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.

Core Ultra 5 235

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +20.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $2,733 less on MSRP ($257 MSRP vs $2,990 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1054.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 155.3 vs 13.5 PassMark/$ ($257 MSRP vs $2,990 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 205W, a 140W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1851 with DDR5 support instead of LGA4189 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (39,924 vs 40,225).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (24 MB vs 48 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Gold 6338, which brings 32 cores / 64 threads and 64 PCIe lanes.

Xeon Gold 6338

2021

Why buy it

✅+0.8% higher PassMark.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (48 MB vs 24 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 32 cores / 64 threads, plus 64 PCIe lanes vs 20.
✅220% more PCIe lanes (64 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core Ultra 5 235 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 13.5 vs 155.3 PassMark/$ ($2,990 MSRP vs $257 MSRP).
❌215.4% higher power demand at 205W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on LGA4189 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 5 235 moves to LGA1851 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core Ultra 5 235 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core Ultra 5 235

2025

Xeon Gold 6338

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +20.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $2,733 less on MSRP ($257 MSRP vs $2,990 MSRP).
✅Delivers 1054.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 155.3 vs 13.5 PassMark/$ ($257 MSRP vs $2,990 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 205W, a 140W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1851 with DDR5 support instead of LGA4189 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅+0.8% higher PassMark.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (48 MB vs 24 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 32 cores / 64 threads, plus 64 PCIe lanes vs 20.
✅220% more PCIe lanes (64 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (39,924 vs 40,225).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (24 MB vs 48 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Gold 6338, which brings 32 cores / 64 threads and 64 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core Ultra 5 235 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 13.5 vs 155.3 PassMark/$ ($2,990 MSRP vs $257 MSRP).
❌215.4% higher power demand at 205W vs 65W.
❌Older platform position on LGA4189 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 5 235 moves to LGA1851 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core Ultra 5 235 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Core Ultra 5 235 better than Xeon Gold 6338?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon Gold 6338 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Core Ultra 5 235 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 Gold 6338 is the better fit. You are getting 0.8% better PassMark, backed by 32 cores and 64 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 100% larger total L3 cache (48 MB vs 24 MB).

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

Core Ultra 5 235 is the smarter buy today. Core Ultra 5 235 is $2,733 cheaper on MSRP at $257 MSRP versus $2,990 MSRP, and it gives you a 20.0% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Xeon Gold 6338 is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 0.8% better PassMark. It is also 1054.7% better value on MSRP (155.3 vs 13.5 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

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

Core Ultra 5 235 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2021) and a healthier platform with LGA1851 and DDR5 instead of LGA4189. 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.

Core Ultra 5 235 Benchmark Check

Xeon Gold 6338 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core Ultra 5 235	Xeon Gold 6338
1080p
low	278 FPS	186 FPS
medium	263 FPS	149 FPS
high	222 FPS	119 FPS
ultra	189 FPS	93 FPS
1440p
low	230 FPS	152 FPS
medium	194 FPS	118 FPS
high	158 FPS	90 FPS
ultra	137 FPS	72 FPS
4K
low	152 FPS	71 FPS
medium	128 FPS	59 FPS
high	99 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	87 FPS	37 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 235 Open Xeon Gold 6338

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core Ultra 5 235	Xeon Gold 6338
1080p
low	663 FPS	233 FPS
medium	562 FPS	208 FPS
high	467 FPS	173 FPS
ultra	427 FPS	139 FPS
1440p
low	574 FPS	199 FPS
medium	509 FPS	181 FPS
high	426 FPS	154 FPS
ultra	369 FPS	119 FPS
4K
low	342 FPS	124 FPS
medium	306 FPS	115 FPS
high	291 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	256 FPS	82 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 235 Open Xeon Gold 6338

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core Ultra 5 235	Xeon Gold 6338
1080p
low	839 FPS	969 FPS
medium	681 FPS	848 FPS
high	610 FPS	802 FPS
ultra	522 FPS	712 FPS
1440p
low	727 FPS	775 FPS
medium	590 FPS	669 FPS
high	516 FPS	632 FPS
ultra	441 FPS	561 FPS
4K
low	504 FPS	498 FPS
medium	422 FPS	393 FPS
high	377 FPS	350 FPS
ultra	318 FPS	285 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 235 Open Xeon Gold 6338

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core Ultra 5 235	Xeon Gold 6338
1080p
low	989 FPS	884 FPS
medium	891 FPS	800 FPS
high	778 FPS	687 FPS
ultra	699 FPS	587 FPS
1440p
low	810 FPS	691 FPS
medium	717 FPS	606 FPS
high	624 FPS	518 FPS
ultra	548 FPS	440 FPS
4K
low	567 FPS	499 FPS
medium	512 FPS	446 FPS
high	459 FPS	390 FPS
ultra	404 FPS	336 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 235 Open Xeon Gold 6338

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core Ultra 5 235 and Xeon Gold 6338

Core Ultra 5 235

The Core Ultra 5 235 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 7 January 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Arrow Lake-S (2024−2025) architecture. It features 14 cores and 14 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 24 MB (total). L2 cache: 3 MB (per core). Built on 3 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1851. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-6400. Passmark benchmark score: 39,924 points. Launch price was $257.

Xeon Gold 6338

The Xeon Gold 6338 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It features 32 cores and 64 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 48 MB. Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4189. Thermal design power (TDP): 205 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 40,225 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core Ultra 5 235 packs 14 cores / 14 threads, while the Xeon Gold 6338 offers 32 cores / 64 threads — the Xeon Gold 6338 has 18 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Core Ultra 5 235 versus 3.2 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6338 — a 43.9% clock advantage for the Core Ultra 5 235 (base: 3.4 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Core Ultra 5 235 is built on the Arrow Lake-S (2024−2025) architecture. In PassMark, the Core Ultra 5 235 scores 39,924 against the Xeon Gold 6338's 40,225 — a 0.8% lead for the Xeon Gold 6338. L3 cache: 24 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 5 235 vs 48 MB on the Xeon Gold 6338.

Feature	Core Ultra 5 235	Xeon Gold 6338
Cores / Threads	14 / 14	32 / 64+129%
Boost Clock	5 GHz+56%	3.2 GHz
Base Clock	3.4 GHz+70%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	24 MB (total)	48 MB+100%
L2 Cache	3 MB (per core)	—
Process	3 nm-70%	10 nm
Architecture	Arrow Lake-S (2024−2025)	—
PassMark	39,924	40,225
Geekbench 6 Single	2,600	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	13,000	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core Ultra 5 235 uses the LGA1851 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Xeon Gold 6338 uses LGA4189 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-6400 on the Core Ultra 5 235 versus 3200 on the Xeon Gold 6338 — the Xeon Gold 6338 supports 199.4% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon Gold 6338 supports up to 6144 of RAM compared to 256 GB — 184% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core Ultra 5 235) vs 8 (Xeon Gold 6338). PCIe lanes: 20 (Core Ultra 5 235) vs 64 (Xeon Gold 6338) — the Xeon Gold 6338 offers 44 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Z890,B860 (Core Ultra 5 235) and C621A (Xeon Gold 6338).

Feature	Core Ultra 5 235	Xeon Gold 6338
Socket	LGA1851	LGA4189
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-6400	3200+63900%
Max RAM Capacity	256 GB+4368967%	6144
RAM Channels	2	8+300%
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	64+220%

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Only the Xeon Gold 6338 supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Both support VT-x, VT-d virtualization. The Core Ultra 5 235 includes integrated graphics (Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 24EU), while the Xeon Gold 6338 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core Ultra 5 235 targets Mainstream Desktop. Direct competitor: Core Ultra 5 235 rivals Ryzen 5 8600G; Xeon Gold 6338 rivals EPYC 7543.

Feature	Core Ultra 5 235	Xeon Gold 6338
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 24EU	None
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Mainstream Desktop	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core Ultra 5 235 launched at $257 MSRP, while the Xeon Gold 6338 debuted at $2990. On MSRP ($257 vs $2990), the Core Ultra 5 235 is $2733 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core Ultra 5 235 delivers 155.3 pts/$ vs 13.5 pts/$ for the Xeon Gold 6338 — making the Core Ultra 5 235 the 168.1% better value option.