Core i5-8400 vs Xeon Gold 5222
Core i5-8400
Xeon Gold 5222
Performance Spectrum - CPU
About PassMark
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.
Value Upgrade Path
This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Core i5-8400 is positioned at rank 421 and the Xeon Gold 5222 is on rank 295, so the Xeon Gold 5222 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Core i5-8400
Performance Per Dollar Xeon Gold 5222
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Core i5-8400 | Xeon Gold 5222 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($95) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | ✨ Modern (Coffee Lake-S (2017−2018) / 14 nm) | ✨ Modern (Cascade Lake (2019−2020) / 14 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Core i5-8400 | Xeon Gold 5222 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($95) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
Performance Check
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.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-8400 and Xeon Gold 5222
Core i5-8400
The Core i5-8400 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 5 October 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-S (2017−2018) architecture. It features 6 cores and 6 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 9 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 9,229 points. Launch price was $182.
Xeon Gold 5222
The Xeon Gold 5222 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 April 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Cascade Lake (2019−2020) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 16.5 MB. L2 cache: 4 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 9,348 points. Launch price was $1,221.
Processing Power
The Core i5-8400 packs 6 cores / 6 threads, while the Xeon Gold 5222 offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Core i5-8400 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4 GHz on the Core i5-8400 versus 3.9 GHz on the Xeon Gold 5222 — a 2.5% clock advantage for the Core i5-8400 (base: 2.8 GHz vs 3.8 GHz). The Core i5-8400 uses the Coffee Lake-S (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon Gold 5222 uses Cascade Lake (2019−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-8400 scores 9,229 against the Xeon Gold 5222's 9,348 — a 1.3% lead for the Xeon Gold 5222. L3 cache: 9 MB (total) on the Core i5-8400 vs 16.5 MB on the Xeon Gold 5222.
| Feature | Core i5-8400 | Xeon Gold 5222 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 6 / 6+50% | 4 / 8 |
| Boost Clock | 4 GHz+3% | 3.9 GHz |
| Base Clock | 2.8 GHz | 3.8 GHz+36% |
| L3 Cache | 9 MB (total) | 16.5 MB+83% |
| L2 Cache | 256K (per core) | 4 MB+1500% |
| Process | 14 nm | 14 nm |
| Architecture | Coffee Lake-S (2017−2018) | Cascade Lake (2019−2020) |
| PassMark | 9,229 | 9,348+1% |
Memory & Platform
The Core i5-8400 uses the LGA1151 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon Gold 5222 uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Core i5-8400 | Xeon Gold 5222 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1151 | LGA3647 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 3.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR4-2666 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 128 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 2 | — |
| ECC Support | ❌ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 16 | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Core i5-8400) / not specified (Xeon Gold 5222). The Core i5-8400 includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the Xeon Gold 5222 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-8400 targets Desktop.
| Feature | Core i5-8400 | Xeon Gold 5222 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | Yes | — |
| IGPU Model | UHD Graphics 630 | — |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | VT-x, VT-d | — |
| Target Use | Desktop | — |
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