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 238V

2024

Why buy it

✅+159.7% higher Geekbench single-core performance for gaming and desktop responsiveness.
✅Costs $1,046 less on MSRP ($454 MSRP vs $1,500 MSRP).
✅Delivers 231.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 40.1 vs 12.1 PassMark/$ ($454 MSRP vs $1,500 MSRP).
✅Draws 17W instead of 120W, a 103W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2833 with DDR5 support instead of LGA2011-3 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 45 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2686 V3, which brings 18 cores / 36 threads and 40 PCIe lanes.

Xeon E5-2686 V3

2014

Why buy it

✅+462.5% larger total L3 cache (45 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 18 cores / 36 threads, plus 40 PCIe lanes vs 8.
✅400% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 8) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench single-core performance for gaming (1,033 vs 2,683).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 12.1 vs 40.1 PassMark/$ ($1,500 MSRP vs $454 MSRP).
❌605.9% higher power demand at 120W vs 17W.
❌Older platform position on LGA2011-3 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 5 238V moves to FCBGA2833 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core Ultra 5 238V can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core Ultra 5 238V

2024

Xeon E5-2686 V3

2014

Why buy it

✅+159.7% higher Geekbench single-core performance for gaming and desktop responsiveness.
✅Costs $1,046 less on MSRP ($454 MSRP vs $1,500 MSRP).
✅Delivers 231.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 40.1 vs 12.1 PassMark/$ ($454 MSRP vs $1,500 MSRP).
✅Draws 17W instead of 120W, a 103W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2833 with DDR5 support instead of LGA2011-3 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅+462.5% larger total L3 cache (45 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 18 cores / 36 threads, plus 40 PCIe lanes vs 8.
✅400% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 8) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 45 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2686 V3, which brings 18 cores / 36 threads and 40 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Geekbench single-core performance for gaming (1,033 vs 2,683).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 12.1 vs 40.1 PassMark/$ ($1,500 MSRP vs $454 MSRP).
❌605.9% higher power demand at 120W vs 17W.
❌Older platform position on LGA2011-3 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 5 238V moves to FCBGA2833 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core Ultra 5 238V can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Core Ultra 5 238V better than Xeon E5-2686 V3?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon E5-2686 V3 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Core Ultra 5 238V is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core Ultra 5 238V is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 0.9% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

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

Neither CPU shows a clear productivity advantage in the available data.

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

Core Ultra 5 238V is the smarter buy today. Core Ultra 5 238V is $1,046 cheaper on MSRP at $454 MSRP versus $1,500 MSRP, and it gives you a 0.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 231.7% better value on MSRP (40.1 vs 12.1 PassMark/$), 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 238V is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2014) and a healthier platform with FCBGA2833 and DDR5 instead of LGA2011-3. 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.

Core Ultra 5 238V Benchmark Check

Xeon E5-2686 V3 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core Ultra 5 238V	Xeon E5-2686 V3
1080p
low	180 FPS	177 FPS
medium	147 FPS	154 FPS
high	120 FPS	121 FPS
ultra	98 FPS	97 FPS
1440p
low	148 FPS	148 FPS
medium	118 FPS	125 FPS
high	96 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	78 FPS
4K
low	83 FPS	69 FPS
medium	71 FPS	62 FPS
high	57 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	45 FPS	39 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 238V Open Xeon E5-2686 V3

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core Ultra 5 238V	Xeon E5-2686 V3
1080p
low	212 FPS	212 FPS
medium	176 FPS	193 FPS
high	158 FPS	164 FPS
ultra	139 FPS	132 FPS
1440p
low	181 FPS	183 FPS
medium	154 FPS	166 FPS
high	142 FPS	143 FPS
ultra	122 FPS	112 FPS
4K
low	137 FPS	115 FPS
medium	122 FPS	106 FPS
high	115 FPS	94 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	74 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 238V Open Xeon E5-2686 V3

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core Ultra 5 238V	Xeon E5-2686 V3
1080p
low	455 FPS	454 FPS
medium	455 FPS	454 FPS
high	455 FPS	454 FPS
ultra	455 FPS	454 FPS
1440p
low	455 FPS	454 FPS
medium	455 FPS	454 FPS
high	455 FPS	454 FPS
ultra	455 FPS	454 FPS
4K
low	455 FPS	443 FPS
medium	455 FPS	360 FPS
high	404 FPS	327 FPS
ultra	336 FPS	272 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 238V Open Xeon E5-2686 V3

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core Ultra 5 238V	Xeon E5-2686 V3
1080p
low	455 FPS	454 FPS
medium	455 FPS	454 FPS
high	455 FPS	454 FPS
ultra	455 FPS	454 FPS
1440p
low	455 FPS	454 FPS
medium	455 FPS	454 FPS
high	455 FPS	454 FPS
ultra	455 FPS	454 FPS
4K
low	455 FPS	454 FPS
medium	455 FPS	454 FPS
high	455 FPS	419 FPS
ultra	418 FPS	361 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 238V Open Xeon E5-2686 V3

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core Ultra 5 238V and Xeon E5-2686 V3

Core Ultra 5 238V

The Core Ultra 5 238V is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 24 September 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Lunar Lake (2024) architecture. It features 8 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 4.7 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 2.5 MB (per core). Built on 3 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA2833. Thermal design power (TDP): 17 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 18,219 points. Launch price was $299.

Xeon E5-2686 V3

The Xeon E5-2686 V3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture. It features 18 cores and 36 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 45 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011-3. Thermal design power (TDP): 120 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4 2133 MHz Quad-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 18,148 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core Ultra 5 238V packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Xeon E5-2686 V3 offers 18 cores / 36 threads — the Xeon E5-2686 V3 has 10 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.7 GHz on the Core Ultra 5 238V versus 3.5 GHz on the Xeon E5-2686 V3 — a 29.3% clock advantage for the Core Ultra 5 238V (base: 2.1 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Core Ultra 5 238V uses the Lunar Lake (2024) architecture (3 nm), while the Xeon E5-2686 V3 uses Haswell-EP (2014−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core Ultra 5 238V scores 18,219 against the Xeon E5-2686 V3's 18,148 — a 0.4% lead for the Core Ultra 5 238V. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 10,000 vs 10,000 (0% advantage for the Xeon E5-2686 V3). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,683 vs 1,033, a 88.8% lead for the Core Ultra 5 238V that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 10,130 vs 8,649 (15.8% advantage for the Core Ultra 5 238V). L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 5 238V vs 45 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-2686 V3.

Feature	Core Ultra 5 238V	Xeon E5-2686 V3
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	18 / 36+125%
Boost Clock	4.7 GHz+34%	3.5 GHz
Base Clock	2.1 GHz+5%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)	45 MB (total)+463%
L2 Cache	2.5 MB (per core)+900%	256K (per core)
Process	3 nm-86%	22 nm
Architecture	Lunar Lake (2024)	Haswell-EP (2014−2015)
PassMark	18,219	18,148
Cinebench R23 Multi	10,000	10,000
Geekbench 6 Single	2,683+160%	1,033
Geekbench 6 Multi	10,130+17%	8,649

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core Ultra 5 238V uses the FCBGA2833 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Xeon E5-2686 V3 uses LGA2011-3 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches LPDDR5x-8533 on the Core Ultra 5 238V versus DDR4-2133 on the Xeon E5-2686 V3 — the Core Ultra 5 238V supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon E5-2686 V3 supports up to 768 GB of RAM compared to 32 GB — 184% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core Ultra 5 238V) vs 4 (Xeon E5-2686 V3). PCIe lanes: 8 (Core Ultra 5 238V) vs 40 (Xeon E5-2686 V3) — the Xeon E5-2686 V3 offers 32 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: SoC (Core Ultra 5 238V) and C612,X99 (Xeon E5-2686 V3).

Feature	Core Ultra 5 238V	Xeon E5-2686 V3
Socket	FCBGA2833	LGA2011-3
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+67%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	LPDDR5x-8533+25%	DDR4-2133
Max RAM Capacity	32 GB	768 GB+2300%
RAM Channels	2	4+100%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	8	40+400%

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core Ultra 5 238V) vs Yes (Xeon E5-2686 V3). The Core Ultra 5 238V includes integrated graphics (Arc Graphics 130V), while the Xeon E5-2686 V3 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core Ultra 5 238V targets Productivity. Direct competitor: Core Ultra 5 238V rivals Ryzen 5 8640U.

Feature	Core Ultra 5 238V	Xeon E5-2686 V3
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	Arc Graphics 130V	—
Unlocked	No	—
AVX-512	No	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	Yes
Target Use	Productivity	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core Ultra 5 238V launched at $454 MSRP, while the Xeon E5-2686 V3 debuted at $1500. On MSRP ($454 vs $1500), the Core Ultra 5 238V is $1046 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Core Ultra 5 238V delivers 40.1 pts/$ vs 12.1 pts/$ for the Xeon E5-2686 V3 — making the Core Ultra 5 238V the 107.3% better value option.