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 6342

2021

Why buy it

✅+0.8% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $4,742 less on MSRP ($2,977 MSRP vs $7,719 MSRP).
✅Delivers 161.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 15.8 vs 6.0 PassMark/$ ($2,977 MSRP vs $7,719 MSRP).
✅Draws 230W instead of 270W, a 40W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (36 MB vs 57 MB).

Xeon Platinum 8368Q

2021

Why buy it

✅+58.3% larger total L3 cache (57 MB vs 36 MB).
✅100% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 64) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (46,681 vs 47,076).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 6.0 vs 15.8 PassMark/$ ($7,719 MSRP vs $2,977 MSRP).
❌17.4% higher power demand at 270W vs 230W.

Xeon Gold 6342

2021

Xeon Platinum 8368Q

2021

Why buy it

✅+0.8% higher PassMark.
✅Costs $4,742 less on MSRP ($2,977 MSRP vs $7,719 MSRP).
✅Delivers 161.5% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 15.8 vs 6.0 PassMark/$ ($2,977 MSRP vs $7,719 MSRP).
✅Draws 230W instead of 270W, a 40W reduction.

Why buy it

✅+58.3% larger total L3 cache (57 MB vs 36 MB).
✅100% more PCIe lanes (128 vs 64) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (36 MB vs 57 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (46,681 vs 47,076).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 6.0 vs 15.8 PassMark/$ ($7,719 MSRP vs $2,977 MSRP).
❌17.4% higher power demand at 270W vs 230W.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon Gold 6342 better than Xeon Platinum 8368Q?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Xeon Platinum 8368Q is ahead with a 2.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Gold 6342 pulls ahead with 0.8% better PassMark. Xeon Platinum 8368Q also has the bigger cache pool with 58.3% larger total L3 cache (57 MB vs 36 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Gold 6342 is the better fit. You are getting 0.8% better PassMark, backed by 24 cores and 48 threads.

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

Xeon Gold 6342 is the smarter buy today. Xeon Gold 6342 is $4,742 cheaper on MSRP at $2,977 MSRP versus $7,719 MSRP, and it gives you 0.8% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Xeon Platinum 8368Q is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 2.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 161.5% better value on MSRP (15.8 vs 6.0 PassMark/$), 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 8368Q is the safer long-term CPU choice because it gives you more overall headroom and a better platform outlook.

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 6342 Benchmark Check

Xeon Platinum 8368Q Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Xeon Gold 6342	Xeon Platinum 8368Q
1080p
low	187 FPS	190 FPS
medium	150 FPS	154 FPS
high	121 FPS	126 FPS
ultra	94 FPS	98 FPS
1440p
low	155 FPS	157 FPS
medium	121 FPS	123 FPS
high	93 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	74 FPS	76 FPS
4K
low	73 FPS	72 FPS
medium	60 FPS	60 FPS
high	46 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	39 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 6342 Open Xeon Platinum 8368Q

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Xeon Gold 6342	Xeon Platinum 8368Q
1080p
low	416 FPS	496 FPS
medium	364 FPS	431 FPS
high	297 FPS	345 FPS
ultra	237 FPS	286 FPS
1440p
low	357 FPS	425 FPS
medium	317 FPS	375 FPS
high	265 FPS	310 FPS
ultra	204 FPS	247 FPS
4K
low	221 FPS	264 FPS
medium	200 FPS	237 FPS
high	169 FPS	208 FPS
ultra	136 FPS	174 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 6342 Open Xeon Platinum 8368Q

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Xeon Gold 6342	Xeon Platinum 8368Q
1080p
low	986 FPS	960 FPS
medium	859 FPS	836 FPS
high	812 FPS	790 FPS
ultra	720 FPS	701 FPS
1440p
low	787 FPS	759 FPS
medium	676 FPS	652 FPS
high	639 FPS	616 FPS
ultra	567 FPS	547 FPS
4K
low	504 FPS	487 FPS
medium	397 FPS	383 FPS
high	353 FPS	340 FPS
ultra	288 FPS	278 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 6342 Open Xeon Platinum 8368Q

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Xeon Gold 6342	Xeon Platinum 8368Q
1080p
low	911 FPS	930 FPS
medium	828 FPS	844 FPS
high	714 FPS	730 FPS
ultra	615 FPS	631 FPS
1440p
low	712 FPS	728 FPS
medium	625 FPS	641 FPS
high	537 FPS	551 FPS
ultra	460 FPS	473 FPS
4K
low	514 FPS	525 FPS
medium	459 FPS	470 FPS
high	403 FPS	413 FPS
ultra	351 FPS	358 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 6342 Open Xeon Platinum 8368Q

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon Gold 6342 and Xeon Platinum 8368Q

Xeon Gold 6342

The Xeon Gold 6342 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Ice Lake-SP (2021) architecture. It features 24 cores and 48 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 36 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4189. Thermal design power (TDP): 230 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 47,076 points. Launch price was $800.

Xeon Platinum 8368Q

The Xeon Platinum 8368Q is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Ice Lake-SP (2021) architecture. It features 38 cores and 76 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 57 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4189. Thermal design power (TDP): 270 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 46,681 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The Xeon Gold 6342 packs 24 cores / 48 threads, while the Xeon Platinum 8368Q offers 38 cores / 76 threads — the Xeon Platinum 8368Q has 14 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.5 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6342 versus 3.7 GHz on the Xeon Platinum 8368Q — a 5.6% clock advantage for the Xeon Platinum 8368Q (base: 2.8 GHz vs 2.6 GHz). Both are built on the Ice Lake-SP (2021) architecture using a 10 nm process. In PassMark, the Xeon Gold 6342 scores 47,076 against the Xeon Platinum 8368Q's 46,681 — a 0.8% lead for the Xeon Gold 6342. L3 cache: 36 MB (total) on the Xeon Gold 6342 vs 57 MB (total) on the Xeon Platinum 8368Q.

Feature	Xeon Gold 6342	Xeon Platinum 8368Q
Cores / Threads	24 / 48	38 / 76+58%
Boost Clock	3.5 GHz	3.7 GHz+6%
Base Clock	2.8 GHz+8%	2.6 GHz
L3 Cache	36 MB (total)	57 MB (total)+58%
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)	1 MB (per core)
Process	10 nm	10 nm
Architecture	Ice Lake-SP (2021)	Ice Lake-SP (2021)
PassMark	47,076	46,681

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Memory & Platform

Both processors use the LGA4189 socket with PCIe 4.0. Both support up to 3200 memory speed. The Xeon Gold 6342 supports up to 6144 of RAM compared to 4096 — 40% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 8-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 64 (Xeon Gold 6342) vs 128 (Xeon Platinum 8368Q) — the Xeon Platinum 8368Q offers 64 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: C621A (Xeon Gold 6342) and SP3,C621A (Xeon Platinum 8368Q).

Feature	Xeon Gold 6342	Xeon Platinum 8368Q
Socket	LGA4189	LGA4189
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	3200	3200
Max RAM Capacity	6144+50%	4096
RAM Channels	8	8
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	64	128+100%

🔧

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 6342 rivals EPYC 7443; Xeon Platinum 8368Q rivals Xeon Platinum 8362.

Feature	Xeon Gold 6342	Xeon Platinum 8368Q
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	None	None
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	Yes	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d

💰

Value Analysis

The Xeon Gold 6342 launched at $2977 MSRP, while the Xeon Platinum 8368Q debuted at $7719. On MSRP ($2977 vs $7719), the Xeon Gold 6342 is $4742 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Xeon Gold 6342 delivers 15.8 pts/$ vs 6.0 pts/$ for the Xeon Platinum 8368Q — making the Xeon Gold 6342 the 89.3% better value option.