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 6442Y

2023

Why buy it

✅+0.1% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 225W instead of 310W, a 85W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon w7-3545 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 20.3 vs 28.7 PassMark/$ ($2,878 MSRP vs $2,039 MSRP).

Xeon w7-3545

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.5% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $839 less on MSRP ($2,039 MSRP vs $2,878 MSRP).
✅Delivers 41.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 28.7 vs 20.3 PassMark/$ ($2,039 MSRP vs $2,878 MSRP).
✅40% more PCIe lanes (112 vs 80) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (58,453 vs 58,534).
❌37.8% higher power demand at 310W vs 225W.

Xeon Gold 6442Y

2023

Xeon w7-3545

2023

Why buy it

✅+0.1% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 225W instead of 310W, a 85W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.5% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $839 less on MSRP ($2,039 MSRP vs $2,878 MSRP).
✅Delivers 41.0% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 28.7 vs 20.3 PassMark/$ ($2,039 MSRP vs $2,878 MSRP).
✅40% more PCIe lanes (112 vs 80) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon w7-3545 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 20.3 vs 28.7 PassMark/$ ($2,878 MSRP vs $2,039 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (58,453 vs 58,534).
❌37.8% higher power demand at 310W vs 225W.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon Gold 6442Y better than Xeon w7-3545?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Xeon w7-3545 is ahead with a 6.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Gold 6442Y pulls ahead with 0.1% better PassMark.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Gold 6442Y is the better fit. You are getting 0.1% better PassMark, backed by 24 cores and 48 threads.

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

Xeon Gold 6442Y is still the faster CPU overall, but Xeon w7-3545 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Xeon Gold 6442Y is 41.1% more expensive on MSRP at $2,878 MSRP versus $2,039 MSRP, and it gives you 0.1% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Xeon w7-3545 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 6.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Xeon w7-3545 is also 41.0% better value on MSRP (28.7 vs 20.3 PassMark/$), 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 6442Y is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting more multi-core headroom with 24 cores / 48 threads instead of 24/48. 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 6442Y Benchmark Check

Xeon w7-3545 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Xeon Gold 6442Y	Xeon w7-3545
1080p
low	200 FPS	311 FPS
medium	165 FPS	301 FPS
high	137 FPS	242 FPS
ultra	107 FPS	204 FPS
1440p
low	159 FPS	270 FPS
medium	124 FPS	233 FPS
high	98 FPS	175 FPS
ultra	77 FPS	154 FPS
4K
low	73 FPS	184 FPS
medium	61 FPS	157 FPS
high	48 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	39 FPS	106 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 6442Y Open Xeon w7-3545

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Xeon Gold 6442Y	Xeon w7-3545
1080p
low	512 FPS	682 FPS
medium	443 FPS	593 FPS
high	354 FPS	482 FPS
ultra	294 FPS	427 FPS
1440p
low	431 FPS	551 FPS
medium	381 FPS	489 FPS
high	314 FPS	415 FPS
ultra	250 FPS	341 FPS
4K
low	268 FPS	324 FPS
medium	241 FPS	288 FPS
high	211 FPS	267 FPS
ultra	176 FPS	234 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 6442Y Open Xeon w7-3545

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Xeon Gold 6442Y	Xeon w7-3545
1080p
low	1025 FPS	1025 FPS
medium	998 FPS	1057 FPS
high	940 FPS	974 FPS
ultra	853 FPS	834 FPS
1440p
low	875 FPS	1001 FPS
medium	775 FPS	888 FPS
high	718 FPS	802 FPS
ultra	645 FPS	656 FPS
4K
low	558 FPS	600 FPS
medium	458 FPS	517 FPS
high	396 FPS	461 FPS
ultra	325 FPS	397 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 6442Y Open Xeon w7-3545

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Xeon Gold 6442Y	Xeon w7-3545
1080p
low	985 FPS	1212 FPS
medium	887 FPS	1015 FPS
high	767 FPS	925 FPS
ultra	659 FPS	809 FPS
1440p
low	763 FPS	980 FPS
medium	669 FPS	845 FPS
high	575 FPS	736 FPS
ultra	495 FPS	635 FPS
4K
low	555 FPS	727 FPS
medium	495 FPS	632 FPS
high	435 FPS	557 FPS
ultra	372 FPS	437 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 6442Y Open Xeon w7-3545

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon Gold 6442Y and Xeon w7-3545

Xeon Gold 6442Y

The Xeon Gold 6442Y 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 24 cores and 48 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 4 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: 58,534 points. Launch price was $2,065.

Xeon w7-3545

The Xeon w7-3545 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 24 August 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024) architecture. It features 24 cores and 48 threads. Base frequency is 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 67.5 MB. L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4677. Thermal design power (TDP): 310 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800. Passmark benchmark score: 58,453 points. Launch price was $2,039.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Xeon Gold 6442Y and Xeon w7-3545 share an identical 24-core/48-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6442Y versus 4.8 GHz on the Xeon w7-3545 — a 18.2% clock advantage for the Xeon w7-3545 (base: 2.6 GHz vs 2.7 GHz). Both are built on the Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024) architecture using a Intel 7 nm process. In PassMark, the Xeon Gold 6442Y scores 58,534 against the Xeon w7-3545's 58,453 — a 0.1% lead for the Xeon Gold 6442Y. L3 cache: 60 MB on the Xeon Gold 6442Y vs 67.5 MB on the Xeon w7-3545.

Feature	Xeon Gold 6442Y	Xeon w7-3545
Cores / Threads	24 / 48	24 / 48
Boost Clock	4 GHz	4.8 GHz+20%
Base Clock	2.6 GHz	2.7 GHz+4%
L3 Cache	60 MB	67.5 MB+13%
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	58,534	58,453
Geekbench 6 Single	—	2,300
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	16,200

🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the LGA4677 socket with PCIe 5.0. Maximum memory speed reaches 4800 on the Xeon Gold 6442Y versus DDR5-4800 on the Xeon w7-3545 — the Xeon Gold 6442Y supports 199.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. Both support up to 4096 of RAM. Both feature 8-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 80 (Xeon Gold 6442Y) vs 112 (Xeon w7-3545) — the Xeon w7-3545 offers 32 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: C741 (Xeon Gold 6442Y) and Intel W790 (Xeon w7-3545).

Feature	Xeon Gold 6442Y	Xeon w7-3545
Socket	LGA4677	LGA4677
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0	PCIe 5.0
Max RAM Speed	4800+95900%	DDR5-4800
Max RAM Capacity	4096	4096 GB+104857500%
RAM Channels	8	8
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	80	112+40%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Xeon w7-3545 has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Both support AVX-512 instructions, benefiting scientific computing, AI inference, and encryption workloads. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Xeon Gold 6442Y) vs true (Xeon w7-3545). Direct competitor: Xeon Gold 6442Y rivals EPYC 9354; Xeon w7-3545 rivals Threadripper PRO 7965WX.

Feature	Xeon Gold 6442Y	Xeon w7-3545
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	None	None
Unlocked	No	Yes
AVX-512	Yes	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	true

💰

Value Analysis

The Xeon Gold 6442Y launched at $2878 MSRP, while the Xeon w7-3545 debuted at $2039. On MSRP ($2878 vs $2039), the Xeon w7-3545 is $839 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Xeon Gold 6442Y delivers 20.3 pts/$ vs 28.7 pts/$ for the Xeon w7-3545 — making the Xeon w7-3545 the 34% better value option.