Xeon Gold 6122 vs Xeon W-1390

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 6122

2018

Why buy it

✅+75% larger total L3 cache (28 MB vs 16 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon W-1390 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (23,781 vs 23,902).
❌50% higher power demand at 120W vs 80W.

Xeon W-1390

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +14.5% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 80W instead of 120W, a 40W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 28 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $494 MSRP, while Xeon Gold 6122 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Xeon Gold 6122

2018

Xeon W-1390

2021

Why buy it

✅+75% larger total L3 cache (28 MB vs 16 MB).

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +14.5% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 80W instead of 120W, a 40W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon W-1390 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (23,781 vs 23,902).
❌50% higher power demand at 120W vs 80W.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 28 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $494 MSRP, while Xeon Gold 6122 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon W-1390 better than Xeon Gold 6122?

Yes. Xeon W-1390 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 14.5% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 0.5% 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-1390 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 14.5% 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 W-1390 is the better fit. You are getting 0.5% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Xeon W-1390 is the smarter buy today. Xeon W-1390 is at an unclear MSRP at $494 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 14.5% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (48.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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-1390 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 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 6122 Benchmark Check

Xeon W-1390 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Xeon Gold 6122	Xeon W-1390
1080p
low	186 FPS	246 FPS
medium	151 FPS	231 FPS
high	123 FPS	192 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	165 FPS
1440p
low	146 FPS	217 FPS
medium	115 FPS	184 FPS
high	92 FPS	148 FPS
ultra	72 FPS	130 FPS
4K
low	68 FPS	151 FPS
medium	57 FPS	128 FPS
high	45 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	86 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 6122 Open Xeon W-1390

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Xeon Gold 6122	Xeon W-1390
1080p
low	211 FPS	405 FPS
medium	188 FPS	343 FPS
high	161 FPS	306 FPS
ultra	136 FPS	274 FPS
1440p
low	183 FPS	362 FPS
medium	166 FPS	315 FPS
high	143 FPS	278 FPS
ultra	120 FPS	239 FPS
4K
low	119 FPS	240 FPS
medium	109 FPS	216 FPS
high	99 FPS	208 FPS
ultra	82 FPS	176 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 6122 Open Xeon W-1390

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Xeon Gold 6122	Xeon W-1390
1080p
low	595 FPS	598 FPS
medium	559 FPS	527 FPS
high	507 FPS	453 FPS
ultra	439 FPS	391 FPS
1440p
low	558 FPS	590 FPS
medium	453 FPS	490 FPS
high	411 FPS	415 FPS
ultra	355 FPS	361 FPS
4K
low	405 FPS	421 FPS
medium	315 FPS	365 FPS
high	281 FPS	325 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	276 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 6122 Open Xeon W-1390

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Xeon Gold 6122	Xeon W-1390
1080p
low	595 FPS	598 FPS
medium	595 FPS	598 FPS
high	595 FPS	598 FPS
ultra	577 FPS	598 FPS
1440p
low	595 FPS	598 FPS
medium	595 FPS	598 FPS
high	513 FPS	598 FPS
ultra	441 FPS	552 FPS
4K
low	471 FPS	558 FPS
medium	421 FPS	506 FPS
high	375 FPS	452 FPS
ultra	325 FPS	393 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 6122 Open Xeon W-1390

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon Gold 6122 and Xeon W-1390

Xeon Gold 6122

The Xeon Gold 6122 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It features 20 cores and 40 threads. Base frequency is 1.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 28 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 120 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 23,781 points. Launch price was $800.

Xeon W-1390

The Xeon W-1390 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 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 80 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 23,902 points. Launch price was $494.

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Processing Power

The Xeon Gold 6122 packs 20 cores / 40 threads, while the Xeon W-1390 offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Xeon Gold 6122 has 12 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.7 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6122 versus 5.1 GHz on the Xeon W-1390 — a 31.8% clock advantage for the Xeon W-1390 (base: 1.8 GHz vs 2.8 GHz). The Xeon W-1390 is built on the Rocket Lake-S (2021) architecture. In PassMark, the Xeon Gold 6122 scores 23,781 against the Xeon W-1390's 23,902 — a 0.5% lead for the Xeon W-1390. L3 cache: 28 MB on the Xeon Gold 6122 vs 16 MB (total) on the Xeon W-1390.

Feature	Xeon Gold 6122	Xeon W-1390
Cores / Threads	20 / 40+150%	8 / 16
Boost Clock	3.7 GHz	5.1 GHz+38%
Base Clock	1.8 GHz	2.8 GHz+56%
L3 Cache	28 MB+75%	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	—	512 kB (per core)
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	—	Rocket Lake-S (2021)
PassMark	23,781	23,902

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Memory & Platform

The Xeon Gold 6122 uses the LGA3647 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon W-1390 uses LGA1200 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.