Additional Benchmarks
Sysbench CPU
Sysbench is a widely used suite that characterizes CPU, memory, file I/O, mutex performance and MySQL performance. We focus on the CPU test, which measures the amount of time required to verify prime numbers in both single- and multi-threaded workloads.
Both Xeon E5-2697 v4-powered servers provide impressive performance, beating most of the competition in the threaded component of this test. But Intel's -2699 v3 spoils the party by reporting a slightly faster result. The v4s fire back, overtaking the Xeon E5-2699 v3 in single-threaded performance, even besting the E5-2643 v3 as well.
Stream
Stream is a relatively simple test developed by Dr. John D. McCalpin. It measures the sustainable memory throughput of a given system in MB/s.
The Intel validation server employs speedy SK hynix DDR4-2400. As such, it leads our bandwidth results. The Xeon E5-2699 v3 employs dual memory controllers, which apparently are not as efficient as what Broadwell-EP brings to bear. They trail, even though they are tested on the same Intel motherboard.
We also tested the Xeon E5-2643 v3 on this board, and it trails significantly. The eight-core die only employs one memory controller, which just can't keep up.
C-Ray 1.1
C-Ray is a raytracing benchmark designed to reside entirely inside of the CPU caches, thus eliminating RAM and disk I/O overhead during the measurement window. The test focuses purely on floating-point performance during rendering and runs on multiple threads.
The -2697 v4s and -2699 v3 are locked in a three-way tie for the lead, while the second-generation E5s fall to the rear. Because this test scales well across multiple threads, the eight-core Xeon E5-2643 v3 is quickly outclassed, despite high clock rates.
7-Zip
7-Zip is open source software that measures compression and decompression performance, which can be a key capability for storage and networking applications.
The only surprise during this test is just how well the 18-core v4s fare compared to the Xeon E5-2699 v3. Meanwhile, all of the second-gen E5s we tested fare dismally, illustrating the benefits of a more modern platform. Most enterprises will be upgrading from Sandy/Ivy Bridge to Broadwell, and this benchmark does a good job of highlighting the type of performance boost to expect.
HardInfo
HardInfo provides granular system information, and includes a suite of six benchmarks that measure CPU performance. It's easily accessible and comes as a standard component in many Ubuntu desktop systems. We include these tests because they allow our Linux brethren to easily run comparative benchmarks.
The v4s lead in FPU raytracing, but fall behind their predecessors in the Fibonacci test. This generational face-off gets a little more heated during the FPU FTT tests, and the Xeon E5-2687 v4 in Intel's development platform dominates the Cryptohash test.