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 Platinum 8260

2019

Why buy it

✅+44.4% larger total L3 cache (36 MB vs 25 MB).
✅Costs $933 less on MSRP ($400 MSRP vs $1,333 MSRP).
✅Delivers 230.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 76.8 vs 23.2 PassMark/$ ($400 MSRP vs $1,333 MSRP).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon W-2295 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (6,946 vs 12,863).

Xeon W-2295

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +35.4% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (25 MB vs 36 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 23.2 vs 76.8 PassMark/$ ($1,333 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).

Xeon Platinum 8260

2019

Xeon W-2295

2019

Why buy it

✅+44.4% larger total L3 cache (36 MB vs 25 MB).
✅Costs $933 less on MSRP ($400 MSRP vs $1,333 MSRP).
✅Delivers 230.4% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 76.8 vs 23.2 PassMark/$ ($400 MSRP vs $1,333 MSRP).

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +35.4% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon W-2295 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (6,946 vs 12,863).

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (25 MB vs 36 MB).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 23.2 vs 76.8 PassMark/$ ($1,333 MSRP vs $400 MSRP).

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon W-2295 better than Xeon Platinum 8260?

Yes. Xeon W-2295 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 35.4% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 85.2% better Geekbench multi-core, and 0.9% higher PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Xeon W-2295 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 35.4% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon W-2295 is the better fit. You are getting 85.2% better Geekbench multi-core, backed by 18 cores and 36 threads.

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

Xeon W-2295 is still the faster CPU overall, but Xeon Platinum 8260 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Xeon W-2295 is 233.3% more expensive on MSRP at $1,333 MSRP versus $400 MSRP, and it gives you a 35.4% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Xeon Platinum 8260 is also 230.4% better value on MSRP (76.8 vs 23.2 PassMark/$), 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 Platinum 8260 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting 44.4% larger total L3 cache (36 MB vs 25 MB). That makes it the safer long-term pick.

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 Platinum 8260 Benchmark Check

Xeon W-2295 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Xeon Platinum 8260	Xeon W-2295
1080p
low	194 FPS	286 FPS
medium	158 FPS	254 FPS
high	127 FPS	211 FPS
ultra	98 FPS	177 FPS
1440p
low	158 FPS	234 FPS
medium	123 FPS	190 FPS
high	96 FPS	154 FPS
ultra	76 FPS	134 FPS
4K
low	72 FPS	165 FPS
medium	60 FPS	134 FPS
high	46 FPS	106 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	91 FPS

Open Xeon Platinum 8260 Open Xeon W-2295

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Xeon Platinum 8260	Xeon W-2295
1080p
low	423 FPS	551 FPS
medium	368 FPS	457 FPS
high	300 FPS	383 FPS
ultra	247 FPS	345 FPS
1440p
low	365 FPS	457 FPS
medium	321 FPS	395 FPS
high	264 FPS	337 FPS
ultra	210 FPS	291 FPS
4K
low	228 FPS	286 FPS
medium	202 FPS	248 FPS
high	178 FPS	230 FPS
ultra	146 FPS	201 FPS

Open Xeon Platinum 8260 Open Xeon W-2295

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Xeon Platinum 8260	Xeon W-2295
1080p
low	768 FPS	775 FPS
medium	649 FPS	775 FPS
high	600 FPS	775 FPS
ultra	530 FPS	775 FPS
1440p
low	573 FPS	775 FPS
medium	467 FPS	775 FPS
high	425 FPS	775 FPS
ultra	372 FPS	656 FPS
4K
low	411 FPS	620 FPS
medium	321 FPS	522 FPS
high	286 FPS	462 FPS
ultra	232 FPS	389 FPS

Open Xeon Platinum 8260 Open Xeon W-2295

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Xeon Platinum 8260	Xeon W-2295
1080p
low	768 FPS	775 FPS
medium	768 FPS	775 FPS
high	753 FPS	775 FPS
ultra	655 FPS	775 FPS
1440p
low	752 FPS	775 FPS
medium	659 FPS	775 FPS
high	566 FPS	742 FPS
ultra	486 FPS	631 FPS
4K
low	542 FPS	704 FPS
medium	483 FPS	611 FPS
high	424 FPS	538 FPS
ultra	366 FPS	437 FPS

Open Xeon Platinum 8260 Open Xeon W-2295

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon Platinum 8260 and Xeon W-2295

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.

Xeon W-2295

The Xeon W-2295 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It features 18 cores and 36 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 24.75 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2066. Thermal design power (TDP): 165 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 30,986 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The Xeon Platinum 8260 packs 24 cores / 48 threads, while the Xeon W-2295 offers 18 cores / 36 threads — the Xeon Platinum 8260 has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.9 GHz on the Xeon Platinum 8260 versus 4.8 GHz on the Xeon W-2295 — a 20.7% clock advantage for the Xeon W-2295 (base: 2.4 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Xeon Platinum 8260 is built on the Cascade Lake-SP (2018) architecture. In PassMark, the Xeon Platinum 8260 scores 30,720 against the Xeon W-2295's 30,986 — a 0.9% lead for the Xeon W-2295. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,190 vs 1,703, a 35.5% lead for the Xeon W-2295 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 6,946 vs 12,863 (59.7% advantage for the Xeon W-2295). L3 cache: 35.75 MB (total) on the Xeon Platinum 8260 vs 24.75 MB on the Xeon W-2295.

Feature	Xeon Platinum 8260	Xeon W-2295
Cores / Threads	24 / 48+33%	18 / 36
Boost Clock	3.9 GHz	4.8 GHz+23%
Base Clock	2.4 GHz	3 GHz+25%
L3 Cache	35.75 MB (total)+44%	24.75 MB
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)	—
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Cascade Lake-SP (2018)	—
PassMark	30,720	30,986
Cinebench R23 Multi	18,500	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,190	1,703+43%
Geekbench 6 Multi	6,946	12,863+85%

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Memory & Platform

The Xeon Platinum 8260 uses the LGA3647 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon W-2295 uses LGA2066 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2933 memory speed. Both support up to 1024 GB of RAM. Memory channels: 6 (Xeon Platinum 8260) vs 4 (Xeon W-2295). Both provide 48 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: C621,Lewisburg (Xeon Platinum 8260) and C422 (Xeon W-2295).

Feature	Xeon Platinum 8260	Xeon W-2295
Socket	LGA3647	LGA2066
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2933	DDR4-2933
Max RAM Capacity	1024 GB	1024 GB
RAM Channels	6+50%	4
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	48	48

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Both support AVX-512 instructions, benefiting scientific computing, AI inference, and encryption workloads. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Xeon Platinum 8260) vs VT-x, VT-d (Xeon W-2295). Primary use case: Xeon Platinum 8260 targets Server / Workstation, Xeon W-2295 targets Workstation. Direct competitor: Xeon Platinum 8260 rivals Xeon Gold 6248R.

Feature	Xeon Platinum 8260	Xeon W-2295
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	—	None
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	Yes	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Server / Workstation	Workstation

💰

Value Analysis

The Xeon Platinum 8260 launched at $400 MSRP, while the Xeon W-2295 debuted at $1333. On MSRP ($400 vs $1333), the Xeon Platinum 8260 is $933 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Xeon Platinum 8260 delivers 76.8 pts/$ vs 23.2 pts/$ for the Xeon W-2295 — making the Xeon Platinum 8260 the 107.1% better value option.