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 Ultra 5 228V

2024

Why buy it

✅+0.8% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 17W instead of 80W, a 63W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2833 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E-2278G across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E-2278G, which brings 8 cores / 16 threads and 16 PCIe lanes.
❌Launch MSRP is still $295 MSRP, while Xeon E-2278G mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Xeon E-2278G

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +18.5% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 8 cores / 16 threads, plus 16 PCIe lanes vs 8.
✅100% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 8) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (16,825 vs 16,955).
❌370.6% higher power demand at 80W vs 17W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1151 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 5 228V moves to FCBGA2833 and DDR5.

Core Ultra 5 228V

2024

Xeon E-2278G

2019

Why buy it

✅+0.8% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 17W instead of 80W, a 63W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2833 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1151 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +18.5% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+100% larger total L3 cache (16 MB vs 8 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 8 cores / 16 threads, plus 16 PCIe lanes vs 8.
✅100% more PCIe lanes (16 vs 8) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E-2278G across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8 MB vs 16 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E-2278G, which brings 8 cores / 16 threads and 16 PCIe lanes.
❌Launch MSRP is still $295 MSRP, while Xeon E-2278G mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (16,825 vs 16,955).
❌370.6% higher power demand at 80W vs 17W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1151 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 5 228V moves to FCBGA2833 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Core Ultra 5 228V better than Xeon E-2278G?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon E-2278G makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Core Ultra 5 228V is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core Ultra 5 228V is the better fit. You are getting 0.8% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 8 threads.

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

Core Ultra 5 228V is the smarter buy today. Core Ultra 5 228V is at an unclear MSRP at $295 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you 0.8% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Xeon E-2278G is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 18.5% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (57.5 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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?

Core Ultra 5 228V is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2019), a healthier platform with FCBGA2833 and DDR5 instead of LGA1151, and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 8 threads instead of 8/16. 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 Ultra 5 228V Benchmark Check

Xeon E-2278G Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core Ultra 5 228V	Xeon E-2278G
1080p
low	180 FPS	265 FPS
medium	145 FPS	240 FPS
high	117 FPS	201 FPS
ultra	97 FPS	173 FPS
1440p
low	148 FPS	233 FPS
medium	117 FPS	192 FPS
high	95 FPS	155 FPS
ultra	79 FPS	137 FPS
4K
low	83 FPS	160 FPS
medium	71 FPS	134 FPS
high	57 FPS	103 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	91 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 228V Open Xeon E-2278G

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core Ultra 5 228V	Xeon E-2278G
1080p
low	212 FPS	417 FPS
medium	176 FPS	348 FPS
high	158 FPS	308 FPS
ultra	139 FPS	276 FPS
1440p
low	181 FPS	369 FPS
medium	154 FPS	324 FPS
high	142 FPS	285 FPS
ultra	122 FPS	246 FPS
4K
low	137 FPS	248 FPS
medium	122 FPS	223 FPS
high	115 FPS	216 FPS
ultra	100 FPS	185 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 228V Open Xeon E-2278G

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core Ultra 5 228V	Xeon E-2278G
1080p
low	424 FPS	421 FPS
medium	424 FPS	421 FPS
high	424 FPS	421 FPS
ultra	424 FPS	414 FPS
1440p
low	424 FPS	421 FPS
medium	424 FPS	421 FPS
high	424 FPS	421 FPS
ultra	424 FPS	362 FPS
4K
low	424 FPS	421 FPS
medium	384 FPS	390 FPS
high	343 FPS	341 FPS
ultra	272 FPS	275 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 228V Open Xeon E-2278G

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core Ultra 5 228V	Xeon E-2278G
1080p
low	424 FPS	421 FPS
medium	424 FPS	421 FPS
high	424 FPS	421 FPS
ultra	424 FPS	421 FPS
1440p
low	424 FPS	421 FPS
medium	424 FPS	421 FPS
high	424 FPS	421 FPS
ultra	424 FPS	421 FPS
4K
low	424 FPS	421 FPS
medium	424 FPS	421 FPS
high	424 FPS	421 FPS
ultra	408 FPS	364 FPS

Open Core Ultra 5 228V Open Xeon E-2278G

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core Ultra 5 228V and Xeon E-2278G

Core Ultra 5 228V

The Core Ultra 5 228V is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 24 September 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Lunar Lake (2024) architecture. It features 8 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB (total). L2 cache: 2.5 MB (per core). Built on 3 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA2833. Thermal design power (TDP): 17 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 16,955 points. Launch price was $299.

Xeon E-2278G

The Xeon E-2278G is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 29 May 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-S WS (2018−2019) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 80 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 16,825 points. Launch price was $494.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core Ultra 5 228V packs 8 cores / 8 threads, matching the Xeon E-2278G's 8 cores. Boost clocks reach 4.5 GHz on the Core Ultra 5 228V versus 5 GHz on the Xeon E-2278G — a 10.5% clock advantage for the Xeon E-2278G (base: 2.1 GHz vs 3.4 GHz). The Core Ultra 5 228V uses the Lunar Lake (2024) architecture (3 nm), while the Xeon E-2278G uses Coffee Lake-S WS (2018−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core Ultra 5 228V scores 16,955 against the Xeon E-2278G's 16,825 — a 0.8% lead for the Core Ultra 5 228V. L3 cache: 8 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 5 228V vs 16 MB (total) on the Xeon E-2278G.

Feature	Core Ultra 5 228V	Xeon E-2278G
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	8 / 16
Boost Clock	4.5 GHz	5 GHz+11%
Base Clock	2.1 GHz	3.4 GHz+62%
L3 Cache	8 MB (total)	16 MB (total)+100%
L2 Cache	2.5 MB (per core)+900%	256 kB (per core)
Process	3 nm-79%	14 nm
Architecture	Lunar Lake (2024)	Coffee Lake-S WS (2018−2019)
PassMark	16,955	16,825
Cinebench R23 Multi	9,932	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,585	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	10,053	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core Ultra 5 228V uses the FCBGA2833 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Xeon E-2278G uses LGA1151 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches LPDDR5X-8533 on the Core Ultra 5 228V versus DDR4-2666 on the Xeon E-2278G — the Core Ultra 5 228V supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon E-2278G supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 32 GB — 120% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 2-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 8 (Core Ultra 5 228V) vs 16 (Xeon E-2278G) — the Xeon E-2278G offers 8 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: SoC (Core Ultra 5 228V) and C242,C246 (Xeon E-2278G).

Feature	Core Ultra 5 228V	Xeon E-2278G
Socket	FCBGA2833	LGA1151
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+67%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	LPDDR5X-8533+25%	DDR4-2666
Max RAM Capacity	32 GB	128 GB+300%
RAM Channels	2	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	8	16+100%

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: Yes (Core Ultra 5 228V) vs VT-x / VT-d / EPT (Xeon E-2278G). Both include integrated graphics — Arc 130V (Core Ultra 5 228V) and Intel UHD Graphics P630 (Xeon E-2278G) — useful as a fallback for troubleshooting or display output without a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Xeon E-2278G targets Server.