Xeon Gold 6137 vs Xeon W-1290E

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 6137

2017

Why buy it

✅+1.6% higher PassMark.
✅+25% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 20 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon W-1290E across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌115.8% higher power demand at 205W vs 95W.

Xeon W-1290E

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.6% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 95W instead of 205W, a 110W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (19,060 vs 19,365).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (20 MB vs 25 MB).

Xeon Gold 6137

2017

Xeon W-1290E

2020

Why buy it

✅+1.6% higher PassMark.
✅+25% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 20 MB).

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.6% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 95W instead of 205W, a 110W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon W-1290E across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌115.8% higher power demand at 205W vs 95W.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (19,060 vs 19,365).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (20 MB vs 25 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon W-1290E better than Xeon Gold 6137?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Xeon W-1290E is ahead with a 6.6% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Gold 6137 pulls ahead with 1.6% better PassMark. Xeon Gold 6137 also has the bigger cache pool with 25% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 20 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Gold 6137 is the better fit. You are getting 1.6% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 25% larger total L3 cache (25 MB vs 20 MB).

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

Xeon W-1290E still looks like the safer overall buy. Xeon W-1290E is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 6.6% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data.

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

Xeon W-1290E is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2017). 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 6137 Benchmark Check

Xeon W-1290E Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Xeon Gold 6137	Xeon W-1290E
1080p
low	186 FPS	257 FPS
medium	147 FPS	237 FPS
high	120 FPS	202 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	175 FPS
1440p
low	150 FPS	221 FPS
medium	116 FPS	185 FPS
high	93 FPS	153 FPS
ultra	74 FPS	135 FPS
4K
low	69 FPS	151 FPS
medium	57 FPS	127 FPS
high	45 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	87 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 6137 Open Xeon W-1290E

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Xeon Gold 6137	Xeon W-1290E
1080p
low	460 FPS	476 FPS
medium	396 FPS	431 FPS
high	336 FPS	366 FPS
ultra	304 FPS	331 FPS
1440p
low	408 FPS	417 FPS
medium	358 FPS	367 FPS
high	305 FPS	316 FPS
ultra	267 FPS	275 FPS
4K
low	267 FPS	258 FPS
medium	235 FPS	226 FPS
high	215 FPS	212 FPS
ultra	191 FPS	184 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 6137 Open Xeon W-1290E

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Xeon Gold 6137	Xeon W-1290E
1080p
low	484 FPS	476 FPS
medium	484 FPS	476 FPS
high	484 FPS	476 FPS
ultra	484 FPS	476 FPS
1440p
low	484 FPS	476 FPS
medium	484 FPS	476 FPS
high	459 FPS	476 FPS
ultra	397 FPS	476 FPS
4K
low	441 FPS	476 FPS
medium	350 FPS	476 FPS
high	309 FPS	429 FPS
ultra	248 FPS	361 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 6137 Open Xeon W-1290E

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Xeon Gold 6137	Xeon W-1290E
1080p
low	484 FPS	476 FPS
medium	484 FPS	476 FPS
high	484 FPS	476 FPS
ultra	484 FPS	476 FPS
1440p
low	484 FPS	476 FPS
medium	484 FPS	476 FPS
high	484 FPS	476 FPS
ultra	484 FPS	476 FPS
4K
low	484 FPS	476 FPS
medium	457 FPS	476 FPS
high	409 FPS	476 FPS
ultra	354 FPS	437 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 6137 Open Xeon W-1290E

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon Gold 6137 and Xeon W-1290E

Xeon Gold 6137

The Xeon Gold 6137 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.1 GHz. L3 cache: 25 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 205 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 19,365 points. Launch price was $800.

Xeon W-1290E

The Xeon W-1290E is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 13 May 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture. It features 10 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 20 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 19,060 points. Launch price was $552.

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Processing Power

The Xeon Gold 6137 packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Xeon W-1290E offers 10 cores / 20 threads — the Xeon W-1290E has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.1 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6137 versus 4.8 GHz on the Xeon W-1290E — a 15.7% clock advantage for the Xeon W-1290E (base: 3.9 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Xeon W-1290E is built on the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture. In PassMark, the Xeon Gold 6137 scores 19,365 against the Xeon W-1290E's 19,060 — a 1.6% lead for the Xeon Gold 6137. L3 cache: 25 MB on the Xeon Gold 6137 vs 20 MB (total) on the Xeon W-1290E.

Feature	Xeon Gold 6137	Xeon W-1290E
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	10 / 20+25%
Boost Clock	4.1 GHz	4.8 GHz+17%
Base Clock	3.9 GHz+11%	3.5 GHz
L3 Cache	25 MB+25%	20 MB (total)
L2 Cache	—	256 kB (per core)
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	—	Comet Lake (2020−2025)
PassMark	19,365+2%	19,060

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Memory & Platform

The Xeon Gold 6137 uses the LGA3647 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon W-1290E uses LGA1200 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.