Xeon Gold 6122 vs Xeon W-2175

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

✅+1.2% higher PassMark.
✅+45.5% larger total L3 cache (28 MB vs 19 MB).
✅Draws 120W instead of 140W, a 20W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon W-2175 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Xeon W-2175

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +26.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (23,507 vs 23,781).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (19 MB vs 28 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $1,947 MSRP, while Xeon Gold 6122 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌16.7% higher power demand at 140W vs 120W.

Xeon Gold 6122

2018

Xeon W-2175

2017

Why buy it

✅+1.2% higher PassMark.
✅+45.5% larger total L3 cache (28 MB vs 19 MB).
✅Draws 120W instead of 140W, a 20W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +26.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon W-2175 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (23,507 vs 23,781).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (19 MB vs 28 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $1,947 MSRP, while Xeon Gold 6122 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌16.7% higher power demand at 140W vs 120W.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon Gold 6122 better than Xeon W-2175?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Xeon W-2175 is ahead with a 26.0% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Gold 6122 pulls ahead with 1.2% better PassMark. Xeon Gold 6122 also has the bigger cache pool with 45.5% larger total L3 cache (28 MB vs 19 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Gold 6122 is the better fit. You are getting 1.2% better PassMark, backed by 20 cores and 40 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 45.5% larger total L3 cache (28 MB vs 19 MB).

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

Xeon Gold 6122 is still the faster CPU overall, but Xeon W-2175 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Xeon Gold 6122 is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $1,947 MSRP, and it gives you 1.2% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Xeon W-2175 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 26.0% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Xeon W-2175 is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (12.1 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 6122 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2018 vs 2017), 45.5% larger total L3 cache (28 MB vs 19 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 20 cores / 40 threads instead of 14/28. 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-2175 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Xeon Gold 6122	Xeon W-2175
1080p
low	186 FPS	167 FPS
medium	151 FPS	147 FPS
high	123 FPS	119 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	97 FPS
1440p
low	146 FPS	139 FPS
medium	115 FPS	118 FPS
high	92 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	72 FPS	79 FPS
4K
low	68 FPS	73 FPS
medium	57 FPS	67 FPS
high	45 FPS	53 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	41 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 6122 Open Xeon W-2175

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Xeon Gold 6122	Xeon W-2175
1080p
low	211 FPS	430 FPS
medium	188 FPS	380 FPS
high	161 FPS	329 FPS
ultra	136 FPS	298 FPS
1440p
low	183 FPS	378 FPS
medium	166 FPS	339 FPS
high	143 FPS	294 FPS
ultra	120 FPS	257 FPS
4K
low	119 FPS	245 FPS
medium	109 FPS	219 FPS
high	99 FPS	204 FPS
ultra	82 FPS	178 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 6122 Open Xeon W-2175

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Xeon Gold 6122	Xeon W-2175
1080p
low	595 FPS	588 FPS
medium	559 FPS	588 FPS
high	507 FPS	588 FPS
ultra	439 FPS	588 FPS
1440p
low	558 FPS	588 FPS
medium	453 FPS	588 FPS
high	411 FPS	588 FPS
ultra	355 FPS	567 FPS
4K
low	405 FPS	511 FPS
medium	315 FPS	426 FPS
high	281 FPS	383 FPS
ultra	225 FPS	317 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 6122 Open Xeon W-2175

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Xeon Gold 6122	Xeon W-2175
1080p
low	595 FPS	588 FPS
medium	595 FPS	588 FPS
high	595 FPS	588 FPS
ultra	577 FPS	588 FPS
1440p
low	595 FPS	588 FPS
medium	595 FPS	588 FPS
high	513 FPS	588 FPS
ultra	441 FPS	557 FPS
4K
low	471 FPS	588 FPS
medium	421 FPS	554 FPS
high	375 FPS	485 FPS
ultra	325 FPS	410 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 6122 Open Xeon W-2175

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon Gold 6122 and Xeon W-2175

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-2175

The Xeon W-2175 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 15 October 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 14 cores and 28 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.3 GHz. L3 cache: 19.25 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2066. Thermal design power (TDP): 140 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866, DDR4-2133, DDR4-2400, DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 23,507 points. Launch price was $1,947.

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Processing Power

The Xeon Gold 6122 packs 20 cores / 40 threads, while the Xeon W-2175 offers 14 cores / 28 threads — the Xeon Gold 6122 has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.7 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6122 versus 4.3 GHz on the Xeon W-2175 — a 15% clock advantage for the Xeon W-2175 (base: 1.8 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Xeon W-2175 is built on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. In PassMark, the Xeon Gold 6122 scores 23,781 against the Xeon W-2175's 23,507 — a 1.2% lead for the Xeon Gold 6122. L3 cache: 28 MB on the Xeon Gold 6122 vs 19.25 MB (total) on the Xeon W-2175.

Feature	Xeon Gold 6122	Xeon W-2175
Cores / Threads	20 / 40+43%	14 / 28
Boost Clock	3.7 GHz	4.3 GHz+16%
Base Clock	1.8 GHz	2.5 GHz+39%
L3 Cache	28 MB+45%	19.25 MB (total)
L2 Cache	—	1 MB (per core)
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	—	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)
PassMark	23,781+1%	23,507

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Memory & Platform

The Xeon Gold 6122 uses the LGA3647 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon W-2175 uses LGA2066 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.