Intel Xeon E7540 vs Intel Xeon E3-1231 v3

Comparative analysis of Intel Xeon E7540 and Intel Xeon E3-1231 v3 processors for all known characteristics in the following categories: Essentials, Performance, Compatibility, Security & Reliability, Advanced Technologies, Virtualization, Memory, Peripherals. Benchmark processor performance analysis: PassMark - Single thread mark, PassMark - CPU mark, Geekbench 4 - Single Core, Geekbench 4 - Multi-Core, 3DMark Fire Strike - Physics Score, CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Face Detection (mPixels/s), CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Ocean Surface Simulation (Frames/s), CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - T-Rex (Frames/s), CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Video Composition (Frames/s), CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Bitcoin Mining (mHash/s).

Intel Xeon E7540

Intel Xeon E3-1231 v3

Differences

Reasons to consider the Intel Xeon E7540

2 more cores, run more applications at once: 6 vs 4
4 more threads: 12 vs 8
Around 34% better performance in PassMark - CPU mark: 9409 vs 7042

Specifications (specs)
Number of cores	6 vs 4
Number of threads	12 vs 8
Benchmarks
PassMark - CPU mark	9409 vs 7042

Reasons to consider the Intel Xeon E3-1231 v3

Around 67% higher clock speed: 3.80 GHz vs 2.27 GHz
A newer manufacturing process allows for a more powerful, yet cooler running processor: 22 nm vs 45 nm
Around 31% lower typical power consumption: 80 Watt vs 105 Watt
2.4x better performance in PassMark - Single thread mark: 2148 vs 911

Specifications (specs)
Maximum frequency	3.80 GHz vs 2.27 GHz
Manufacturing process technology	22 nm vs 45 nm
Thermal Design Power (TDP)	80 Watt vs 105 Watt
Benchmarks
PassMark - Single thread mark	2148 vs 911

Compare benchmarks

CPU 1: Intel Xeon E7540
CPU 2: Intel Xeon E3-1231 v3

PassMark - Single thread mark

CPU 1

CPU 2

911

2148

PassMark - CPU mark

CPU 1

CPU 2

9409

7042

Name	Intel Xeon E7540	Intel Xeon E3-1231 v3
PassMark - Single thread mark	911	2148
PassMark - CPU mark	9409	7042
Geekbench 4 - Single Core		891
Geekbench 4 - Multi-Core		3386
3DMark Fire Strike - Physics Score		2290
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Face Detection (mPixels/s)		5.137
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Ocean Surface Simulation (Frames/s)		78.031
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - T-Rex (Frames/s)		0.588
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Video Composition (Frames/s)		2.47
CompuBench 1.5 Desktop - Bitcoin Mining (mHash/s)		6.089

Compare specifications (specs)

	Intel Xeon E7540	Intel Xeon E3-1231 v3
Essentials
Architecture codename	Nehalem EX	Haswell
Launch date	Q1'10	Q2'14
Place in performance rating	2153	2146
Processor Number	E7540	E3-1231V3
Series	Legacy Intel Xeon Processors	Intel® Xeon® Processor E3 v3 Family
Vertical segment	Server	Server
Status		Launched
Performance
Base frequency	2.00 GHz	3.40 GHz
Bus Speed	6.4 GT/s	5 GT/s DMI2
L3 cache	18 MB L3 Cache
Manufacturing process technology	45 nm	22 nm
Maximum core temperature	64°C
Maximum frequency	2.27 GHz	3.80 GHz
Number of cores	6	4
Number of threads	12	8
64 bit support
Number of QPI Links		0
Compatibility
Sockets supported	FCLGA1567	FCLGA1150
Thermal Design Power (TDP)	105 Watt	80 Watt
Low Halogen Options Available
Max number of CPUs in a configuration		1
Package Size		37.5mm x 37.5mm
Thermal Solution		PCG 2013D
Security & Reliability
Execute Disable Bit (EDB)
Anti-Theft technology
Intel® Identity Protection technology
Intel® OS Guard
Intel® Secure Key technology
Intel® Trusted Execution technology (TXT)
Advanced Technologies
Enhanced Intel SpeedStep® technology
Intel 64
Intel® Hyper-Threading technology
Intel® Turbo Boost technology
Idle States
Instruction set extensions		Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2
Intel® AES New Instructions
Intel® Fast Memory Access
Intel® Flex Memory Access
Intel® My WiFi technology
Intel® Stable Image Platform Program (SIPP)
Intel® TSX-NI
Intel® vPro™ Platform Eligibility
Thermal Monitoring
Virtualization
Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x)
Intel® VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT)
Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d)
Memory
Max memory channels		2
Maximum memory bandwidth		25.6 GB/s
Maximum memory size		32 GB
Supported memory types		DDR3 and DDR3L 1333/1600 at 1.5V
Peripherals
Max number of PCIe lanes		16
PCI Express revision		3.0
PCIe configurations		1x16, 2x8, 1x8/2x4
Scalability		1S Only