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 E7-4890 v2

2014

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 155W instead of 165W, a 10W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (6,500 vs 18,500).
❌No AVX-512 support for niche heavy compute workloads where it can matter.

Xeon Platinum 8260

2019

Why buy it

✅+184.6% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅50% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 32) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅AVX-512 support for select workstation, AI, and scientific workloads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E7-4890 v2 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $400 MSRP, while Xeon E7-4890 v2 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Xeon E7-4890 v2

2014

Xeon Platinum 8260

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +6.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 155W instead of 165W, a 10W reduction.

Why buy it

✅+184.6% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅50% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 32) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅AVX-512 support for select workstation, AI, and scientific workloads.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (6,500 vs 18,500).
❌No AVX-512 support for niche heavy compute workloads where it can matter.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E7-4890 v2 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $400 MSRP, while Xeon E7-4890 v2 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon Platinum 8260 better than Xeon E7-4890 v2?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Xeon E7-4890 v2 is ahead with a 6.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Platinum 8260 pulls ahead with 184.6% better Cinebench R23 multi-core.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Platinum 8260 is the better fit. You are getting 184.6% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 24 cores and 48 threads.

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

Xeon Platinum 8260 is the smarter buy today. Xeon Platinum 8260 is at an unclear MSRP at $400 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you 184.6% better Cinebench R23 multi-core. The trade-off is that Xeon E7-4890 v2 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 6.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (76.8 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 Platinum 8260 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 vs 2014), more multi-core headroom with 24 cores / 48 threads instead of 15/30, and AVX-512 support for heavier modern compute workloads. 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 E7-4890 v2 Benchmark Check

Xeon Platinum 8260 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Xeon E7-4890 v2	Xeon Platinum 8260
1080p
low	186 FPS	194 FPS
medium	148 FPS	158 FPS
high	118 FPS	127 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	98 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	158 FPS
medium	119 FPS	123 FPS
high	92 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	73 FPS	76 FPS
4K
low	72 FPS	72 FPS
medium	59 FPS	60 FPS
high	46 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	38 FPS

Open Xeon E7-4890 v2 Open Xeon Platinum 8260

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Xeon E7-4890 v2	Xeon Platinum 8260
1080p
low	368 FPS	423 FPS
medium	324 FPS	368 FPS
high	270 FPS	300 FPS
ultra	216 FPS	247 FPS
1440p
low	318 FPS	365 FPS
medium	282 FPS	321 FPS
high	238 FPS	264 FPS
ultra	184 FPS	210 FPS
4K
low	199 FPS	228 FPS
medium	178 FPS	202 FPS
high	152 FPS	178 FPS
ultra	121 FPS	146 FPS

Open Xeon E7-4890 v2 Open Xeon Platinum 8260

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Xeon E7-4890 v2	Xeon Platinum 8260
1080p
low	774 FPS	768 FPS
medium	774 FPS	649 FPS
high	763 FPS	600 FPS
ultra	679 FPS	530 FPS
1440p
low	744 FPS	573 FPS
medium	638 FPS	467 FPS
high	605 FPS	425 FPS
ultra	537 FPS	372 FPS
4K
low	479 FPS	411 FPS
medium	376 FPS	321 FPS
high	335 FPS	286 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	232 FPS

Open Xeon E7-4890 v2 Open Xeon Platinum 8260

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Xeon E7-4890 v2	Xeon Platinum 8260
1080p
low	774 FPS	768 FPS
medium	774 FPS	768 FPS
high	765 FPS	753 FPS
ultra	648 FPS	655 FPS
1440p
low	774 FPS	752 FPS
medium	686 FPS	659 FPS
high	586 FPS	566 FPS
ultra	493 FPS	486 FPS
4K
low	581 FPS	542 FPS
medium	506 FPS	483 FPS
high	442 FPS	424 FPS
ultra	377 FPS	366 FPS

Open Xeon E7-4890 v2 Open Xeon Platinum 8260

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E7-4890 v2 and Xeon Platinum 8260

Xeon E7-4890 v2

The Xeon E7-4890 v2 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It features 15 cores and 30 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 37.5 MB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 155 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-1066, DDR3-1333, DDR3-1600. Passmark benchmark score: 30,946 points. Launch price was $800.

Xeon Platinum 8260

The Xeon Platinum 8260 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 December 2018 (6 years ago). It is based on the Cascade Lake-SP (2018) architecture. It features 24 cores and 48 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 35.75 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 165 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 30,720 points. Launch price was $4,702.

⚡

Processing Power

The Xeon E7-4890 v2 packs 15 cores / 30 threads, while the Xeon Platinum 8260 offers 24 cores / 48 threads — the Xeon Platinum 8260 has 9 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.4 GHz on the Xeon E7-4890 v2 versus 3.9 GHz on the Xeon Platinum 8260 — a 13.7% clock advantage for the Xeon Platinum 8260 (base: 2.8 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Xeon Platinum 8260 is built on the Cascade Lake-SP (2018) architecture. In PassMark, the Xeon E7-4890 v2 scores 30,946 against the Xeon Platinum 8260's 30,720 — a 0.7% lead for the Xeon E7-4890 v2. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 6,500 vs 18,500 (96% advantage for the Xeon Platinum 8260). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 730 vs 1,190, a 47.9% lead for the Xeon Platinum 8260 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 5,500 vs 6,946 (23.2% advantage for the Xeon Platinum 8260). L3 cache: 37.5 MB on the Xeon E7-4890 v2 vs 35.75 MB (total) on the Xeon Platinum 8260.

Feature	Xeon E7-4890 v2	Xeon Platinum 8260
Cores / Threads	15 / 30	24 / 48+60%
Boost Clock	3.4 GHz	3.9 GHz+15%
Base Clock	2.8 GHz+17%	2.4 GHz
L3 Cache	37.5 MB+5%	35.75 MB (total)
L2 Cache	—	1 MB (per core)
Process	22 nm	14 nm-36%
Architecture	—	Cascade Lake-SP (2018)
PassMark	30,946	30,720
Cinebench R23 Multi	6,500	18,500+185%
Geekbench 6 Single	730	1,190+63%
Geekbench 6 Multi	5,500	6,946+26%

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Memory & Platform

The Xeon E7-4890 v2 uses the LGA2011 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon Platinum 8260 uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR3-1600 on the Xeon E7-4890 v2 versus DDR4-2933 on the Xeon Platinum 8260 — the Xeon Platinum 8260 supports 28.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon E7-4890 v2 supports up to 1536 GB of RAM compared to 1024 GB — 40% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 4 (Xeon E7-4890 v2) vs 6 (Xeon Platinum 8260). PCIe lanes: 32 (Xeon E7-4890 v2) vs 48 (Xeon Platinum 8260) — the Xeon Platinum 8260 offers 16 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: C602 (Xeon E7-4890 v2) and C621,Lewisburg (Xeon Platinum 8260).

Feature	Xeon E7-4890 v2	Xeon Platinum 8260
Socket	LGA2011	LGA3647
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1600	DDR4-2933+33%
Max RAM Capacity	1536 GB+50%	1024 GB
RAM Channels	4	6+50%
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	32	48+50%

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Only the Xeon Platinum 8260 supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Both support VT-x, VT-d, EPT virtualization. Primary use case: Xeon E7-4890 v2 targets Enterprise Server (Legacy), Xeon Platinum 8260 targets Server / Workstation. Direct competitor: Xeon E7-4890 v2 rivals Xeon E5-2697 v2; Xeon Platinum 8260 rivals Xeon Gold 6248R.