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.

Xeon 6517P

2025

Why buy it

✅+37.1% larger total L3 cache (72 MB vs 53 MB).
✅Costs $794 less on MSRP ($1,195 MSRP vs $1,989 MSRP).
✅Delivers 65.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 40.8 vs 24.6 PassMark/$ ($1,195 MSRP vs $1,989 MSRP).
✅Draws 190W instead of 270W, a 80W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon w7-3445 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (48,810 vs 48,991).

Xeon w7-3445

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅27.3% more PCIe lanes (112 vs 88) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (53 MB vs 72 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 24.6 vs 40.8 PassMark/$ ($1,989 MSRP vs $1,195 MSRP).
❌42.1% higher power demand at 270W vs 190W.

Xeon 6517P

2025

Xeon w7-3445

2023

Why buy it

✅+37.1% larger total L3 cache (72 MB vs 53 MB).
✅Costs $794 less on MSRP ($1,195 MSRP vs $1,989 MSRP).
✅Delivers 65.8% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 40.8 vs 24.6 PassMark/$ ($1,195 MSRP vs $1,989 MSRP).
✅Draws 190W instead of 270W, a 80W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅27.3% more PCIe lanes (112 vs 88) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon w7-3445 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (48,810 vs 48,991).

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (53 MB vs 72 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 24.6 vs 40.8 PassMark/$ ($1,989 MSRP vs $1,195 MSRP).
❌42.1% higher power demand at 270W vs 190W.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon w7-3445 better than Xeon 6517P?

Yes. Xeon w7-3445 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 6.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 0.4% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Xeon w7-3445 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 6.4% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon w7-3445 is the better fit. You are getting 0.4% better PassMark, backed by 20 cores and 40 threads.

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

Xeon w7-3445 is still the faster CPU overall, but Xeon 6517P makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Xeon w7-3445 is 66.4% more expensive on MSRP at $1,989 MSRP versus $1,195 MSRP, and it gives you a 6.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Xeon 6517P is also 65.8% better value on MSRP (40.8 vs 24.6 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

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

Xeon 6517P is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2023) and 37.1% larger total L3 cache (72 MB vs 53 MB). 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.

Xeon 6517P Benchmark Check

Xeon w7-3445 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Xeon 6517P	Xeon w7-3445
1080p
low	192 FPS	311 FPS
medium	153 FPS	301 FPS
high	123 FPS	242 FPS
ultra	97 FPS	203 FPS
1440p
low	157 FPS	270 FPS
medium	122 FPS	233 FPS
high	95 FPS	175 FPS
ultra	76 FPS	154 FPS
4K
low	72 FPS	183 FPS
medium	60 FPS	157 FPS
high	47 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	106 FPS

Open Xeon 6517P Open Xeon w7-3445

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Xeon 6517P	Xeon w7-3445
1080p
low	559 FPS	677 FPS
medium	488 FPS	587 FPS
high	396 FPS	477 FPS
ultra	353 FPS	423 FPS
1440p
low	483 FPS	547 FPS
medium	426 FPS	484 FPS
high	357 FPS	411 FPS
ultra	299 FPS	338 FPS
4K
low	302 FPS	322 FPS
medium	270 FPS	285 FPS
high	244 FPS	264 FPS
ultra	220 FPS	232 FPS

Open Xeon 6517P Open Xeon w7-3445

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Xeon 6517P	Xeon w7-3445
1080p
low	1025 FPS	1025 FPS
medium	986 FPS	1045 FPS
high	910 FPS	967 FPS
ultra	824 FPS	829 FPS
1440p
low	859 FPS	994 FPS
medium	755 FPS	880 FPS
high	697 FPS	798 FPS
ultra	626 FPS	656 FPS
4K
low	541 FPS	593 FPS
medium	442 FPS	511 FPS
high	389 FPS	458 FPS
ultra	319 FPS	395 FPS

Open Xeon 6517P Open Xeon w7-3445

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Xeon 6517P	Xeon w7-3445
1080p
low	1022 FPS	1225 FPS
medium	916 FPS	1015 FPS
high	782 FPS	981 FPS
ultra	672 FPS	851 FPS
1440p
low	788 FPS	1044 FPS
medium	689 FPS	903 FPS
high	586 FPS	779 FPS
ultra	504 FPS	656 FPS
4K
low	563 FPS	777 FPS
medium	501 FPS	676 FPS
high	441 FPS	583 FPS
ultra	377 FPS	437 FPS

Open Xeon 6517P Open Xeon w7-3445

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon 6517P and Xeon w7-3445

Xeon 6517P

The Xeon 6517P is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 24 February 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Granite Rapids (2024−2025) architecture. It features 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 72 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 3 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4710. Thermal design power (TDP): 190 Watt. Memory support: DDR5(6400MT/s). Passmark benchmark score: 48,810 points. Launch price was $1,195.

Xeon w7-3445

The Xeon w7-3445 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 15 February 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024) architecture. It features 20 cores and 40 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 52.5 MB. L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4677. Thermal design power (TDP): 270 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800. Passmark benchmark score: 48,991 points. Launch price was $1,989.

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Processing Power

The Xeon 6517P packs 16 cores / 32 threads, while the Xeon w7-3445 offers 20 cores / 40 threads — the Xeon w7-3445 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.2 GHz on the Xeon 6517P versus 4.8 GHz on the Xeon w7-3445 — a 13.3% clock advantage for the Xeon w7-3445 (base: 3.2 GHz vs 2.6 GHz). The Xeon 6517P uses the Granite Rapids (2024−2025) architecture (Intel 3 nm), while the Xeon w7-3445 uses Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon 6517P scores 48,810 against the Xeon w7-3445's 48,991 — a 0.4% lead for the Xeon w7-3445. L3 cache: 72 MB (total) on the Xeon 6517P vs 52.5 MB on the Xeon w7-3445.

Feature	Xeon 6517P	Xeon w7-3445
Cores / Threads	16 / 32	20 / 40+25%
Boost Clock	4.2 GHz	4.8 GHz+14%
Base Clock	3.2 GHz+23%	2.6 GHz
L3 Cache	72 MB (total)+37%	52.5 MB
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)	2 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 3 nm-57%	Intel 7 nm
Architecture	Granite Rapids (2024−2025)	Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024)
PassMark	48,810	48,991

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon 6517P uses the LGA4710 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Xeon w7-3445 uses LGA4677 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches 6400 on the Xeon 6517P versus 4800 on the Xeon w7-3445 — the Xeon 6517P supports 28.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 4096 of RAM. Both feature 8-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 88 (Xeon 6517P) vs 112 (Xeon w7-3445) — the Xeon w7-3445 offers 24 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Granite Rapids-SP (Xeon 6517P) and W790 (Xeon w7-3445).

Feature	Xeon 6517P	Xeon w7-3445
Socket	LGA4710	LGA4677
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0	PCIe 5.0
Max RAM Speed	6400+33%	4800
Max RAM Capacity	4096	4096
RAM Channels	8	8
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	88	112+27%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Xeon w7-3445 has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Both support AVX-512 instructions, benefiting scientific computing, AI inference, and encryption workloads. Both support VT-x, VT-d virtualization. Direct competitor: Xeon 6517P rivals EPYC 9554; Xeon w7-3445 rivals Threadripper PRO 7965WX.

Feature	Xeon 6517P	Xeon w7-3445
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	None	None
Unlocked	No	Yes
AVX-512	Yes	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d

💰

Value Analysis

The Xeon 6517P launched at $1195 MSRP, while the Xeon w7-3445 debuted at $1989. On MSRP ($1195 vs $1989), the Xeon 6517P is $794 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Xeon 6517P delivers 40.8 pts/$ vs 24.6 pts/$ for the Xeon w7-3445 — making the Xeon 6517P the 49.5% better value option.