Core i5-8600K
VS
Xeon E-2226GE

Core i5-8600K vs Xeon E-2226GE

Intel

Core i5-8600K

6 Cores6 Thrd95 WWMax: 4.3 GHz2017
VS
Intel

Xeon E-2226GE

6 Cores6 Thrd80 WWMax: 4.6 GHz2019

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 i5-8600K is positioned at rank 501 and the Xeon E-2226GE is on rank 438, so the Xeon E-2226GE offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Core i5-8600K

#1
Ryzen 9 7950X
MSRP: $194|Avg: $20
7906%
#2
Core i9-10900T
MSRP: $120|Avg: $5
7470%
#3
Ryzen 3 PRO 4355GE
MSRP: $423|Avg: $5
5424%
#4
Ryzen Threadripper 3960X
MSRP: $1399|Avg: $85
1634%
#5
Ryzen 9 9950X
MSRP: $649|Avg: $129
1294%
#6
Ryzen 5 8400F
MSRP: $303|Avg: $55
1132%
#7
Ryzen 7 PRO 2700
MSRP: $299|Avg: $60
648%
#8
Ryzen 5 2600X
MSRP: $229|Avg: $55
640%
#9
Ryzen 3 PRO 5350G
MSRP: $150|Avg: $60
583%
#10
Core Ultra 5 245KF
MSRP: $294|Avg: $189
583%
#11
Ryzen 5 5500
MSRP: $159|Avg: $85
576%
#12
Ryzen 5 3600
MSRP: $199|Avg: $80
561%
#13
Core i3-9100E
MSRP: $202|Avg: $30
553%
#14
Core Ultra 5 245K
MSRP: $319|Avg: $200
551%
#15
Core i3-8300T
MSRP: $138|Avg: $25
546%
#256
Ryzen 7 1700X
MSRP: $399|Avg: $60
99%
#371
Core 5 120UL
MSRP: $277|Avg: $270
99%
#372
Ryzen Embedded V3C14
MSRP: $305|Avg: $305
99%
#373
Core i7-9700T
MSRP: $323|Avg: $276
98%
#501
Core i5-8600K
MSRP: $257|Avg: $100
100%
#506
Athlon II X4 651
MSRP: $92|Avg: $92
99%
#511
Athlon X4 880K
MSRP: $95|Avg: $25
97%
#515
Athlon X4 870K
MSRP: $90|Avg: $35
97%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E-2226GE

#1
Xeon Platinum 8454H
MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A
6219%
#5
Xeon W-11865MRE
MSRP: $600|Avg: $600
98%
#6
Xeon Gold 6240R
MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A
1174%
#10
Xeon 6337P
MSRP: $60|Avg: $5
1043%
#15
EPYC 9174F
MSRP: $194|Avg: $30
806%
#284
Xeon D-1581
MSRP: $400|Avg: $400
99%
#285
Xeon w5-3535X
MSRP: $1699|Avg: N/A
98%
#286
Xeon w5-2465X
MSRP: $1389|Avg: $1499
97%
#287
EPYC 9355P
MSRP: $2998|Avg: $3026
97%
#288
Xeon w7-2595X
MSRP: $2039|Avg: $1600
97%
#289
Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9965WX
MSRP: $2899|Avg: $2699.99
97%
#438
Xeon E-2226GE
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#451
Xeon D-1718T
MSRP: $302|Avg: $302
96%
#452
Xeon D-1622
MSRP: $195|Avg: $170
95%
#453
Xeon E3-1290 v2
MSRP: $885|Avg: $125
95%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Use Case Distinction: This is a comparison between a Professional Workstation processor ($0) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon E-2226GE is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.
InsightCore i5-8600KXeon E-2226GE
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Better multi-core power
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price
⚠️ Higher cost ($100)
More affordable ($0)
Longevity
✨ Modern (Coffee Lake-S (2017−2018) / 14 nm)
✨ Modern (Coffee Lake-S WS (2018−2019) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i5-8600K ($100), however, is optimized for mixed workloads and gaming. For most users, it offers superior single-thread performance and responsiveness at a fraction of the cost ($100 less, Infinity% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.
InsightCore i5-8600KXeon E-2226GE
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
⚠️ Higher cost ($100)
More affordable ($0)

Performance Check

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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i5-8600K and Xeon E-2226GE

Intel

Core i5-8600K

The Core i5-8600K 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 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.3 GHz. L3 cache: 9 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 10,134 points. Launch price was $257.

Intel

Xeon E-2226GE

The Xeon E-2226GE is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 June 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-S WS (2018−2019) architecture. It features 6 cores and 6 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 80 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 10,026 points. Launch price was $286.

Processing Power

Both the Core i5-8600K and Xeon E-2226GE share an identical 6-core/6-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.3 GHz on the Core i5-8600K versus 4.6 GHz on the Xeon E-2226GE — a 6.7% clock advantage for the Xeon E-2226GE (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.4 GHz). The Core i5-8600K uses the Coffee Lake-S (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon E-2226GE uses Coffee Lake-S WS (2018−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i5-8600K scores 10,134 against the Xeon E-2226GE's 10,026 — a 1.1% lead for the Core i5-8600K. L3 cache: 9 MB (total) on the Core i5-8600K vs 12 MB (total) on the Xeon E-2226GE.

FeatureCore i5-8600KXeon E-2226GE
Cores / Threads
6 / 6
6 / 6
Boost Clock
4.3 GHz
4.6 GHz+7%
Base Clock
3.6 GHz+6%
3.4 GHz
L3 Cache
9 MB (total)
12 MB (total)+33%
L2 Cache
256K (per core)
256 kB (per core)
Process
14 nm
14 nm
Architecture
Coffee Lake-S (2017−2018)
Coffee Lake-S WS (2018−2019)
PassMark
10,134+1%
10,026
Geekbench 6 Single
1,550
🧠

Memory & Platform

Both processors use the LGA1151 socket with PCIe 3.0.

FeatureCore i5-8600KXeon E-2226GE
Socket
LGA1151
LGA1151
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, EPT (Core i5-8600K) / not specified (Xeon E-2226GE). The Core i5-8600K includes integrated graphics (UHD Graphics 630), while the Xeon E-2226GE requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i5-8600K targets Gaming Desktop. Direct competitor: Core i5-8600K rivals Ryzen 5 2600X.

FeatureCore i5-8600KXeon E-2226GE
Integrated GPU
Yes
IGPU Model
UHD Graphics 630
Unlocked
Yes
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use
Gaming Desktop