Xeon Gold 5218R vs Xeon W-1390P

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 Gold 5218R

2020

Why buy it

✅+71.9% larger total L3 cache (28 MB vs 16 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅AVX-512 support for select workstation, AI, and scientific workloads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon W-1390P across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (25,000 vs 25,016).

Xeon W-1390P

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.0% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 28 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $594 MSRP, while Xeon Gold 5218R mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌No AVX-512 support for niche heavy compute workloads where it can matter.

Xeon Gold 5218R

2020

Xeon W-1390P

2021

Why buy it

✅+71.9% larger total L3 cache (28 MB vs 16 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅AVX-512 support for select workstation, AI, and scientific workloads.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.0% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon W-1390P across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (25,000 vs 25,016).

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 28 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $594 MSRP, while Xeon Gold 5218R mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌No AVX-512 support for niche heavy compute workloads where it can matter.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon W-1390P better than Xeon Gold 5218R?

Yes. Xeon W-1390P is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 5.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 0.1% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Xeon W-1390P is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 5.0% 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 W-1390P is the better fit. You are getting 0.1% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Xeon W-1390P is the smarter buy today. Xeon W-1390P is at an unclear MSRP at $594 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 5.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (42.1 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 W-1390P is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2020) and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 20/40. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

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 Gold 5218R Benchmark Check

Xeon W-1390P Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Xeon Gold 5218R	Xeon W-1390P
1080p
low	186 FPS	259 FPS
medium	151 FPS	240 FPS
high	123 FPS	201 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	173 FPS
1440p
low	146 FPS	225 FPS
medium	115 FPS	188 FPS
high	92 FPS	152 FPS
ultra	72 FPS	134 FPS
4K
low	68 FPS	154 FPS
medium	57 FPS	129 FPS
high	45 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	88 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 5218R Open Xeon W-1390P

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Xeon Gold 5218R	Xeon W-1390P
1080p
low	212 FPS	420 FPS
medium	188 FPS	353 FPS
high	161 FPS	314 FPS
ultra	136 FPS	283 FPS
1440p
low	183 FPS	373 FPS
medium	166 FPS	324 FPS
high	143 FPS	287 FPS
ultra	120 FPS	249 FPS
4K
low	119 FPS	249 FPS
medium	109 FPS	223 FPS
high	99 FPS	216 FPS
ultra	82 FPS	184 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 5218R Open Xeon W-1390P

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Xeon Gold 5218R	Xeon W-1390P
1080p
low	625 FPS	625 FPS
medium	625 FPS	536 FPS
high	625 FPS	460 FPS
ultra	625 FPS	398 FPS
1440p
low	625 FPS	598 FPS
medium	625 FPS	497 FPS
high	625 FPS	421 FPS
ultra	559 FPS	366 FPS
4K
low	487 FPS	427 FPS
medium	399 FPS	370 FPS
high	352 FPS	330 FPS
ultra	287 FPS	280 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 5218R Open Xeon W-1390P

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Xeon Gold 5218R	Xeon W-1390P
1080p
low	625 FPS	625 FPS
medium	625 FPS	625 FPS
high	625 FPS	625 FPS
ultra	567 FPS	625 FPS
1440p
low	625 FPS	625 FPS
medium	590 FPS	625 FPS
high	508 FPS	625 FPS
ultra	440 FPS	625 FPS
4K
low	468 FPS	625 FPS
medium	419 FPS	576 FPS
high	374 FPS	515 FPS
ultra	323 FPS	437 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 5218R Open Xeon W-1390P

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon Gold 5218R and Xeon W-1390P

Xeon Gold 5218R

The Xeon Gold 5218R is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 24 February 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Cascade Lake (2019−2020) architecture. It features 20 cores and 40 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 27.5 MB. L2 cache: 20 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2667. Passmark benchmark score: 25,000 points. Launch price was $1,273.

Xeon W-1390P

The Xeon W-1390P is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 6 May 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Rocket Lake-S (2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 5.2 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 25,016 points. Launch price was $539.

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Processing Power

The Xeon Gold 5218R packs 20 cores / 40 threads, while the Xeon W-1390P offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Xeon Gold 5218R has 12 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4 GHz on the Xeon Gold 5218R versus 5.2 GHz on the Xeon W-1390P — a 26.1% clock advantage for the Xeon W-1390P (base: 2.1 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Xeon Gold 5218R uses the Cascade Lake (2019−2020) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon W-1390P uses Rocket Lake-S (2021) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon Gold 5218R scores 25,000 against the Xeon W-1390P's 25,016 — a 0.1% lead for the Xeon W-1390P. L3 cache: 27.5 MB on the Xeon Gold 5218R vs 16 MB (total) on the Xeon W-1390P.

Feature	Xeon Gold 5218R	Xeon W-1390P
Cores / Threads	20 / 40+150%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4 GHz	5.2 GHz+30%
Base Clock	2.1 GHz	3.5 GHz+67%
L3 Cache	27.5 MB+72%	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	20 MB+3900%	512 kB (per core)
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Cascade Lake (2019−2020)	Rocket Lake-S (2021)
PassMark	25,000	25,016

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Memory & Platform

The Xeon Gold 5218R uses the LGA3647 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon W-1390P uses LGA1200 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.