Xeon Gold 6421N vs Xeon Gold 6448Y

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 6421N

2023

Why buy it

✅Costs $1,215 less on MSRP ($2,368 MSRP vs $3,583 MSRP).
✅Delivers 47.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 24.8 vs 16.9 PassMark/$ ($2,368 MSRP vs $3,583 MSRP).
✅Draws 185W instead of 225W, a 40W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Gold 6448Y across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (58,797 vs 60,449).

Xeon Gold 6448Y

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +10.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 16.9 vs 24.8 PassMark/$ ($3,583 MSRP vs $2,368 MSRP).
❌21.6% higher power demand at 225W vs 185W.

Xeon Gold 6421N

2023

Xeon Gold 6448Y

2023

Why buy it

✅Costs $1,215 less on MSRP ($2,368 MSRP vs $3,583 MSRP).
✅Delivers 47.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 24.8 vs 16.9 PassMark/$ ($2,368 MSRP vs $3,583 MSRP).
✅Draws 185W instead of 225W, a 40W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +10.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Gold 6448Y across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (58,797 vs 60,449).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 16.9 vs 24.8 PassMark/$ ($3,583 MSRP vs $2,368 MSRP).
❌21.6% higher power demand at 225W vs 185W.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon Gold 6448Y better than Xeon Gold 6421N?

Yes. Xeon Gold 6448Y is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 10.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 2.8% 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 6448Y is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 10.3% 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 6448Y is the better fit. You are getting 2.8% better PassMark, backed by 32 cores and 64 threads.

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

Xeon Gold 6448Y is still the faster CPU overall, but Xeon Gold 6421N makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Xeon Gold 6448Y is 51.3% more expensive on MSRP at $3,583 MSRP versus $2,368 MSRP, and it gives you a 10.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Xeon Gold 6421N is also 47.2% better value on MSRP (24.8 vs 16.9 PassMark/$), 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 6448Y is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting more multi-core headroom with 32 cores / 64 threads instead of 32/64. 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 6421N Benchmark Check

Xeon Gold 6448Y Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Xeon Gold 6421N	Xeon Gold 6448Y
1080p
low	200 FPS	200 FPS
medium	165 FPS	165 FPS
high	137 FPS	137 FPS
ultra	107 FPS	107 FPS
1440p
low	159 FPS	159 FPS
medium	124 FPS	124 FPS
high	98 FPS	98 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	77 FPS
4K
low	73 FPS	73 FPS
medium	61 FPS	61 FPS
high	47 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	39 FPS	39 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 6421N Open Xeon Gold 6448Y

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Xeon Gold 6421N	Xeon Gold 6448Y
1080p
low	239 FPS	303 FPS
medium	213 FPS	269 FPS
high	177 FPS	224 FPS
ultra	143 FPS	199 FPS
1440p
low	201 FPS	261 FPS
medium	182 FPS	234 FPS
high	157 FPS	201 FPS
ultra	122 FPS	168 FPS
4K
low	125 FPS	163 FPS
medium	116 FPS	149 FPS
high	102 FPS	138 FPS
ultra	83 FPS	124 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 6421N Open Xeon Gold 6448Y

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Xeon Gold 6421N	Xeon Gold 6448Y
1080p
low	956 FPS	1025 FPS
medium	837 FPS	1006 FPS
high	793 FPS	929 FPS
ultra	705 FPS	843 FPS
1440p
low	774 FPS	878 FPS
medium	668 FPS	780 FPS
high	623 FPS	710 FPS
ultra	555 FPS	638 FPS
4K
low	495 FPS	550 FPS
medium	391 FPS	453 FPS
high	342 FPS	392 FPS
ultra	279 FPS	321 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 6421N Open Xeon Gold 6448Y

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Xeon Gold 6421N	Xeon Gold 6448Y
1080p
low	923 FPS	972 FPS
medium	832 FPS	875 FPS
high	717 FPS	756 FPS
ultra	619 FPS	649 FPS
1440p
low	715 FPS	754 FPS
medium	627 FPS	661 FPS
high	538 FPS	568 FPS
ultra	460 FPS	488 FPS
4K
low	516 FPS	549 FPS
medium	460 FPS	489 FPS
high	404 FPS	430 FPS
ultra	349 FPS	367 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 6421N Open Xeon Gold 6448Y

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon Gold 6421N and Xeon Gold 6448Y

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.

Xeon Gold 6448Y

The Xeon Gold 6448Y 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 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 4.1 GHz. L3 cache: 60 MB. L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4677. Thermal design power (TDP): 225 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800, DDR5-4400. Passmark benchmark score: 60,449 points. Launch price was $3,583.

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Processing Power

Both the Xeon Gold 6421N and Xeon Gold 6448Y share an identical 32-core/64-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.6 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6421N versus 4.1 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6448Y — a 13% clock advantage for the Xeon Gold 6448Y (base: 1.8 GHz vs 2.1 GHz). Both are built on the Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024) architecture using a Intel 7 nm process. In PassMark, the Xeon Gold 6421N scores 58,797 against the Xeon Gold 6448Y's 60,449 — a 2.8% lead for the Xeon Gold 6448Y. Both processors carry 60 MB of L3 cache.

Feature	Xeon Gold 6421N	Xeon Gold 6448Y
Cores / Threads	32 / 64	32 / 64
Boost Clock	3.6 GHz	4.1 GHz+14%
Base Clock	1.8 GHz	2.1 GHz+17%
L3 Cache	60 MB	60 MB
L2 Cache	2 MB (per core)	2 MB (per core)
Process	Intel 7 nm	Intel 7 nm
Architecture	Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024)	Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024)
PassMark	58,797	60,449+3%

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Memory & Platform

Both processors use the LGA4677 socket with PCIe 5.0. 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 6421N) and C741 (Xeon Gold 6448Y).

Feature	Xeon Gold 6421N	Xeon Gold 6448Y
Socket	LGA4677	LGA4677
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0	PCIe 5.0
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 6421N rivals EPYC 9354; Xeon Gold 6448Y rivals EPYC 9354.

Feature	Xeon Gold 6421N	Xeon Gold 6448Y
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 6421N launched at $2368 MSRP, while the Xeon Gold 6448Y debuted at $3583. On MSRP ($2368 vs $3583), the Xeon Gold 6421N is $1215 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Xeon Gold 6421N delivers 24.8 pts/$ vs 16.9 pts/$ for the Xeon Gold 6448Y — making the Xeon Gold 6421N the 38.2% better value option.