Intel Xeon E5-2618L v4 10-core LGA 2011-3

The Xeon E5-2618L v4 delivers 20 threads and a 12,321 PassMark multi-core score at just 75W, which is a solid combo for a low-power server. Single-thread performance is only average at 1,863, and gaming is a non-starter at 22.7 out of 100. If you need ECC memory and parallel compute on a budget, it's worth a look, especially at the EUR 274 European listing.

The multi-core PassMark of 12,321 puts this Xeon at the 64th percentile in our database. That's not going to blow anyone's hair back, but it's respectable for a chip that sips power at 75W. The 20 threads are the real story here. If you're running virtual machines, a NAS with heavy transcoding, or a home server that needs to chew through parallel tasks, those extra threads do the heavy lifting. The 25MB of L3 cache is generous for this class and helps keep data close to the cores.

Single-thread is where this chip shows its age. At 1,863 on PassMark, it lands at the 47th percentile, which is about average but feels sluggish next to anything modern. The 2.2GHz base clock is low, and even the 3.2GHz boost doesn't rescue it. For tasks that depend on one fast core, like older game engines or single-threaded database queries, you'll feel the wait. Efficiency is actually a bright spot at the 71st percentile, which makes sense given the 75W TDP. You get a lot of parallel compute per watt.

Stacked against the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, this Xeon looks like it's from another decade, because it kind of is. The Ryzen will obliterate it in single-thread and gaming, but it also costs more and targets a completely different buyer. The Xeon's real competition is other used server silicon in the LGA 2011-3 ecosystem. Against something like the be quiet! Ryzen 3 Dark Rock Pro 5, which is a cooler and not a CPU, there's no direct comparison, but it does highlight that this Xeon needs a decent cooling solution despite its modest TDP. The MICRO CENTER 265KFPRO890WIFI bundle and the ADVB3 Phenom II X6 are both odd comparison points, but they reinforce that this Xeon sits in a niche. If you need 20 threads with ECC at low power, this is your chip. If you want any kind of modern single-thread performance, look elsewhere.

Pricing on this chip is all over the map depending on where you shop. In the US, you can find it for $192, while Canadian listings show CAD 259. The European market has the widest spread, with EUR prices ranging from EUR 274 to EUR 325 across three listings in Germany, France, and Italy. That EUR 51 gap is worth paying attention to if you're in the EU. The best deal we're seeing is the EUR 274 listing, which undercuts the high end by a meaningful margin. At the 44th percentile for affordability, this Xeon isn't a screaming bargain, but it's not outrageous either. You're paying for the low TDP and ECC support, not raw speed.

The Intel Xeon E5-2618L v4 is a 10-core, 20-thread Broadwell-EP chip that pulls a PassMark multi-core score of 12,321. That's a solid middle-of-the-pack result in our database, and it's the number that defines this processor. You're not buying this for snappy desktop responsiveness or gaming glory. You're buying it for a 75W TDP and ECC memory support in an LGA 2011-3 socket, which is a combo that makes sense for a very specific kind of homelab or budget server build.

Single-thread performance lands at 1,863, which is about average for its class. The 2.2GHz base clock and 3.2GHz boost won't set any records, but the 25MB of L3 cache helps keep things moving in workloads that spread across all 20 threads. Our scoring puts server use at 53.9 out of 100 and productivity at 53.6, while gaming sits at a rough 22.7. This is a tool for a job, not a toy.

Skip this chip if you care about single-thread speed, gaming, or modern platform features. The 1,863 single-thread PassMark at the 47th percentile means everyday tasks will feel slower than a budget desktop CPU from the last few years. The gaming score of 22.7 out of 100 is a clear signal to stay away if you plan to run any games. And with a feature ranking at just the 20th percentile, you're missing out on newer instruction sets and platform niceties. If you don't specifically need ECC memory and 20 threads at low power, there are better options for the money.

The E5-2618L v4 earns its keep in exactly one scenario: a power-conscious server build where ECC memory and thread count matter more than clock speed. The 75W TDP is the headline feature, and the 12,321 multi-core PassMark backs it up with enough parallel muscle to handle VMs and background services. But the 1,863 single-thread score and 22.7 gaming rating mean this chip will frustrate anyone expecting desktop-like responsiveness. At $192 in the US or EUR 274 at the best European price, it's a reasonable buy for the right homelab, but it's not a general-purpose CPU.