSRP: $225|Avg: $35
100%
#829
Pentium G3430
MSRP: $116|Avg: $30
99%
#830
Core i5-4570R
MSRP: $250|Avg: $20
99%
#831
Pentium E5400
MSRP: $55|Avg: $49
99%
#832
A6-3650
MSRP: $115|Avg: $20
99%
#833
Core i7-4770R
MSRP: $360|Avg: $89
99%
#835
Core i7-2600
MSRP: $294|Avg: $50
99%
#836
Pentium G870
MSRP: $86|Avg: $15
98%
#837
Athlon II X2 210e
MSRP: $60|Avg: $28
98%
#838
Pentium G645
MSRP: $80|Avg: $15
98%
#840
Pentium G630
MSRP: $75|Avg: $46
98%
#841
Core i5-2550K
MSRP: $235|Avg: $46
98%
#842
Athlon II X4 600e
MSRP: $100|Avg: $20
97%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Use Case Distinction: This is a comparison between a Professional Workstation processor ($0) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon E5-4657L v2 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.
InsightXeon E5-4657L v2Core i7-6850K
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Better multi-core power
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($80)
Longevity
🛑 Legacy (Legacy / 22 nm)
🛑 Legacy (Broadwell-E (2016) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-6850K ($80), however, is optimized for mixed workloads and gaming. For most users, it offers superior single-thread performance and responsiveness at a fraction of the cost ($80 less, Infinity% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.
InsightXeon E5-4657L v2Core i7-6850K
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($80)

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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E5-4657L v2 and Core i7-6850K

Intel

Xeon E5-4657L v2

The Xeon E5-4657L v2 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 2.9 GHz. L3 cache: 30 MB Intel® Smart Cache. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 115 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-800, DDR3-1066, DDR3-1333, DDR3-1600, DDR3-1866. Passmark benchmark score: 11,613 points. Launch price was $800.

Intel

Core i7-6850K

The Core i7-6850K is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 31 May 2016 (9 years ago). It is based on the Broadwell-E (2016) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 15 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 140 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 11,376 points. Launch price was $475.

Processing Power

The Xeon E5-4657L v2 packs 12 cores / 24 threads, while the Core i7-6850K offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Xeon E5-4657L v2 has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 2.9 GHz on the Xeon E5-4657L v2 versus 4 GHz on the Core i7-6850K — a 31.9% clock advantage for the Core i7-6850K (base: 2.4 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Core i7-6850K is built on the Broadwell-E (2016) architecture. In PassMark, the Xeon E5-4657L v2 scores 11,613 against the Core i7-6850K's 11,376 — a 2.1% lead for the Xeon E5-4657L v2. L3 cache: 30 MB Intel® Smart Cache on the Xeon E5-4657L v2 vs 15 MB (total) on the Core i7-6850K.

FeatureXeon E5-4657L v2Core i7-6850K
Cores / Threads
12 / 24+100%
6 / 12
Boost Clock
2.9 GHz
4 GHz+38%
Base Clock
2.4 GHz
3.6 GHz+50%
L3 Cache
30 MB Intel® Smart Cache+100%
15 MB (total)
L2 Cache
256 kB (per core)
Process
22 nm
14 nm-36%
Architecture
Broadwell-E (2016)
PassMark
11,613+2%
11,376
Geekbench 6 Single
1,200
Geekbench 6 Multi
5,500
🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the LGA2011 socket with PCIe 5.0.

FeatureXeon E5-4657L v2Core i7-6850K
Socket
LGA2011
LGA2011
PCIe Generation
PCIe 5.0+67%
PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed
DDR4-2400
Max RAM Capacity
128 GB
RAM Channels
4
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
40
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Xeon E5-4657L v2) / VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-6850K). Primary use case: Core i7-6850K targets HEDT.

FeatureXeon E5-4657L v2Core i7-6850K
Integrated GPU
No
IGPU Model
None
Unlocked
Yes
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
VT-x, VT-d
Target Use
HEDT