Xeon Gold 5115 vs Xeon Silver 4116

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 5115

2017

Why buy it

✅+0.7% higher PassMark.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Silver 4116 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (14 MB vs 17 MB).

Xeon Silver 4116

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.6% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+20% larger total L3 cache (17 MB vs 14 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (14,918 vs 15,017).

Xeon Gold 5115

2017

Xeon Silver 4116

2017

Why buy it

✅+0.7% higher PassMark.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.6% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+20% larger total L3 cache (17 MB vs 14 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Silver 4116 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (14 MB vs 17 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (14,918 vs 15,017).

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon Gold 5115 better than Xeon Silver 4116?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Xeon Silver 4116 is ahead with a 5.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Gold 5115 pulls ahead with 0.7% better PassMark. Xeon Silver 4116 also has the bigger cache pool with 20% larger total L3 cache (17 MB vs 14 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Gold 5115 is the better fit. You are getting 0.7% better PassMark, backed by 10 cores and 20 threads.

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

Xeon Gold 5115 still looks like the safer overall buy. Xeon Gold 5115 is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you 0.7% better PassMark.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Xeon Silver 4116 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 5115 Benchmark Check

Xeon Silver 4116 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Xeon Gold 5115	Xeon Silver 4116
1080p
low	169 FPS	167 FPS
medium	134 FPS	133 FPS
high	108 FPS	108 FPS
ultra	87 FPS	86 FPS
1440p
low	138 FPS	139 FPS
medium	107 FPS	109 FPS
high	85 FPS	87 FPS
ultra	68 FPS	68 FPS
4K
low	65 FPS	65 FPS
medium	54 FPS	55 FPS
high	43 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	34 FPS	34 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 5115 Open Xeon Silver 4116

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Xeon Gold 5115	Xeon Silver 4116
1080p
low	217 FPS	141 FPS
medium	190 FPS	124 FPS
high	174 FPS	113 FPS
ultra	138 FPS	89 FPS
1440p
low	194 FPS	124 FPS
medium	172 FPS	112 FPS
high	157 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	126 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	159 FPS	90 FPS
medium	144 FPS	84 FPS
high	124 FPS	74 FPS
ultra	95 FPS	58 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 5115 Open Xeon Silver 4116

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Xeon Gold 5115	Xeon Silver 4116
1080p
low	375 FPS	373 FPS
medium	375 FPS	373 FPS
high	375 FPS	373 FPS
ultra	375 FPS	373 FPS
1440p
low	375 FPS	373 FPS
medium	375 FPS	373 FPS
high	375 FPS	373 FPS
ultra	375 FPS	373 FPS
4K
low	375 FPS	373 FPS
medium	365 FPS	367 FPS
high	322 FPS	325 FPS
ultra	262 FPS	266 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 5115 Open Xeon Silver 4116

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Xeon Gold 5115	Xeon Silver 4116
1080p
low	375 FPS	373 FPS
medium	375 FPS	373 FPS
high	375 FPS	373 FPS
ultra	375 FPS	373 FPS
1440p
low	375 FPS	373 FPS
medium	375 FPS	373 FPS
high	375 FPS	373 FPS
ultra	375 FPS	373 FPS
4K
low	375 FPS	373 FPS
medium	375 FPS	373 FPS
high	375 FPS	373 FPS
ultra	337 FPS	334 FPS

Open Xeon Gold 5115 Open Xeon Silver 4116

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon Gold 5115 and Xeon Silver 4116

Xeon Gold 5115

The Xeon Gold 5115 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 July 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 10 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 13.75 MB. L2 cache: 10 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 85 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 15,017 points. Launch price was $1,221.

Xeon Silver 4116

The Xeon Silver 4116 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 July 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 16.5 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 85 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 14,918 points. Launch price was $1,002.

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Processing Power

The Xeon Gold 5115 packs 10 cores / 20 threads, while the Xeon Silver 4116 offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the Xeon Silver 4116 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.2 GHz on the Xeon Gold 5115 versus 3 GHz on the Xeon Silver 4116 — a 6.5% clock advantage for the Xeon Gold 5115 (base: 2.4 GHz vs 2.1 GHz). Both are built on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture using a 14 nm process. In PassMark, the Xeon Gold 5115 scores 15,017 against the Xeon Silver 4116's 14,918 — a 0.7% lead for the Xeon Gold 5115. L3 cache: 13.75 MB on the Xeon Gold 5115 vs 16.5 MB (total) on the Xeon Silver 4116.

Feature	Xeon Gold 5115	Xeon Silver 4116
Cores / Threads	10 / 20	12 / 24+20%
Boost Clock	3.2 GHz+7%	3 GHz
Base Clock	2.4 GHz+14%	2.1 GHz
L3 Cache	13.75 MB	16.5 MB (total)+20%
L2 Cache	10 MB+900%	1 MB (per core)
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)
PassMark	15,017	14,918