Xeon E5-2690 v3 vs Xeon Gold 5215

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 E5-2690 v3

2014

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.2% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+118.2% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 14 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $2,090 MSRP, while Xeon Gold 5215 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌58.8% higher power demand at 135W vs 85W.

Xeon Gold 5215

2019

Why buy it

✅Draws 85W instead of 135W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E5-2690 v3 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (15,757 vs 16,027).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (14 MB vs 30 MB).

Xeon E5-2690 v3

2014

Xeon Gold 5215

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.2% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+118.2% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 14 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Draws 85W instead of 135W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $2,090 MSRP, while Xeon Gold 5215 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌58.8% higher power demand at 135W vs 85W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E5-2690 v3 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (15,757 vs 16,027).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (14 MB vs 30 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon E5-2690 v3 better than Xeon Gold 5215?

Yes. Xeon E5-2690 v3 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 7.2% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data and 1.7% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Xeon E5-2690 v3 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 7.2% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon E5-2690 v3 is the better fit. You are getting 1.7% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 24 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 118.2% larger total L3 cache (30 MB vs 14 MB).

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

Xeon E5-2690 v3 is the smarter buy today. Xeon E5-2690 v3 is at an unclear MSRP at $2,090 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 7.2% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (7.7 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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?

Xeon Gold 5215 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 vs 2014). That makes it the safer long-term pick.

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 E5-2690 v3 Benchmark Check

Xeon Gold 5215 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Xeon E5-2690 v3	Xeon Gold 5215
1080p
low	161 FPS	171 FPS
medium	141 FPS	136 FPS
high	114 FPS	110 FPS
ultra	94 FPS	88 FPS
1440p
low	135 FPS	140 FPS
medium	115 FPS	110 FPS
high	91 FPS	87 FPS
ultra	74 FPS	69 FPS
4K
low	63 FPS	66 FPS
medium	57 FPS	55 FPS
high	44 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	35 FPS	34 FPS

Open Xeon E5-2690 v3 Open Xeon Gold 5215

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Xeon E5-2690 v3	Xeon Gold 5215
1080p
low	331 FPS	219 FPS
medium	299 FPS	191 FPS
high	258 FPS	175 FPS
ultra	213 FPS	139 FPS
1440p
low	286 FPS	196 FPS
medium	262 FPS	173 FPS
high	227 FPS	159 FPS
ultra	185 FPS	128 FPS
4K
low	185 FPS	160 FPS
medium	169 FPS	145 FPS
high	147 FPS	125 FPS
ultra	116 FPS	96 FPS

Open Xeon E5-2690 v3 Open Xeon Gold 5215

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Xeon E5-2690 v3	Xeon Gold 5215
1080p
low	401 FPS	394 FPS
medium	401 FPS	394 FPS
high	401 FPS	394 FPS
ultra	380 FPS	394 FPS
1440p
low	401 FPS	394 FPS
medium	401 FPS	394 FPS
high	388 FPS	394 FPS
ultra	342 FPS	394 FPS
4K
low	396 FPS	394 FPS
medium	319 FPS	365 FPS
high	290 FPS	322 FPS
ultra	240 FPS	262 FPS

Open Xeon E5-2690 v3 Open Xeon Gold 5215

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Xeon E5-2690 v3	Xeon Gold 5215
1080p
low	401 FPS	394 FPS
medium	401 FPS	394 FPS
high	401 FPS	394 FPS
ultra	401 FPS	394 FPS
1440p
low	401 FPS	394 FPS
medium	401 FPS	394 FPS
high	401 FPS	394 FPS
ultra	401 FPS	394 FPS
4K
low	401 FPS	394 FPS
medium	401 FPS	394 FPS
high	387 FPS	394 FPS
ultra	332 FPS	343 FPS

Open Xeon E5-2690 v3 Open Xeon Gold 5215

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E5-2690 v3 and Xeon Gold 5215

Xeon E5-2690 v3

The Xeon E5-2690 v3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 30 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 135 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866, DDR4-2133. Passmark benchmark score: 16,027 points. Launch price was $800.

Xeon Gold 5215

The Xeon Gold 5215 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 April 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Cascade Lake (2019−2020) architecture. It features 10 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 13.75 MB. L2 cache: 10 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 85 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2667. Passmark benchmark score: 15,757 points. Launch price was $1,221.

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Processing Power

The Xeon E5-2690 v3 packs 12 cores / 24 threads, while the Xeon Gold 5215 offers 10 cores / 20 threads — the Xeon E5-2690 v3 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.5 GHz on the Xeon E5-2690 v3 versus 3.4 GHz on the Xeon Gold 5215 — a 2.9% clock advantage for the Xeon E5-2690 v3 (base: 2.6 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Xeon E5-2690 v3 uses the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Xeon Gold 5215 uses Cascade Lake (2019−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5-2690 v3 scores 16,027 against the Xeon Gold 5215's 15,757 — a 1.7% lead for the Xeon E5-2690 v3. L3 cache: 30 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-2690 v3 vs 13.75 MB on the Xeon Gold 5215.

Feature	Xeon E5-2690 v3	Xeon Gold 5215
Cores / Threads	12 / 24+20%	10 / 20
Boost Clock	3.5 GHz+3%	3.4 GHz
Base Clock	2.6 GHz+4%	2.5 GHz
L3 Cache	30 MB (total)+118%	13.75 MB
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	10 MB+3900%
Process	22 nm	14 nm-36%
Architecture	Haswell-EP (2014−2015)	Cascade Lake (2019−2020)
PassMark	16,027+2%	15,757

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Memory & Platform

The Xeon E5-2690 v3 uses the LGA2011 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon Gold 5215 uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.