Ryzen 5 8640HS 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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

Ryzen 5 8640HS

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +14.1% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 28W instead of 145W, a 117W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP8 with DDR5 support instead of FCLGA2011-3 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (19,851 vs 19,860).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 45 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2686 v4, which brings 18 cores / 36 threads and 40 PCIe lanes.

Xeon E5-2686 v4

2016

Why buy it

✅+0% higher PassMark.
✅+181.3% larger total L3 cache (45 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 18 cores / 36 threads, plus 40 PCIe lanes vs 0.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 8640HS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌417.9% higher power demand at 145W vs 28W.
❌Older platform position on FCLGA2011-3 with DDR4, while Ryzen 5 8640HS moves to FP8 and DDR5.

Ryzen 5 8640HS

2023

Xeon E5-2686 v4

2016

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +14.1% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 28W instead of 145W, a 117W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP8 with DDR5 support instead of FCLGA2011-3 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅+0% higher PassMark.
✅+181.3% larger total L3 cache (45 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 18 cores / 36 threads, plus 40 PCIe lanes vs 0.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (19,851 vs 19,860).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 45 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2686 v4, which brings 18 cores / 36 threads and 40 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 5 8640HS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌417.9% higher power demand at 145W vs 28W.
❌Older platform position on FCLGA2011-3 with DDR4, while Ryzen 5 8640HS moves to FP8 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 5 8640HS better than Xeon E5-2686 v4?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon E5-2686 v4 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Ryzen 5 8640HS is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon E5-2686 v4 is the better fit. You are getting 0% better PassMark, backed by 18 cores and 36 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 181.3% larger total L3 cache (45 MB vs 16 MB).

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Ryzen 5 8640HS still looks like the safer overall buy. Ryzen 5 8640HS is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 14.1% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Ryzen 5 8640HS is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2016) and a healthier platform with FP8 and DDR5 instead of FCLGA2011-3. That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

Games Benchmarks

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.

Ryzen 5 8640HS Benchmark Check

Xeon E5-2686 v4 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 8640HS	Xeon E5-2686 v4
1080p
low	261 FPS	176 FPS
medium	237 FPS	152 FPS
high	199 FPS	119 FPS
ultra	171 FPS	95 FPS
1440p
low	230 FPS	147 FPS
medium	190 FPS	123 FPS
high	155 FPS	94 FPS
ultra	137 FPS	76 FPS
4K
low	159 FPS	68 FPS
medium	133 FPS	61 FPS
high	103 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	91 FPS	38 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 8640HS Open Xeon E5-2686 v4

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 5 8640HS	Xeon E5-2686 v4
1080p
low	371 FPS	365 FPS
medium	309 FPS	331 FPS
high	272 FPS	279 FPS
ultra	236 FPS	225 FPS
1440p
low	313 FPS	314 FPS
medium	270 FPS	285 FPS
high	244 FPS	243 FPS
ultra	207 FPS	189 FPS
4K
low	234 FPS	195 FPS
medium	206 FPS	178 FPS
high	191 FPS	153 FPS
ultra	161 FPS	121 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 8640HS Open Xeon E5-2686 v4

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 5 8640HS	Xeon E5-2686 v4
1080p
low	496 FPS	496 FPS
medium	496 FPS	496 FPS
high	496 FPS	458 FPS
ultra	496 FPS	410 FPS
1440p
low	496 FPS	496 FPS
medium	496 FPS	436 FPS
high	496 FPS	389 FPS
ultra	443 FPS	349 FPS
4K
low	493 FPS	400 FPS
medium	435 FPS	322 FPS
high	372 FPS	287 FPS
ultra	308 FPS	239 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 8640HS Open Xeon E5-2686 v4

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 5 8640HS	Xeon E5-2686 v4
1080p
low	496 FPS	496 FPS
medium	496 FPS	496 FPS
high	496 FPS	496 FPS
ultra	496 FPS	496 FPS
1440p
low	496 FPS	496 FPS
medium	496 FPS	496 FPS
high	496 FPS	496 FPS
ultra	496 FPS	456 FPS
4K
low	496 FPS	496 FPS
medium	496 FPS	465 FPS
high	442 FPS	411 FPS
ultra	380 FPS	352 FPS

Open Ryzen 5 8640HS Open Xeon E5-2686 v4

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 5 8640HS and Xeon E5-2686 v4

Ryzen 5 8640HS

The Ryzen 5 8640HS is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 December 2023 (1 year ago). It is based on the Hawk Point-HS (Zen 4) (2023−2024) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 28 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 19,851 points. Launch price was $299.

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.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen 5 8640HS packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon E5-2686 v4 offers 18 cores / 36 threads — the Xeon E5-2686 v4 has 12 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Ryzen 5 8640HS versus 3 GHz on the Xeon E5-2686 v4 — a 48.1% clock advantage for the Ryzen 5 8640HS (base: 3.5 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The Ryzen 5 8640HS uses the Hawk Point-HS (Zen 4) (2023−2024) architecture (4 nm), while the Xeon E5-2686 v4 uses Broadwell (2015−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 5 8640HS scores 19,851 against the Xeon E5-2686 v4's 19,860 — a 0% lead for the Xeon E5-2686 v4. L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 5 8640HS vs 45 MB on the Xeon E5-2686 v4.

Feature	Ryzen 5 8640HS	Xeon E5-2686 v4
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	18 / 36+200%
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+63%	3 GHz
Base Clock	3.5 GHz+52%	2.3 GHz
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)	45 MB+181%
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)	4.5 MB+350%
Process	4 nm-71%	14 nm
Architecture	Hawk Point-HS (Zen 4) (2023−2024)	Broadwell (2015−2019)
PassMark	19,851	19,860
Geekbench 6 Single	—	895
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	6,822

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Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 5 8640HS uses the FP8 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E5-2686 v4 uses FCLGA2011-3 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Ryzen 5 8640HS	Xeon E5-2686 v4
Socket	FP8	FCLGA2011-3
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-2400
Max RAM Capacity	—	1536 GB
RAM Channels	—	4
ECC Support	—	Yes
PCIe Lanes	—	40