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

✅Costs $927 less on MSRP ($1,083 MSRP vs $2,010 MSRP).
✅Delivers 82.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 56.5 vs 31.0 PassMark/$ ($1,083 MSRP vs $2,010 MSRP).
✅Draws 205W instead of 270W, a 65W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA4677 with DDR5 support instead of LGA4189 and DDR4.
✅25% more PCIe lanes (80 vs 64) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Platinum 8380 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (25,000 vs 40,000).

Xeon Platinum 8380

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.6% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 31.0 vs 56.5 PassMark/$ ($2,010 MSRP vs $1,083 MSRP).
❌31.7% higher power demand at 270W vs 205W.
❌Older platform position on LGA4189 with DDR4, while Xeon Gold 5520+ moves to LGA4677 and DDR5.

Xeon Gold 5520+

2023

Xeon Platinum 8380

2021

Why buy it

✅Costs $927 less on MSRP ($1,083 MSRP vs $2,010 MSRP).
✅Delivers 82.3% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 56.5 vs 31.0 PassMark/$ ($1,083 MSRP vs $2,010 MSRP).
✅Draws 205W instead of 270W, a 65W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA4677 with DDR5 support instead of LGA4189 and DDR4.
✅25% more PCIe lanes (80 vs 64) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.6% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Platinum 8380 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (25,000 vs 40,000).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 31.0 vs 56.5 PassMark/$ ($2,010 MSRP vs $1,083 MSRP).
❌31.7% higher power demand at 270W vs 205W.
❌Older platform position on LGA4189 with DDR4, while Xeon Gold 5520+ moves to LGA4677 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon Platinum 8380 better than Xeon Gold 5520+?

Yes. Xeon Platinum 8380 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 6.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 60% better Geekbench multi-core, and 1.8% higher PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Xeon Platinum 8380 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 6.6% 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 Platinum 8380 is the better fit. You are getting 60% better Geekbench multi-core, backed by 40 cores and 80 threads.

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

Xeon Platinum 8380 is still the faster CPU overall, but Xeon Gold 5520+ makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Xeon Platinum 8380 is 85.6% more expensive on MSRP at $2,010 MSRP versus $1,083 MSRP, and it gives you a 6.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Xeon Gold 5520+ is also 82.3% better value on MSRP (56.5 vs 31.0 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

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

Xeon Gold 5520+ is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2021) and a healthier platform with LGA4677 and DDR5 instead of LGA4189. That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

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 Platinum 8380 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Xeon Gold 5520+	Xeon Platinum 8380
1080p
low	185 FPS	185 FPS
medium	162 FPS	149 FPS
high	129 FPS	120 FPS
ultra	104 FPS	94 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	154 FPS
medium	129 FPS	120 FPS
high	99 FPS	93 FPS
ultra	81 FPS	74 FPS
4K
low	70 FPS	72 FPS
medium	62 FPS	60 FPS
high	48 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	39 FPS	38 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 5520+Open Xeon Platinum 8380

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Xeon Gold 5520+	Xeon Platinum 8380
1080p
low	266 FPS	412 FPS
medium	238 FPS	361 FPS
high	197 FPS	294 FPS
ultra	164 FPS	235 FPS
1440p
low	227 FPS	353 FPS
medium	205 FPS	314 FPS
high	175 FPS	264 FPS
ultra	140 FPS	203 FPS
4K
low	141 FPS	219 FPS
medium	130 FPS	198 FPS
high	118 FPS	167 FPS
ultra	98 FPS	135 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 5520+Open Xeon Platinum 8380

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Xeon Gold 5520+	Xeon Platinum 8380
1080p
low	875 FPS	935 FPS
medium	792 FPS	817 FPS
high	748 FPS	766 FPS
ultra	658 FPS	680 FPS
1440p
low	749 FPS	746 FPS
medium	674 FPS	643 FPS
high	633 FPS	603 FPS
ultra	564 FPS	535 FPS
4K
low	506 FPS	479 FPS
medium	425 FPS	378 FPS
high	379 FPS	334 FPS
ultra	316 FPS	272 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 5520+Open Xeon Platinum 8380

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Xeon Gold 5520+	Xeon Platinum 8380
1080p
low	935 FPS	900 FPS
medium	842 FPS	817 FPS
high	728 FPS	705 FPS
ultra	632 FPS	606 FPS
1440p
low	768 FPS	703 FPS
medium	674 FPS	617 FPS
high	579 FPS	530 FPS
ultra	498 FPS	454 FPS
4K
low	561 FPS	507 FPS
medium	504 FPS	454 FPS
high	445 FPS	398 FPS
ultra	383 FPS	346 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 5520+Open Xeon Platinum 8380

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon Gold 5520+ and Xeon Platinum 8380

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 Platinum 8380

The Xeon Platinum 8380 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2021-04-06. It is based on the Ice Lake-SP (2021) architecture. It features 40 cores and 80 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 60 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4189. Thermal design power (TDP): 270 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 62,318 points. Launch price was $5,846.

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Processing Power

The Xeon Gold 5520+ packs 28 cores / 56 threads, while the Xeon Platinum 8380 offers 40 cores / 80 threads — the Xeon Platinum 8380 has 12 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4 GHz on the Xeon Gold 5520+ versus 3.4 GHz on the Xeon Platinum 8380 — a 16.2% clock advantage for the Xeon Gold 5520+ (base: 2.2 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The Xeon Gold 5520+ uses the Emerald Rapids (2023) architecture (10 nm), while the Xeon Platinum 8380 uses Ice Lake-SP (2021) (10 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon Gold 5520+ scores 61,227 against the Xeon Platinum 8380's 62,318 — a 1.8% lead for the Xeon Platinum 8380. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,600 vs 1,300, a 20.7% lead for the Xeon Gold 5520+ that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 25,000 vs 40,000 (46.2% advantage for the Xeon Platinum 8380). L3 cache: 52.5 MB (total) on the Xeon Gold 5520+ vs 60 MB (total) on the Xeon Platinum 8380.

Feature	Xeon Gold 5520+	Xeon Platinum 8380
Cores / Threads	28 / 56	40 / 80+43%
Boost Clock	4 GHz+18%	3.4 GHz
Base Clock	2.2 GHz	2.3 GHz+5%
L3 Cache	52.5 MB (total)	60 MB (total)+14%
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)+100%	1 MB (per core)
Process	10 nm	10 nm
Architecture	Emerald Rapids (2023)	Ice Lake-SP (2021)
PassMark	61,227	62,318+2%
Geekbench 6 Single	1,600+23%	1,300
Geekbench 6 Multi	25,000	40,000+60%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon Gold 5520+ uses the LGA4677 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon Platinum 8380 uses LGA4189 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-4800 on the Xeon Gold 5520+ versus DDR4-3200 on the Xeon Platinum 8380 — the Xeon Gold 5520+ supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon Platinum 8380 supports up to 6144 GB of RAM compared to 4096 GB — 40% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 8-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 80 (Xeon Gold 5520+) vs 64 (Xeon Platinum 8380) — the Xeon Gold 5520+ offers 16 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: C741 (Xeon Gold 5520+) and C621A (Xeon Platinum 8380).

Feature	Xeon Gold 5520+	Xeon Platinum 8380
Socket	LGA4677	LGA4189
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-4800+25%	DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity	4096 GB	6144 GB+50%
RAM Channels	8	8
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	80+25%	64

🔧

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, Xeon Platinum 8380 targets Datacenter. Direct competitor: Xeon Gold 5520+ rivals EPYC 9354; Xeon Platinum 8380 rivals EPYC 7543.

Feature	Xeon Gold 5520+	Xeon Platinum 8380
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	Datacenter

💰

Value Analysis

The Xeon Gold 5520+ launched at $1083 MSRP, while the Xeon Platinum 8380 debuted at $2010. On MSRP ($1083 vs $2010), the Xeon Gold 5520+ is $927 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Xeon Gold 5520+ delivers 56.5 pts/$ vs 31.0 pts/$ for the Xeon Platinum 8380 — making the Xeon Gold 5520+ the 58.3% better value option.