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 8160M

2017

Why buy it

✅Costs $383 less on MSRP ($5,000 MSRP vs $5,383 MSRP).
✅Draws 150W instead of 250W, a 100W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Platinum 8360Y across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (53,158 vs 54,078).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (33 MB vs 54 MB).

Xeon Platinum 8360Y

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +12.9% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+63.6% larger total L3 cache (54 MB vs 33 MB).
✅33.3% more PCIe lanes (64 vs 48) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌
7.7% HIGHER MSRP
$5,383 MSRPvs$5,000 MSRP
❌66.7% higher power demand at 250W vs 150W.

Xeon Platinum 8160M

2017

Xeon Platinum 8360Y

2021

Why buy it

✅Costs $383 less on MSRP ($5,000 MSRP vs $5,383 MSRP).
✅Draws 150W instead of 250W, a 100W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +12.9% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+63.6% larger total L3 cache (54 MB vs 33 MB).
✅33.3% more PCIe lanes (64 vs 48) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Platinum 8360Y across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (53,158 vs 54,078).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (33 MB vs 54 MB).

Trade-offs

❌
7.7% HIGHER MSRP
$5,383 MSRPvs$5,000 MSRP
❌66.7% higher power demand at 250W vs 150W.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon Platinum 8360Y better than Xeon Platinum 8160M?

Yes. Xeon Platinum 8360Y is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 12.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 1.7% 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 Platinum 8360Y is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 12.9% 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 Platinum 8360Y is the better fit. You are getting 1.7% better PassMark, backed by 36 cores and 72 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 63.6% larger total L3 cache (54 MB vs 33 MB).

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

Xeon Platinum 8360Y is still the faster CPU overall, but Xeon Platinum 8160M makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Xeon Platinum 8360Y is 7.7% more expensive on MSRP at $5,383 MSRP versus $5,000 MSRP, and it gives you a 12.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Xeon Platinum 8160M is also 5.8% better value on MSRP (10.6 vs 10.0 PassMark/$), 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 8360Y is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2017), 63.6% larger total L3 cache (54 MB vs 33 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 36 cores / 72 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 Platinum 8160M Benchmark Check

Xeon Platinum 8360Y Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Xeon Platinum 8160M	Xeon Platinum 8360Y
1080p
low	195 FPS	185 FPS
medium	158 FPS	149 FPS
high	128 FPS	120 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	94 FPS
1440p
low	157 FPS	154 FPS
medium	123 FPS	120 FPS
high	96 FPS	93 FPS
ultra	76 FPS	74 FPS
4K
low	72 FPS	72 FPS
medium	60 FPS	60 FPS
high	47 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	38 FPS

Open Xeon Platinum 8160M Open Xeon Platinum 8360Y

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Xeon Platinum 8160M	Xeon Platinum 8360Y
1080p
low	212 FPS	412 FPS
medium	188 FPS	361 FPS
high	161 FPS	294 FPS
ultra	137 FPS	235 FPS
1440p
low	184 FPS	353 FPS
medium	167 FPS	314 FPS
high	143 FPS	264 FPS
ultra	120 FPS	203 FPS
4K
low	120 FPS	219 FPS
medium	109 FPS	198 FPS
high	100 FPS	167 FPS
ultra	82 FPS	135 FPS

Open Xeon Platinum 8160M Open Xeon Platinum 8360Y

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Xeon Platinum 8160M	Xeon Platinum 8360Y
1080p
low	894 FPS	971 FPS
medium	779 FPS	849 FPS
high	736 FPS	803 FPS
ultra	652 FPS	712 FPS
1440p
low	710 FPS	774 FPS
medium	610 FPS	668 FPS
high	576 FPS	631 FPS
ultra	508 FPS	560 FPS
4K
low	458 FPS	497 FPS
medium	360 FPS	393 FPS
high	320 FPS	349 FPS
ultra	260 FPS	285 FPS

Open Xeon Platinum 8160M Open Xeon Platinum 8360Y

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Xeon Platinum 8160M	Xeon Platinum 8360Y
1080p
low	848 FPS	954 FPS
medium	767 FPS	863 FPS
high	670 FPS	745 FPS
ultra	583 FPS	634 FPS
1440p
low	679 FPS	745 FPS
medium	593 FPS	652 FPS
high	515 FPS	559 FPS
ultra	442 FPS	475 FPS
4K
low	477 FPS	537 FPS
medium	427 FPS	479 FPS
high	381 FPS	420 FPS
ultra	330 FPS	362 FPS

Open Xeon Platinum 8160M Open Xeon Platinum 8360Y

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon Platinum 8160M and Xeon Platinum 8360Y

Xeon Platinum 8160M

The Xeon Platinum 8160M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 25 April 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 24 cores and 48 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 33 MB. L2 cache: 24 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 150 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 53,158 points. Launch price was $7,704.

Xeon Platinum 8360Y

The Xeon Platinum 8360Y is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Ice Lake-SP (2021) architecture. It features 36 cores and 72 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 54 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4189. Thermal design power (TDP): 250 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 54,078 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The Xeon Platinum 8160M packs 24 cores / 48 threads, while the Xeon Platinum 8360Y offers 36 cores / 72 threads — the Xeon Platinum 8360Y has 12 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.7 GHz on the Xeon Platinum 8160M versus 3.5 GHz on the Xeon Platinum 8360Y — a 5.6% clock advantage for the Xeon Platinum 8160M (base: 2.1 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Xeon Platinum 8160M uses the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon Platinum 8360Y uses Ice Lake-SP (2021) (10 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon Platinum 8160M scores 53,158 against the Xeon Platinum 8360Y's 54,078 — a 1.7% lead for the Xeon Platinum 8360Y. L3 cache: 33 MB on the Xeon Platinum 8160M vs 54 MB (total) on the Xeon Platinum 8360Y.

Feature	Xeon Platinum 8160M	Xeon Platinum 8360Y
Cores / Threads	24 / 48	36 / 72+50%
Boost Clock	3.7 GHz+6%	3.5 GHz
Base Clock	2.1 GHz	2.4 GHz+14%
L3 Cache	33 MB	54 MB (total)+64%
L2 Cache	24 MB+2300%	1 MB (per core)
Process	14 nm	10 nm-29%
Architecture	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)	Ice Lake-SP (2021)
PassMark	53,158	54,078+2%
Geekbench 6 Single	850	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	15,000	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon Platinum 8160M uses the LGA3647 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon Platinum 8360Y uses LGA4189 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Xeon Platinum 8160M versus 3200 on the Xeon Platinum 8360Y — the Xeon Platinum 8360Y supports 199.5% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon Platinum 8360Y supports up to 4096 of RAM compared to 1536 GB — 90.9% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 6 (Xeon Platinum 8160M) vs 8 (Xeon Platinum 8360Y). PCIe lanes: 48 (Xeon Platinum 8160M) vs 64 (Xeon Platinum 8360Y) — the Xeon Platinum 8360Y offers 16 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: C621 (Xeon Platinum 8160M) and C621A (Xeon Platinum 8360Y).

Feature	Xeon Platinum 8160M	Xeon Platinum 8360Y
Socket	LGA3647	LGA4189
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	3200+79900%
Max RAM Capacity	1536 GB+39321500%	4096
RAM Channels	6	8+33%
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	48	64+33%

🔧

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. Primary use case: Xeon Platinum 8160M targets Datacenter. Direct competitor: Xeon Platinum 8160M rivals EPYC 7401; Xeon Platinum 8360Y rivals EPYC 7543.

Feature	Xeon Platinum 8160M	Xeon Platinum 8360Y
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	None	None
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	Yes	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Datacenter	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Xeon Platinum 8160M launched at $5000 MSRP, while the Xeon Platinum 8360Y debuted at $5383. On MSRP ($5000 vs $5383), the Xeon Platinum 8160M is $383 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Xeon Platinum 8160M delivers 10.6 pts/$ vs 10.0 pts/$ for the Xeon Platinum 8360Y — making the Xeon Platinum 8160M the 5.7% better value option.