Xeon Gold 5512U vs Xeon Gold 6421N

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 5512U

2023

Why buy it

✅+2.7% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $1,138 less on MSRP ($1,230 MSRP vs $2,368 MSRP).
✅Delivers 97.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 49.1 vs 24.8 PassMark/$ ($1,230 MSRP vs $2,368 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Gold 6421N across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Xeon Gold 6421N

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +10.8% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (58,797 vs 60,367).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 24.8 vs 49.1 PassMark/$ ($2,368 MSRP vs $1,230 MSRP).

Xeon Gold 5512U

2023

Xeon Gold 6421N

2023

Why buy it

✅+2.7% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $1,138 less on MSRP ($1,230 MSRP vs $2,368 MSRP).
✅Delivers 97.7% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 49.1 vs 24.8 PassMark/$ ($1,230 MSRP vs $2,368 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +10.8% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Gold 6421N across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (58,797 vs 60,367).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 24.8 vs 49.1 PassMark/$ ($2,368 MSRP vs $1,230 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon Gold 5512U better than Xeon Gold 6421N?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Xeon Gold 6421N is ahead with a 10.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Gold 5512U pulls ahead with 2.7% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Gold 5512U is the better fit. You are getting 2.7% better PassMark, backed by 28 cores and 56 threads.

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

Xeon Gold 5512U is the smarter buy today. Xeon Gold 5512U is $1,138 cheaper on MSRP at $1,230 MSRP versus $2,368 MSRP, and it gives you 2.7% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Xeon Gold 6421N is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 10.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 97.7% better value on MSRP (49.1 vs 24.8 PassMark/$), 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 Gold 6421N is the safer long-term CPU choice because it gives you more overall headroom and a better platform outlook.

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 5512U Benchmark Check

Xeon Gold 6421N Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Xeon Gold 5512U	Xeon Gold 6421N
1080p
low	184 FPS	200 FPS
medium	162 FPS	165 FPS
high	128 FPS	137 FPS
ultra	104 FPS	107 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	159 FPS
medium	129 FPS	124 FPS
high	98 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	81 FPS	77 FPS
4K
low	69 FPS	73 FPS
medium	62 FPS	61 FPS
high	48 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	39 FPS	39 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 5512U Open Xeon Gold 6421N

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Xeon Gold 5512U	Xeon Gold 6421N
1080p
low	270 FPS	239 FPS
medium	241 FPS	213 FPS
high	200 FPS	177 FPS
ultra	166 FPS	143 FPS
1440p
low	227 FPS	201 FPS
medium	205 FPS	182 FPS
high	175 FPS	157 FPS
ultra	140 FPS	122 FPS
4K
low	141 FPS	125 FPS
medium	130 FPS	116 FPS
high	118 FPS	102 FPS
ultra	98 FPS	83 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 5512U Open Xeon Gold 6421N

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Xeon Gold 5512U	Xeon Gold 6421N
1080p
low	777 FPS	956 FPS
medium	691 FPS	837 FPS
high	657 FPS	793 FPS
ultra	581 FPS	705 FPS
1440p
low	672 FPS	774 FPS
medium	594 FPS	668 FPS
high	562 FPS	623 FPS
ultra	503 FPS	555 FPS
4K
low	453 FPS	495 FPS
medium	370 FPS	391 FPS
high	335 FPS	342 FPS
ultra	279 FPS	279 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 5512U Open Xeon Gold 6421N

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Xeon Gold 5512U	Xeon Gold 6421N
1080p
low	940 FPS	923 FPS
medium	841 FPS	832 FPS
high	726 FPS	717 FPS
ultra	622 FPS	619 FPS
1440p
low	762 FPS	715 FPS
medium	666 FPS	627 FPS
high	572 FPS	538 FPS
ultra	484 FPS	460 FPS
4K
low	550 FPS	516 FPS
medium	493 FPS	460 FPS
high	435 FPS	404 FPS
ultra	372 FPS	349 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 5512U Open Xeon Gold 6421N

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon Gold 5512U and Xeon Gold 6421N

Xeon Gold 5512U

The Xeon Gold 5512U 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 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 52.5 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4677. Thermal design power (TDP): 185 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800, DDR5-4400. Passmark benchmark score: 60,367 points. Launch price was $1,230.

Xeon Gold 6421N

The Xeon Gold 6421N is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 10 January 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024) architecture. It features 32 cores and 64 threads. Base frequency is 1.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 60 MB. L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4677. Thermal design power (TDP): 185 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4400. Passmark benchmark score: 58,797 points. Launch price was $2,368.

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Processing Power

The Xeon Gold 5512U packs 28 cores / 56 threads, while the Xeon Gold 6421N offers 32 cores / 64 threads — the Xeon Gold 6421N has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.7 GHz on the Xeon Gold 5512U versus 3.6 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6421N — a 2.7% clock advantage for the Xeon Gold 5512U (base: 2.1 GHz vs 1.8 GHz). The Xeon Gold 5512U uses the Emerald Rapids (2023) architecture (Intel 7 nm), while the Xeon Gold 6421N uses Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon Gold 5512U scores 60,367 against the Xeon Gold 6421N's 58,797 — a 2.6% lead for the Xeon Gold 5512U. L3 cache: 52.5 MB (total) on the Xeon Gold 5512U vs 60 MB on the Xeon Gold 6421N.

Feature	Xeon Gold 5512U	Xeon Gold 6421N
Cores / Threads	28 / 56	32 / 64+14%
Boost Clock	3.7 GHz+3%	3.6 GHz
Base Clock	2.1 GHz+17%	1.8 GHz
L3 Cache	52.5 MB (total)	60 MB+14%
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)	2 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	Intel 7 nm
Architecture	Emerald Rapids (2023)	Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024)
PassMark	60,367+3%	58,797

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Memory & Platform

Both processors use the LGA4677 socket with PCIe 4.0. Both support up to 4800 memory speed. Both support up to 4096 of RAM. Both feature 8-channel memory with ECC support. Both provide 80 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: C741 (Xeon Gold 5512U) and C741 (Xeon Gold 6421N).

Feature	Xeon Gold 5512U	Xeon Gold 6421N
Socket	LGA4677	LGA4677
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 5.0+25%
Max RAM Speed	4800	4800
Max RAM Capacity	4096	4096
RAM Channels	8	8
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	80	80

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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. Direct competitor: Xeon Gold 5512U rivals EPYC 9354; Xeon Gold 6421N rivals EPYC 9354.

Feature	Xeon Gold 5512U	Xeon Gold 6421N
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	None	None
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	Yes	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d

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Value Analysis

The Xeon Gold 5512U launched at $1230 MSRP, while the Xeon Gold 6421N debuted at $2368. On MSRP ($1230 vs $2368), the Xeon Gold 5512U is $1138 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Xeon Gold 5512U delivers 49.1 pts/$ vs 24.8 pts/$ for the Xeon Gold 6421N — making the Xeon Gold 5512U the 65.6% better value option.