Core i9-9820X vs Xeon Gold 5315Y

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 i9-9820X

2018

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +10.2% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+37.5% larger total L3 cache (17 MB vs 12 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (44 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (20,456 vs 20,477).
❌Launch MSRP is still $889 MSRP, while Xeon Gold 5315Y mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌17.9% higher power demand at 165W vs 140W.

Xeon Gold 5315Y

2021

Why buy it

✅+0.1% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 140W instead of 165W, a 25W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-9820X across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 17 MB).
❌No AVX-512 support for niche heavy compute workloads where it can matter.

Core i9-9820X

2018

Xeon Gold 5315Y

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +10.2% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+37.5% larger total L3 cache (17 MB vs 12 MB).
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (44 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅+0.1% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 140W instead of 165W, a 25W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (20,456 vs 20,477).
❌Launch MSRP is still $889 MSRP, while Xeon Gold 5315Y mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌17.9% higher power demand at 165W vs 140W.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-9820X across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 17 MB).
❌No AVX-512 support for niche heavy compute workloads where it can matter.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon Gold 5315Y better than Core i9-9820X?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon Gold 5315Y makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Core i9-9820X 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 5315Y 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 Gold 5315Y is the smarter buy by a wide margin for a fresh build. Xeon Gold 5315Y is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $889 MSRP, and it gives you 0.1% better PassMark. Core i9-9820X only looks stronger on raw value math because it is extremely cheap, but that is mostly used-market pricing on an obsolete 2018 platform. Even with 100.0% better value on paper (23.0 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), it really only makes sense as a very cheap stopgap or a niche existing-platform option for someone already on LGA2066.

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

Xeon Gold 5315Y is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2018) and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 10/20. 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.

Core i9-9820X Benchmark Check

Xeon Gold 5315Y Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-9820X	Xeon Gold 5315Y
1080p
low	176 FPS	174 FPS
medium	140 FPS	138 FPS
high	114 FPS	114 FPS
ultra	91 FPS	90 FPS
1440p
low	145 FPS	145 FPS
medium	114 FPS	113 FPS
high	91 FPS	91 FPS
ultra	72 FPS	72 FPS
4K
low	67 FPS	67 FPS
medium	56 FPS	56 FPS
high	44 FPS	44 FPS
ultra	35 FPS	35 FPS

Open Core i9-9820X Open Xeon Gold 5315Y

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-9820X	Xeon Gold 5315Y
1080p
low	327 FPS	245 FPS
medium	281 FPS	212 FPS
high	249 FPS	191 FPS
ultra	221 FPS	152 FPS
1440p
low	296 FPS	217 FPS
medium	259 FPS	193 FPS
high	228 FPS	176 FPS
ultra	198 FPS	140 FPS
4K
low	217 FPS	176 FPS
medium	194 FPS	161 FPS
high	179 FPS	138 FPS
ultra	156 FPS	108 FPS

Open Core i9-9820X Open Xeon Gold 5315Y

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-9820X	Xeon Gold 5315Y
1080p
low	511 FPS	512 FPS
medium	511 FPS	512 FPS
high	511 FPS	512 FPS
ultra	471 FPS	512 FPS
1440p
low	511 FPS	512 FPS
medium	482 FPS	512 FPS
high	423 FPS	512 FPS
ultra	367 FPS	512 FPS
4K
low	433 FPS	481 FPS
medium	340 FPS	378 FPS
high	298 FPS	334 FPS
ultra	239 FPS	272 FPS

Open Core i9-9820X Open Xeon Gold 5315Y

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-9820X	Xeon Gold 5315Y
1080p
low	511 FPS	512 FPS
medium	511 FPS	512 FPS
high	511 FPS	512 FPS
ultra	511 FPS	512 FPS
1440p
low	511 FPS	512 FPS
medium	511 FPS	512 FPS
high	511 FPS	512 FPS
ultra	502 FPS	453 FPS
4K
low	511 FPS	478 FPS
medium	480 FPS	428 FPS
high	426 FPS	384 FPS
ultra	367 FPS	334 FPS

Open Core i9-9820X Open Xeon Gold 5315Y

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-9820X and Xeon Gold 5315Y

Core i9-9820X

The Core i9-9820X is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 19 October 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 10 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 16.5 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2066. Thermal design power (TDP): 165 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 20,456 points. Launch price was $898.

Xeon Gold 5315Y

The Xeon Gold 5315Y is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Ice Lake-SP (2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4189. Thermal design power (TDP): 140 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 20,477 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i9-9820X packs 10 cores / 20 threads, while the Xeon Gold 5315Y offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Core i9-9820X has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.2 GHz on the Core i9-9820X versus 3.6 GHz on the Xeon Gold 5315Y — a 15.4% clock advantage for the Core i9-9820X (base: 3.3 GHz vs 3.2 GHz). The Core i9-9820X uses the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon Gold 5315Y uses Ice Lake-SP (2021) (10 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-9820X scores 20,456 against the Xeon Gold 5315Y's 20,477 — a 0.1% lead for the Xeon Gold 5315Y. L3 cache: 16.5 MB (total) on the Core i9-9820X vs 12 MB (total) on the Xeon Gold 5315Y.

Feature	Core i9-9820X	Xeon Gold 5315Y
Cores / Threads	10 / 20+25%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.2 GHz+17%	3.6 GHz
Base Clock	3.3 GHz+3%	3.2 GHz
L3 Cache	16.5 MB (total)+38%	12 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)	1 MB (per core)
Process	14 nm	10 nm-29%
Architecture	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)	Ice Lake-SP (2021)
PassMark	20,456	20,477
Geekbench 6 Single	1,394	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	9,361	—

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Memory & Platform

The Core i9-9820X uses the LGA2066 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon Gold 5315Y uses LGA4189 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core i9-9820X	Xeon Gold 5315Y
Socket	LGA2066	LGA4189
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4 2666 MHz	—
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	—
RAM Channels	4	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	44	—