Benchmarking the Xeon E5-2690: how the most powerful Sandy Bridge fares in modern games and apps

In a previous article, where we tested Sandy Bridge generation processors, we noted that Intel's 32nm chips are hopelessly outdated and can no longer deliver adequate performance. That time, however, we were only looking at a 6-core solution. Perhaps a more powerful, multi-core Sandy Bridge model can do better?

In this article, we'll benchmark the top-end Xeon v1 processor—the E5-2690—and compare it against several relatively comparable competitors, including the Core i3-10100F, Xeon E5-2630 v3, and Ryzen 5 1600X.

*As new samples are unavailable in stores, prices are based on the secondary market.

The Processor

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Our test sample's marking is SR0L0. This is a retail, tray-packaged version of the server CPU.

The Intel Xeon E5-2690 processor is based on an 8-core, 32nm C2 revision die, utilizing the Intel Sandy Bridge-EP architecture. This CPU configuration represents the maximum possible for first-generation mainstream server chips, making it the top-tier offering of its generation.

This chip can operate in both single and dual-processor configurations, though we're using the former in our setup.

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The chip features 256 KB of L2 cache per core and a total, ample 20 MB of L3 cache. Designed for LGA 2011 motherboards, this CPU has a nominal frequency of 2900 MHz. However, Turbo Boost technology can push it up to 3800 MHz for a single core, and 3300 MHz across all 8 cores and 16 threads.

The E5-2690's integrated memory controller (IMC) and L3 cache speeds, just like with all v1 and v2 series chips, are rigidly tied to the core frequency and utilize its divider.

As for supported RAM frequency, the E5-2690 officially tops out at quad-channel DDR3-1600 MHz. Unfortunately, we can't change this through overclocking or other methods in our setup, which is due to using a branded DELL motherboard in our test bench.

This chip's TDP is set at 135 watts. Our measurements show that reaching these power consumption figures is quite easy, even without highly specialized benchmarks like LinX utilizing AVX instructions.

In games with good multi-threaded optimization, the E5-2690's power consumption hovers around 110-130 watts, but in professional software, the chip often hits its TDP limit.

The Xeon E5-2690 also lacks support for the minimally current AVX2 and FMA3 instruction sets. Unfortunately, in 2024, the absence of these extensions is a critical flaw, meaning some games and applications simply won't launch.

Test Bench, Software, and CPU Settings

Resizable BAR was enabled on platforms that support it in their BIOS.

Test Bench

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• Intel processors: Core i3-10100F, Core i5-10400F, Core i7-11700K, Core i3-12100F, Core i5-12400F, Xeon E5-2690, Xeon E5-2630 v3, Xeon E5-2670 v3, Xeon E5-2640 v4;

• AMD processors: Ryzen 5 1600X, Ryzen 7 1800X, Ryzen 5 3600;

• Processor cooling: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Black Edition (RR-212S-20PK-R1);

• RAM for LGA 1200, LGA 1700, and AM4: Two 8GB Corsair Vengeance RGB PRO (CMW16GX4M2C3600C18) modules, totaling 16GB (Micron E-Die chips);

• RAM for LGA 2011: Four 8GB Micron MT18KSF1G72PZ-1G6E1HI modules, totaling 32GB (Micron D9PQL chip);

• RAM for LGA 2011 v3: Four 4GB G.SKILL DDR4 F4-2400C15S-4GNT modules, totaling 16GB (Hynix MFR chips);

• LGA 1200 motherboard: GIGABYTE Z490 AORUS ELITE AC for Core i7-11700K; ASUS PRIME B560M-A for Core i3-10100F and Core i5-10400F;

• LGA 1700 motherboard: MSI PRO Z690-A DDR4 (MS-7D25);

• LGA 2011 motherboard: DELL T3610 (09M8Y8);

• LGA 2011 v3 motherboard: Kllisre X99-D8 (AD12) with modified BIOS (Unlock Turbo Boost, Undervolt, and unlocked timing control);

• AM4 motherboard: ASUS TUF GAMING B450M-PRO II;

• Graphics card: PALIT GAMEROCK GeForce RTX 3090 24 GB (~1900/19000 MHz, Power Limit 113%);

• SSDs: Two 120GB KINGSTON SUV400S37120G (AMD/Intel Windows 11); SAMSUNG 870 EVO 1TB (Games/Applications);

• Power supply unit: Chieftec GPS-1250C.

Software

• Operating system: Windows 11 Pro x64 with the latest updates as of February 2024. Core isolation/memory integrity disabled;

• Graphics card drivers: NVIDIA GeForce 551.23 WHQL;

• FPS measurement software: MSI Afterburner 4.6.5;

• Games: Testing was conducted on current game versions as of February 2024;

• Game settings: Testing was performed at maximum graphics settings in 1080p resolution.

Test processor settings

• Intel processors:Core i3-10100F@3600-4300 MHz, Dual Channel DDR4@2667 MHz (motherboard auto: 16-18-18-36);

• Core i3-10100F@3600-4300 MHz, Dual Channel DDR4@4000 MHz (16-21-21-42), IO voltage – 1.2v, SA voltage – 1.2v, DDR4 voltage — 1.420v;

• Core i5-10400F@2900-4300 MHz, Dual Channel DDR4@2667 MHz (motherboard auto: 16-18-18-36);

• Core i5-10400F@2900-4300 MHz, Dual Channel DDR4@4000 MHz (16-21-21-42), IO voltage – 1.2v, SA voltage – 1.2v, DDR4 voltage — 1.420v;

• Core i7-11700K@3600-5000 MHz, Dual Channel DDR4@3200 MHz (motherboard auto: 16-18-18-36);

• Core i7-11700K@4800 MHz, UnCore@4400 MHz, Dual Channel DDR4@3600 MHz (16-19-19-38) GEAR 1, vCore – 1.33v, mem-IO – 1.2v, SA – 1.23v, DDR4 – 1.36v;

• Core i3-12100F@3300-4300 MHz, Dual Channel DDR4@3200 MHz (motherboard auto: 18-19-19-39) GEAR 1;

• Core i3-12100F@3300-4300 MHz, Dual Channel DDR4@3600 MHz (16-19-19-38) GEAR 1;

• Core i5-12400F@2500-4400 MHz, Dual Channel DDR4@3200 MHz (motherboard auto:18-19-19-39) GEAR 1;

• Core i5-12400F@2500-4400 MHz, Dual Channel DDR4@3600 MHz (16-19-19-38) GEAR 1;

• Xeon E5-2690@2900-3800 MHz, Quad-Channel DDR3@1600 MHz (motherboard auto: 11-11-11-28);

• Xeon E5-2630 v3@3200 MHz (Unlock Turbo Boost on UTB charts), vCore -60mv, UnCore -50mv, SA -50mv, Quad-Channel DDR4@1866 MHz (10-10-10-24);

• Xeon E5-2670 v3@3100 MHz (Unlock Turbo Boost on UTB charts), vCore -50mv, UnCore -50mv, SA -50mv, Quad-Channel DDR4@2133 MHz (12-12-12-35).

• Xeon E5-2640 v4@2400-3400 MHz, Quad-Channel DDR4@2133 MHz (12-12-12-28).

AMD processors: Ryzen 5 1600X@3600-4000 MHz, Dual Channel DDR4@2667 MHz (motherboard auto: 18-18-18-44);

Ryzen 5 1600X@4000 MHz, Dual Channel DDR4@3600 MHz (16-19-16-38), vCore – 1.42v, SOC — 1.075v, cLDO VDDP – 0.975v, DDR4 — 1.350v;

Ryzen 7 1800X@3600-4000 MHz, Dual Channel DDR4@2667 MHz (motherboard auto: 18-18-18-44);

Ryzen 7 1800X@3900 MHz, Dual Channel DDR4@3600 MHz (16-19-16-38), vCore – 1.4v, SOC — 1.1v, cLDO VDDP – 1.025v, DDR4 — 1.350v;

Ryzen 5 3600@3600-4200 MHz, Dual Channel DDR4@3200 MHz (motherboard auto: 22-22-22-53) Infinity Fabric@1600 MHz (1:1);

Ryzen 5 3600@4325 MHz, Dual Channel DDR4@3733 MHz (16-19-16-38) Infinity Fabric@ 1866 MHz (1:1), vCore – 1.39v, SOC — 1.125v, cLDO VDDP – 1.075v, VDDG CCD – 1.025v, VDDG IOD – 1.025v, DDR4 — 1.380v;

You can learn more about almost all the processors we've tested in our full articles, or check out the blog section for shorter notes.

A quick reminder on our processor testing methodology: each benchmark, application, or game was run five times. We then calculated the average score from these five runs and recorded it as the final result. Notably, all games and applications were installed on an SSD.

Benchmark results

Data archiving

7-Zip

The popular free file archiver 7-Zip supports multiple compression algorithms and various data formats, including its proprietary 7z format with the highly efficient LZMA algorithm. This archiver effectively leverages a high number of CPU threads and responds well to increased RAM frequencies.

File compression

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File decompression

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3D rendering

Blender

Blender is a versatile, free, and open-source software suite for 3D content creation. It supports the entire 3D modeling pipeline, from rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing, and motion tracking, all the way to video editing and game creation.

We measure CPU rendering speed using Blender's built-in Cycles engine and the BMW scene.

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Corona 10 Benchmark

The Corona 10 Benchmark uses the Corona 10 render engine, a popular choice among professionals. This engine is available for scene visualization in 3ds Max and Cinema 4D. The benchmark evaluates CPU rendering speed using its proprietary technologies.

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Cinebench R23

This is a relatively outdated but still relevant version of the benchmark for Cinema 4D, a very popular editor for computer 3D animation, modeling, simulation, and rendering.

Single-core score

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Multi-core score

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Cinebench R24

This is the latest version of the benchmark for Cinema 4D, a very popular editor for computer 3D animation, modeling, simulation, and rendering. Starting with this release, the main CPU test requires processor support for the AVX2 instruction set.

Single-core score

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Multi-core score

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V-Ray 6 Benchmark

This is the current version of the V-Ray render engine benchmark. Various versions of this product are available for numerous solutions, including 3DS Max, Maya, Cinema 4D, Blender, and Unreal Engine.

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xNormal – texture map baking

While external texture baking programs aren't as popular as they once were, tens of thousands of game developers still use xNormal. That's largely due to its highly convenient interface and numerous useful features.

Normal Map render

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Ambient Occlusion Map render

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Overall performance

CPU-Z Benchmark

While the CPU-Z benchmark doesn't reveal much about a CPU's real-world performance and is currently more of an optional test, we still include it as per our long-standing tradition.

Single-core score

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Multi-core score

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Geekbench 6

This benchmark measures a processor's single-core and multi-core performance across a wide range of tasks, from checking email and taking photos to playing music—or doing all of them simultaneously. Geekbench 6 also measures performance in new CPU application areas like augmented reality and machine learning.

Single-core score

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Multi-core score

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Video Encoding

HandBrake

HandBrake is a free, open-source application that converts video from virtually any format into a range of modern, widely supported codecs such as AV1, H265, H264, and many others.

Codec – AV1

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Codec – H265

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Web Browsing

JetStream 2.1

JetStream 2.1 is a suite of JavaScript and WebAssembly benchmarks designed for modern browsers and web applications. We've observed that most subtests within the benchmark can utilize up to four threads, which is fairly typical for web browsing scenarios.

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Speedometer 2.1

Speedometer tests the responsiveness of web applications within a browser. This benchmark simulates user interactions like adding, completing, and removing items from a to-do list using several TodoMVC examples. Some of these examples directly call the DOM API from ECMAScript 5 (ES5), ECMAScript 2015 (ES6), ES6 transpiled to ES5, and Elm transpiled to ES5. Other examples leverage one of eleven popular JavaScript frameworks, including React, React with Redux, Ember.js, Backbone.js, AngularJS, (new) Angular, Vue.js, jQuery, Preact, Inferno, and Flight.

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Kraken 1.1

Kraken, a JavaScript performance benchmark developed by Mozilla, measures the execution speed of various test cases derived from real-world applications and libraries. Its subtests cover audio processing via the DSP.js library, image filtering, JSON parsing, and cryptographic operations.

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When it comes to file archiving and unarchiving, the Xeon E5-2690 chip holds a relatively strong position. It successfully competes with more expensive CPUs like the Core i3-10100F, Ryzen 5-1600X, and Ryzen 7 1800X, demonstrating a respectable level of performance.

However, when it comes to final 3D rendering tests, the 8-core Sandy Bridge noticeably falters. While it can still compete with the i3-10100F in applications like xNormal, Cinebench R23, and Corona 10, its performance in Blender 4.0 and V-Ray 6 is catastrophic. Furthermore, the E5-2690 chip lacks the AVX2 instruction set, preventing it from running the Cinebench R24 benchmark—and by extension, the latest version of Cinema 4D software. It's highly probable that similar compatibility issues would arise with other professional software not included in our test suite.

Likewise, video encoding in modern formats and web browsing aren't strong suits for the aging Xeon E5-2690.

Gaming, Synthetics

3DMark Time Spy

Time Spy is a DirectX 12 benchmark designed for gaming PCs running Windows 10/11. Built with a ground-up engine, Time Spy supports all new DirectX 12 API features, including asynchronous compute, AMD Crossfire, NVIDIA SLI, and multi-threading.

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Gaming

Assassin's Creed Valhalla

This is the latest major installment in the Assassin's Creed franchise. The game runs on the Ubisoft Anvil engine and can fully utilize up to 12 computing threads, with partial utilization up to 16-24 threads.

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Baldur’s Gate 3

One of the best modern turn-based RPGs and last year's top game, Baldur’s Gate 3 runs on the Divinity 4.0 Engine. This engine can utilize up to 16 threads, though it performs best with 12-thread CPUs. The game also features extremely high detail, leading to frequent RAM access. Consequently, Baldur’s Gate 3 benefits from ample L3 cache and high-frequency RAM.

Our test scene is set in the city of Baldur's Gate, specifically in the game's third act.

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Cyberpunk 2077

CD Projekt RED's latest creation, Cyberpunk 2077, runs on the REDengine 4 and can utilize over 16 CPU threads. The game also responds very positively to increased RAM frequency and reduced latency.

Ray tracing – on, path tracing – on

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Ray tracing – off, path tracing – off

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Far Cry 6

This project is built on the Dunia Engine v2. Throughout its rather long history, dating back to Far Cry 2, this engine has been known for its poor optimization for multi-threaded CPUs. Our observations show the game can work reasonably well with eight threads. However, some CPUs with more than 10 cores and SMT/HT technology (simultaneous processing of two or more threads on a single core) may actually lose performance in this game. This doesn't apply to all existing CPUs, though.

Ray tracing – on

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Ray tracing – off

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Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales

The former PlayStation console exclusive, Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales, is a relatively acceptable PC port. While Insomniac Games' proprietary engine can properly utilize multi-core CPUs, the stability of games built on it still suffers significantly and leaves much to be desired.

Ray tracing – on

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Ray tracing – off

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Starfield

Starfield is the highly anticipated new game from the esteemed guru Todd Howard. The project is based on an updated version of Creation Engine 2, which was previously used in Fallout 4. Crucially, the word here is 'updated,' and Bethesda didn't lie in their statements. While the current Creation Engine certainly has its flaws (dreadful storage performance, poor optimization for modern graphics cards, etc.), the developers have significantly optimized its code for multi-threaded processors.

Our test scene is located in the center of New Atlantis. We measure FPS along a segment from the landing pad to the central plaza.

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The Witcher 3 next-gen update 4.04

The updated version of The Witcher 3 transitioned to an improved REDengine 3 with ray tracing support. However, the project wasn't ready for such complex changes, resulting in the game becoming significantly more demanding than even Cyberpunk 2077.

The Next-Gen Update is extremely CPU-dependent, yet it struggles to adequately utilize powerful CPUs with eight or more cores. The Witcher 3 performs most efficiently on 6-core, 12-thread chips. Additionally, REDengine 3 responds quite well to high-frequency RAM.

Ray tracing – on

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Ray Tracing – OFF

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Watch Dogs Legion

The third installment in the Watch Dogs franchise likely runs on an improved Disrupt 2 engine. Since the first game's release, titles in this series have performed well with multi-core CPUs, and Legion is no exception. The game effortlessly utilizes over 20 threads and responds positively to high-frequency memory.

Ray Tracing – ON

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Ray Tracing – OFF

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RPCS3, Red Dead Redemption

RPCS3 is the most popular PlayStation 3 emulator. While the software excels at parallelizing shader compilation across many threads, load distribution significantly drops when it comes to actual game emulation. Naturally, this varies by game, but our observations show that current 6-8 core CPUs with high clock speeds perform best.

Additionally, instruction sets like AVX-512 and TSX can provide a noticeable performance boost. However, with TSX, some projects occasionally exhibit instability.

Emulator settings for Red Dead Redemption: SPU block size – Mega, ZCULL accuracy – Relaxed, Write color buffers – On, Sleep timers accuracy – As Host, RSX FIFO accuracy – Atomic, 1080p resolution.

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In games with ray tracing enabled, the Xeon E5-2690 processor doesn't offer impressive performance. With RT disabled, the 8-core Sandy Bridge fares a bit better, but even then, it struggles to deliver a stable 60 FPS in the vast majority of games.

Furthermore, in modern games like Baldur's Gate 3 and The Witcher 3 Next-Gen Update, the E5-2690 chip can't maintain a stable minimum FPS, making exploration of some densely populated areas extremely uncomfortable.

Emulating demanding console exclusives on the Xeon E5-2690 is simply terrible. However, this doesn't mean that owners of this CPU can't enjoy any PlayStation 3 games. For instance, Demon's Souls and Skate 3 (and other relatively less demanding emulation projects) run quite well on the tested processor.

Still, there are some bright spots: the 8-core Sandy Bridge shows decent performance in Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Starfield, and Cyberpunk 2077 (without Ray Tracing and Path Tracing). While Todd Howard's project (Starfield) definitely doesn't hit the 'golden standard' of 60 FPS average, the E5-2690 still manages to maintain a comfortable minimum of 45 FPS, which is quite respectable.

Conclusion

In our humble opinion, the benchmark results speak for themselves, but it's worth reiterating: the era of Intel Sandy Bridge-based processors is definitively over.

But this doesn't mean you should rush to upgrade them. Rather, we're cautioning against building new PCs with Sandy Bridge chips from scratch; that would be an extremely impractical decision.

If you already own a Xeon E5-2690 (or a similar CPU like the E5-2670/2680/2689, etc.), whether it makes sense to replace your entire platform depends on your PC usage, preferences, and financial situation. If your budget is strictly limited, a reasonable compromise is to upgrade to a more current LGA 2011 v3 platform with minimal investment. Otherwise, you might consider AM4 or LGA 1200/1700.