Xeon Gold 5520+ vs Xeon Gold 6448Y

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 5520+

2023

Why buy it

✅+1.3% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $2,500 less on MSRP ($1,083 MSRP vs $3,583 MSRP).
✅Delivers 235.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 56.5 vs 16.9 PassMark/$ ($1,083 MSRP vs $3,583 MSRP).
✅Draws 205W instead of 225W, a 20W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Gold 6448Y across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Xeon Gold 6448Y

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +20.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (60,449 vs 61,227).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 16.9 vs 56.5 PassMark/$ ($3,583 MSRP vs $1,083 MSRP).

Xeon Gold 5520+

2023

Xeon Gold 6448Y

2023

Why buy it

✅+1.3% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $2,500 less on MSRP ($1,083 MSRP vs $3,583 MSRP).
✅Delivers 235.1% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 56.5 vs 16.9 PassMark/$ ($1,083 MSRP vs $3,583 MSRP).
✅Draws 205W instead of 225W, a 20W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +20.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Gold 6448Y across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (60,449 vs 61,227).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 16.9 vs 56.5 PassMark/$ ($3,583 MSRP vs $1,083 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon Gold 5520+ better than Xeon Gold 6448Y?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Xeon Gold 6448Y is ahead with a 20.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Gold 5520+ pulls ahead with 1.3% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Gold 5520+ is the better fit. You are getting 1.3% better PassMark, backed by 28 cores and 56 threads.

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

Xeon Gold 5520+ is the smarter buy today. Xeon Gold 5520+ is $2,500 cheaper on MSRP at $1,083 MSRP versus $3,583 MSRP, and it gives you 1.3% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Xeon Gold 6448Y is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 20.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 235.1% better value on MSRP (56.5 vs 16.9 PassMark/$), 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 6448Y is the safer long-term CPU choice because it gives you more overall headroom and a better platform outlook.

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 5520+ Benchmark Check

Xeon Gold 6448Y Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Xeon Gold 5520+	Xeon Gold 6448Y
1080p
low	185 FPS	200 FPS
medium	162 FPS	165 FPS
high	129 FPS	137 FPS
ultra	104 FPS	107 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	159 FPS
medium	129 FPS	124 FPS
high	99 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	81 FPS	77 FPS
4K
low	70 FPS	73 FPS
medium	62 FPS	61 FPS
high	48 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	39 FPS	39 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 5520+Open Xeon Gold 6448Y

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Xeon Gold 5520+	Xeon Gold 6448Y
1080p
low	266 FPS	303 FPS
medium	238 FPS	269 FPS
high	197 FPS	224 FPS
ultra	164 FPS	199 FPS
1440p
low	227 FPS	261 FPS
medium	205 FPS	234 FPS
high	175 FPS	201 FPS
ultra	140 FPS	168 FPS
4K
low	141 FPS	163 FPS
medium	130 FPS	149 FPS
high	118 FPS	138 FPS
ultra	98 FPS	124 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 5520+Open Xeon Gold 6448Y

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Xeon Gold 5520+	Xeon Gold 6448Y
1080p
low	875 FPS	1025 FPS
medium	792 FPS	1006 FPS
high	748 FPS	929 FPS
ultra	658 FPS	843 FPS
1440p
low	749 FPS	878 FPS
medium	674 FPS	780 FPS
high	633 FPS	710 FPS
ultra	564 FPS	638 FPS
4K
low	506 FPS	550 FPS
medium	425 FPS	453 FPS
high	379 FPS	392 FPS
ultra	316 FPS	321 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 5520+Open Xeon Gold 6448Y

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Xeon Gold 5520+	Xeon Gold 6448Y
1080p
low	935 FPS	972 FPS
medium	842 FPS	875 FPS
high	728 FPS	756 FPS
ultra	632 FPS	649 FPS
1440p
low	768 FPS	754 FPS
medium	674 FPS	661 FPS
high	579 FPS	568 FPS
ultra	498 FPS	488 FPS
4K
low	561 FPS	549 FPS
medium	504 FPS	489 FPS
high	445 FPS	430 FPS
ultra	383 FPS	367 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 5520+Open Xeon Gold 6448Y

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon Gold 5520+ and Xeon Gold 6448Y

Xeon Gold 5520+

The Xeon Gold 5520+ is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 14 December 2023 (1 year ago). It is based on the Emerald Rapids (2023) architecture. It features 28 cores and 56 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 52.5 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4677. Thermal design power (TDP): 205 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 61,227 points. Launch price was $1,640.

Xeon Gold 6448Y

The Xeon Gold 6448Y is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 10 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024) architecture. It features 32 cores and 64 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 4.1 GHz. L3 cache: 60 MB. L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4677. Thermal design power (TDP): 225 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800, DDR5-4400. Passmark benchmark score: 60,449 points. Launch price was $3,583.

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Processing Power

The Xeon Gold 5520+ packs 28 cores / 56 threads, while the Xeon Gold 6448Y offers 32 cores / 64 threads — the Xeon Gold 6448Y has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4 GHz on the Xeon Gold 5520+ versus 4.1 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6448Y — a 2.5% clock advantage for the Xeon Gold 6448Y (base: 2.2 GHz vs 2.1 GHz). The Xeon Gold 5520+ uses the Emerald Rapids (2023) architecture (10 nm), while the Xeon Gold 6448Y uses Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon Gold 5520+ scores 61,227 against the Xeon Gold 6448Y's 60,449 — a 1.3% lead for the Xeon Gold 5520+. L3 cache: 52.5 MB (total) on the Xeon Gold 5520+ vs 60 MB on the Xeon Gold 6448Y.

Feature	Xeon Gold 5520+	Xeon Gold 6448Y
Cores / Threads	28 / 56	32 / 64+14%
Boost Clock	4 GHz	4.1 GHz+2%
Base Clock	2.2 GHz+5%	2.1 GHz
L3 Cache	52.5 MB (total)	60 MB+14%
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)	2 MB (per core)
Process	10 nm	Intel 7 nm-30%
Architecture	Emerald Rapids (2023)	Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024)
PassMark	61,227+1%	60,449
Geekbench 6 Single	1,600	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	25,000	—

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Memory & Platform

Both processors use the LGA4677 socket with PCIe 4.0. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-4800 on the Xeon Gold 5520+ versus 4800 on the Xeon Gold 6448Y — the Xeon Gold 6448Y supports 199.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 4096 GB of RAM. Both feature 8-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 80 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: C741 (Xeon Gold 5520+) and C741 (Xeon Gold 6448Y).

Feature	Xeon Gold 5520+	Xeon Gold 6448Y
Socket	LGA4677	LGA4677
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 5.0+25%
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800	4800+95900%
Max RAM Capacity	4096 GB+104857500%	4096
RAM Channels	8	8
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	80	80

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Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Both support AVX-512 instructions, benefiting scientific computing, AI inference, and encryption workloads. Both support VT-x, VT-d virtualization. Primary use case: Xeon Gold 5520+ targets Enterprise Server. Direct competitor: Xeon Gold 5520+ rivals EPYC 9354; Xeon Gold 6448Y rivals EPYC 9354.

Feature	Xeon Gold 5520+	Xeon Gold 6448Y
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	None	None
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	Yes	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Enterprise Server	—

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Value Analysis

The Xeon Gold 5520+ launched at $1083 MSRP, while the Xeon Gold 6448Y debuted at $3583. On MSRP ($1083 vs $3583), the Xeon Gold 5520+ is $2500 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Xeon Gold 5520+ delivers 56.5 pts/$ vs 16.9 pts/$ for the Xeon Gold 6448Y — making the Xeon Gold 5520+ the 108.1% better value option.