Which option is the better choice when everything else is equal:

Option 1 - 32GB E3-1230 v5

Option 2 - 16GB E-2236 Coffee Lake (costing an additional $50)

The websites consist of a WordPress site with a 4 GB database, as well as several image-based sites with a total of 4 GB database and 4 million images. Thank you in advance.

The next system is superior, although it's worth considering if you really need those extra features. How are you currently using your system?
If it serves your purpose well and you don't anticipate an increase in users or accounts, then the more affordable option might be the better choice if saving $600 a year is important to you. Ultimately, the decision should be based on what suits your specific needs.

While the E-2236 is a superior option, the additional $50 may be considered expensive since the CPU is not from the latest generation.
The added cost would be more reasonable if the E3 came with an HDD and the E-2236 with an NVMe. In any case, it is best to make your choice according to your specific needs.

You have given too little information to fully advise. In the post, you wrote that you have a website with 4 GB of database and 4 GB of photos, while asking which processor is preferable. Here I immediately have a question, will the base grow and by how much? If the base is more or less established, then there is no point in improving (optimization will be more important for users). Of course, if you expand the base to, say, 20 Gb, then you may need both more RAM and a processor (E-2236 Coffee Lake wins in this regard by 70%).

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