Xeon Gold 5315Y vs Xeon Gold 6226

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 5315Y

2021

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Gold 6226 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (20,477 vs 20,619).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 19 MB).

Xeon Gold 6226

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.8% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+60.4% larger total L3 cache (19 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 125W instead of 140W, a 15W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Xeon Gold 5315Y

2021

Xeon Gold 6226

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.8% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+60.4% larger total L3 cache (19 MB vs 12 MB).
✅Draws 125W instead of 140W, a 15W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Gold 6226 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (20,477 vs 20,619).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 19 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon Gold 6226 better than Xeon Gold 5315Y?

Yes. Xeon Gold 6226 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 7.8% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data and 0.7% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Xeon Gold 6226 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 7.8% 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 Gold 6226 is the better fit. You are getting 0.7% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 24 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 60.4% larger total L3 cache (19 MB vs 12 MB).

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

Xeon Gold 6226 still looks like the safer overall buy. Xeon Gold 6226 is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 7.8% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data.

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 2019). 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 Gold 5315Y Benchmark Check

Xeon Gold 6226 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Xeon Gold 5315Y	Xeon Gold 6226
1080p
low	174 FPS	177 FPS
medium	138 FPS	142 FPS
high	114 FPS	117 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	93 FPS
1440p
low	145 FPS	143 FPS
medium	113 FPS	113 FPS
high	91 FPS	91 FPS
ultra	72 FPS	72 FPS
4K
low	67 FPS	66 FPS
medium	56 FPS	56 FPS
high	44 FPS	44 FPS
ultra	35 FPS	35 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 5315Y Open Xeon Gold 6226

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Xeon Gold 5315Y	Xeon Gold 6226
1080p
low	245 FPS	400 FPS
medium	212 FPS	346 FPS
high	191 FPS	288 FPS
ultra	152 FPS	242 FPS
1440p
low	217 FPS	346 FPS
medium	193 FPS	307 FPS
high	176 FPS	256 FPS
ultra	140 FPS	213 FPS
4K
low	176 FPS	224 FPS
medium	161 FPS	199 FPS
high	138 FPS	177 FPS
ultra	108 FPS	146 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 5315Y Open Xeon Gold 6226

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Xeon Gold 5315Y	Xeon Gold 6226
1080p
low	512 FPS	515 FPS
medium	512 FPS	515 FPS
high	512 FPS	515 FPS
ultra	512 FPS	515 FPS
1440p
low	512 FPS	515 FPS
medium	512 FPS	515 FPS
high	512 FPS	515 FPS
ultra	512 FPS	512 FPS
4K
low	481 FPS	461 FPS
medium	378 FPS	361 FPS
high	334 FPS	321 FPS
ultra	272 FPS	261 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 5315Y Open Xeon Gold 6226

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Xeon Gold 5315Y	Xeon Gold 6226
1080p
low	512 FPS	515 FPS
medium	512 FPS	515 FPS
high	512 FPS	515 FPS
ultra	512 FPS	515 FPS
1440p
low	512 FPS	515 FPS
medium	512 FPS	515 FPS
high	512 FPS	515 FPS
ultra	453 FPS	443 FPS
4K
low	478 FPS	468 FPS
medium	428 FPS	421 FPS
high	384 FPS	377 FPS
ultra	334 FPS	327 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 5315Y Open Xeon Gold 6226

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon Gold 5315Y and Xeon Gold 6226

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.

Xeon Gold 6226

The Xeon Gold 6226 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 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 19.25 MB. L2 cache: 12 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 20,619 points. Launch price was $1,776.

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Processing Power

The Xeon Gold 5315Y packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Xeon Gold 6226 offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the Xeon Gold 6226 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.6 GHz on the Xeon Gold 5315Y versus 3.7 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6226 — a 2.7% clock advantage for the Xeon Gold 6226 (base: 3.2 GHz vs 2.7 GHz). The Xeon Gold 5315Y uses the Ice Lake-SP (2021) architecture (10 nm), while the Xeon Gold 6226 uses Cascade Lake (2019−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon Gold 5315Y scores 20,477 against the Xeon Gold 6226's 20,619 — a 0.7% lead for the Xeon Gold 6226. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Xeon Gold 5315Y vs 19.25 MB on the Xeon Gold 6226.

Feature	Xeon Gold 5315Y	Xeon Gold 6226
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	12 / 24+50%
Boost Clock	3.6 GHz	3.7 GHz+3%
Base Clock	3.2 GHz+19%	2.7 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	19.25 MB+60%
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)	12 MB+1100%
Process	10 nm-29%	14 nm
Architecture	Ice Lake-SP (2021)	Cascade Lake (2019−2020)
PassMark	20,477	20,619

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Memory & Platform

The Xeon Gold 5315Y uses the LGA4189 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon Gold 6226 uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.