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.

Core i5-1135G7

2020

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 500W, a 485W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Iris Xe Graphics (80 EU), while Xeon 6960P needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon 6960P across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (4,495 vs 60,000).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon 6960P, which brings 72 cores / 144 threads and 96 PCIe lanes.
❌Older platform position on FCBGA1449 with DDR4, while Xeon 6960P moves to LGA7529 and DDR5.

Xeon 6960P

2024

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +171.7% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 72 cores / 144 threads, plus 96 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅Newer platform on LGA7529 with DDR5 support instead of FCBGA1449 and DDR4.
✅500% more PCIe lanes (96 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $9,625 MSRP, while Core i5-1135G7 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌3233.3% higher power demand at 500W vs 15W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-1135G7 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core i5-1135G7

2020

Xeon 6960P

2024

Why buy it

✅Draws 15W instead of 500W, a 485W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Iris Xe Graphics (80 EU), while Xeon 6960P needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +171.7% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 72 cores / 144 threads, plus 96 PCIe lanes vs 16.
✅Newer platform on LGA7529 with DDR5 support instead of FCBGA1449 and DDR4.
✅500% more PCIe lanes (96 vs 16) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon 6960P across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (4,495 vs 60,000).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon 6960P, which brings 72 cores / 144 threads and 96 PCIe lanes.
❌Older platform position on FCBGA1449 with DDR4, while Xeon 6960P moves to LGA7529 and DDR5.

Trade-offs

❌Launch MSRP is still $9,625 MSRP, while Core i5-1135G7 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌3233.3% higher power demand at 500W vs 15W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core i5-1135G7 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon 6960P better than Core i5-1135G7?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon 6960P makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Core i5-1135G7 is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Xeon 6960P is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 171.7% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests. It also has a big cache advantage at 432 MB vs 8 MB.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon 6960P is the better fit. You are getting 1234.8% better Geekbench multi-core, backed by 72 cores and 144 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 5300% larger total L3 cache (432 MB vs 8 MB).

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

Xeon 6960P is the smarter buy today. Xeon 6960P is at an unclear MSRP at $9,625 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 171.7% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (13.6 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 6960P is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2020), a healthier platform with LGA7529 and DDR5 instead of FCBGA1449, 3D V-Cache and a much larger 432 MB L3 cache instead of 8 MB, and more multi-core headroom with 72 cores / 144 threads instead of 4/8. That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

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.

Core i5-1135G7 Benchmark Check

Xeon 6960P Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i5-1135G7	Xeon 6960P
1080p
low	168 FPS	196 FPS
medium	137 FPS	159 FPS
high	107 FPS	128 FPS
ultra	85 FPS	100 FPS
1440p
low	145 FPS	159 FPS
medium	118 FPS	125 FPS
high	91 FPS	97 FPS
ultra	72 FPS	77 FPS
4K
low	68 FPS	73 FPS
medium	59 FPS	60 FPS
high	46 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	36 FPS	39 FPS

Open Core i5-1135G7 Open Xeon 6960P

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i5-1135G7	Xeon 6960P
1080p
low	153 FPS	524 FPS
medium	129 FPS	450 FPS
high	118 FPS	358 FPS
ultra	102 FPS	293 FPS
1440p
low	135 FPS	430 FPS
medium	115 FPS	380 FPS
high	107 FPS	311 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	247 FPS
4K
low	106 FPS	266 FPS
medium	93 FPS	239 FPS
high	80 FPS	209 FPS
ultra	67 FPS	174 FPS

Open Core i5-1135G7 Open Xeon 6960P

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i5-1135G7	Xeon 6960P
1080p
low	235 FPS	985 FPS
medium	235 FPS	874 FPS
high	235 FPS	826 FPS
ultra	235 FPS	734 FPS
1440p
low	235 FPS	788 FPS
medium	235 FPS	689 FPS
high	235 FPS	651 FPS
ultra	235 FPS	579 FPS
4K
low	235 FPS	505 FPS
medium	235 FPS	397 FPS
high	235 FPS	353 FPS
ultra	235 FPS	288 FPS

Open Core i5-1135G7 Open Xeon 6960P

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i5-1135G7	Xeon 6960P
1080p
low	235 FPS	985 FPS
medium	235 FPS	891 FPS
high	235 FPS	768 FPS
ultra	235 FPS	658 FPS
1440p
low	235 FPS	764 FPS
medium	235 FPS	667 FPS
high	235 FPS	571 FPS
ultra	235 FPS	486 FPS
4K
low	235 FPS	549 FPS
medium	235 FPS	489 FPS
high	235 FPS	430 FPS
ultra	235 FPS	369 FPS

Open Core i5-1135G7 Open Xeon 6960P

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-1135G7 and Xeon 6960P

Core i5-1135G7

The Core i5-1135G7 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 September 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Tiger Lake-UP3 (2020−2021) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 1.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm SuperFin process technology. Socket: FCBGA1449. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 9,414 points. Launch price was $309.

Xeon 6960P

The Xeon 6960P is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2024-09-24. It is based on the Granite Rapids (2024−2025) architecture. It features 72 cores and 144 threads. Base frequency is 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 432 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 3 nm process technology. Socket: LGA7529. Thermal design power (TDP): 500 Watt. Memory support: DDR5(6400MT/s), MRDIMM(8800MT/s). Passmark benchmark score: 130,659 points. Launch price was $9,625.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i5-1135G7 packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Xeon 6960P offers 72 cores / 144 threads — the Xeon 6960P has 68 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.2 GHz on the Core i5-1135G7 versus 3.9 GHz on the Xeon 6960P — a 7.4% clock advantage for the Core i5-1135G7 (base: 1.5 GHz vs 2.7 GHz). The Core i5-1135G7 uses the Tiger Lake-UP3 (2020−2021) architecture (10 nm SuperFin), while the Xeon 6960P uses Granite Rapids (2024−2025) (Intel 3 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-1135G7 scores 9,414 against the Xeon 6960P's 130,659 — a 173.1% lead for the Xeon 6960P. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,592 vs 2,100, a 27.5% lead for the Xeon 6960P that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 4,495 vs 60,000 (172.1% advantage for the Xeon 6960P). L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Core i5-1135G7 vs 432 MB (total) on the Xeon 6960P.

Feature	Core i5-1135G7	Xeon 6960P
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	72 / 144+1700%
Boost Clock	4.2 GHz+8%	3.9 GHz
Base Clock	1.5 GHz	2.7 GHz+80%
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)	432 MB (total)+5300%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	2 MB (per core)+60%
Process	10 nm SuperFin	Intel 3 nm-70%
Architecture	Tiger Lake-UP3 (2020−2021)	Granite Rapids (2024−2025)
PassMark	9,414	130,659+1288%
Cinebench R23 Multi	5,183	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,592	2,100+32%
Geekbench 6 Multi	4,495	60,000+1235%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i5-1135G7 uses the FCBGA1449 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon 6960P uses LGA7529 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-3200, LPDDR4x-4267 on the Core i5-1135G7 versus DDR5-6400 on the Xeon 6960P — the Xeon 6960P supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon 6960P supports up to 3072 GB of RAM compared to 64 GB — 191.8% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Core i5-1135G7) vs 12 (Xeon 6960P). PCIe lanes: 16 (Core i5-1135G7) vs 96 (Xeon 6960P) — the Xeon 6960P offers 80 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: SoC (Core i5-1135G7) and Intel 600 Series (Xeon 6960P).

Feature	Core i5-1135G7	Xeon 6960P
Socket	FCBGA1449	LGA7529
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200, LPDDR4x-4267	DDR5-6400+25%
Max RAM Capacity	64 GB	3072 GB+4700%
RAM Channels	2	12+500%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	16	96+500%

🔧

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 (Core i5-1135G7) vs VT-x, VT-d (Xeon 6960P). The Core i5-1135G7 includes integrated graphics (Iris Xe Graphics (80 EU)), while the Xeon 6960P requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-1135G7 targets Productivity, Xeon 6960P targets Server. Direct competitor: Core i5-1135G7 rivals Ryzen 5 5500U; Xeon 6960P rivals EPYC 9654.