Xeon Gold 5515+ vs Xeon Gold 6226R

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 5515+

2023

Why buy it

✅Newer platform on LGA4677 with DDR5 support instead of LGA3647 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Xeon Gold 6226R

2020

Why buy it

✅Draws 150W instead of 165W, a 15W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (26,278 vs 26,359).
❌Older platform position on LGA3647 with DDR4, while Xeon Gold 5515+ moves to LGA4677 and DDR5.

Xeon Gold 5515+

2023

Xeon Gold 6226R

2020

Why buy it

✅Newer platform on LGA4677 with DDR5 support instead of LGA3647 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅Draws 150W instead of 165W, a 15W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (26,278 vs 26,359).
❌Older platform position on LGA3647 with DDR4, while Xeon Gold 5515+ moves to LGA4677 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon Gold 5515+ better than Xeon Gold 6226R?

Yes. Xeon Gold 5515+ is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 2.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 0.3% 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 Gold 5515+ is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 2.1% 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 Gold 5515+ is the better fit. You are getting 0.3% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Xeon Gold 5515+ still looks like the safer overall buy. Xeon Gold 5515+ is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 2.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data.

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

Xeon Gold 5515+ is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2020), a healthier platform with LGA4677 and DDR5 instead of LGA3647, and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 16/32. 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 5515+ Benchmark Check

Xeon Gold 6226R Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Xeon Gold 5515+	Xeon Gold 6226R
1080p
low	166 FPS	184 FPS
medium	144 FPS	148 FPS
high	117 FPS	120 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	93 FPS
1440p
low	139 FPS	146 FPS
medium	118 FPS	114 FPS
high	93 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	75 FPS	72 FPS
4K
low	63 FPS	68 FPS
medium	57 FPS	57 FPS
high	45 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	35 FPS	36 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 5515+Open Xeon Gold 6226R

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Xeon Gold 5515+	Xeon Gold 6226R
1080p
low	482 FPS	400 FPS
medium	426 FPS	346 FPS
high	363 FPS	288 FPS
ultra	331 FPS	242 FPS
1440p
low	422 FPS	346 FPS
medium	380 FPS	307 FPS
high	331 FPS	256 FPS
ultra	290 FPS	213 FPS
4K
low	273 FPS	224 FPS
medium	247 FPS	199 FPS
high	231 FPS	177 FPS
ultra	205 FPS	146 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 5515+Open Xeon Gold 6226R

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Xeon Gold 5515+	Xeon Gold 6226R
1080p
low	659 FPS	657 FPS
medium	659 FPS	657 FPS
high	659 FPS	657 FPS
ultra	659 FPS	656 FPS
1440p
low	659 FPS	657 FPS
medium	659 FPS	612 FPS
high	646 FPS	580 FPS
ultra	572 FPS	512 FPS
4K
low	504 FPS	462 FPS
medium	425 FPS	361 FPS
high	382 FPS	322 FPS
ultra	315 FPS	261 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 5515+Open Xeon Gold 6226R

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Xeon Gold 5515+	Xeon Gold 6226R
1080p
low	659 FPS	657 FPS
medium	659 FPS	657 FPS
high	659 FPS	657 FPS
ultra	614 FPS	576 FPS
1440p
low	659 FPS	657 FPS
medium	659 FPS	599 FPS
high	587 FPS	517 FPS
ultra	495 FPS	444 FPS
4K
low	556 FPS	469 FPS
medium	492 FPS	422 FPS
high	439 FPS	377 FPS
ultra	371 FPS	328 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 5515+Open Xeon Gold 6226R

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon Gold 5515+ and Xeon Gold 6226R

Xeon Gold 5515+

The Xeon Gold 5515+ 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 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 4.1 GHz. L3 cache: 22.5 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4677. Thermal design power (TDP): 165 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 26,359 points. Launch price was $1,099.

Xeon Gold 6226R

The Xeon Gold 6226R is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 24 February 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Cascade Lake (2019−2020) architecture. It features 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 22 MB. L2 cache: 16 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 150 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 26,278 points. Launch price was $1,300.

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Processing Power

The Xeon Gold 5515+ packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Xeon Gold 6226R offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the Xeon Gold 6226R has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.1 GHz on the Xeon Gold 5515+ versus 3.9 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6226R — a 5% clock advantage for the Xeon Gold 5515+ (base: 3.2 GHz vs 2.9 GHz). The Xeon Gold 5515+ uses the Emerald Rapids (2023) architecture (10 nm), while the Xeon Gold 6226R uses Cascade Lake (2019−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon Gold 5515+ scores 26,359 against the Xeon Gold 6226R's 26,278 — a 0.3% lead for the Xeon Gold 5515+. L3 cache: 22.5 MB (total) on the Xeon Gold 5515+ vs 22 MB on the Xeon Gold 6226R.

Feature	Xeon Gold 5515+	Xeon Gold 6226R
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	16 / 32+100%
Boost Clock	4.1 GHz+5%	3.9 GHz
Base Clock	3.2 GHz+10%	2.9 GHz
L3 Cache	22.5 MB (total)+2%	22 MB
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)	16 MB+700%
Process	10 nm-29%	14 nm
Architecture	Emerald Rapids (2023)	Cascade Lake (2019−2020)
PassMark	26,359	26,278

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Memory & Platform

The Xeon Gold 5515+ uses the LGA4677 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon Gold 6226R uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.