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 7 268V

2024

Why buy it

✅+1.2% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 17W instead of 95W, a 78W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2833 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (8 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Arc Graphics 140V, while Xeon E-2386G needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E-2386G across 19 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E-2386G, which brings 6 cores / 12 threads.
❌Launch MSRP is still $450 MSRP, while Xeon E-2386G mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Xeon E-2386G

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.5% higher average FPS across 19 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 6 cores / 12 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (19,468 vs 19,698).
❌458.8% higher power demand at 95W vs 17W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 7 268V moves to FCBGA2833 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core Ultra 7 268V can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Core Ultra 7 268V

2024

Xeon E-2386G

2021

Why buy it

✅+1.2% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 17W instead of 95W, a 78W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FCBGA2833 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (8 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Arc Graphics 140V, while Xeon E-2386G needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.5% higher average FPS across 19 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 6 cores / 12 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E-2386G across 19 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E-2386G, which brings 6 cores / 12 threads.
❌Launch MSRP is still $450 MSRP, while Xeon E-2386G mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (19,468 vs 19,698).
❌458.8% higher power demand at 95W vs 17W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Core Ultra 7 268V moves to FCBGA2833 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Core Ultra 7 268V can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Core Ultra 7 268V better than Xeon E-2386G?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon E-2386G makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Core Ultra 7 268V 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 7 268V is the better fit. You are getting 1.2% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 8 threads.

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

Core Ultra 7 268V is the smarter buy today. Core Ultra 7 268V is at an unclear MSRP at $450 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you 1.2% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Xeon E-2386G is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 4.5% average FPS lead across 19 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (43.8 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 7 268V is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2024 vs 2021), a healthier platform with FCBGA2833 and DDR5 instead of LGA1200, and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 8 threads instead of 6/12. 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 7 268V Benchmark Check

Xeon E-2386G Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core Ultra 7 268V	Xeon E-2386G
1080p
low	272 FPS	295 FPS
medium	243 FPS	260 FPS
high	205 FPS	218 FPS
ultra	176 FPS	187 FPS
1440p
low	230 FPS	242 FPS
medium	185 FPS	192 FPS
high	152 FPS	157 FPS
ultra	134 FPS	138 FPS
4K
low	161 FPS	167 FPS
medium	130 FPS	135 FPS
high	101 FPS	104 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	91 FPS

Open Core Ultra 7 268V Open Xeon E-2386G

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core Ultra 7 268V	Xeon E-2386G
1080p
low	236 FPS	487 FPS
medium	195 FPS	423 FPS
high	176 FPS	380 FPS
ultra	155 FPS	336 FPS
1440p
low	210 FPS	475 FPS
medium	181 FPS	386 FPS
high	164 FPS	348 FPS
ultra	139 FPS	304 FPS
4K
low	155 FPS	380 FPS
medium	138 FPS	314 FPS
high	132 FPS	293 FPS
ultra	114 FPS	248 FPS

Open Core Ultra 7 268V Open Xeon E-2386G

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core Ultra 7 268V	Xeon E-2386G
1080p
low	492 FPS	487 FPS
medium	492 FPS	487 FPS
high	492 FPS	487 FPS
ultra	492 FPS	487 FPS
1440p
low	492 FPS	487 FPS
medium	492 FPS	487 FPS
high	492 FPS	487 FPS
ultra	468 FPS	450 FPS
4K
low	492 FPS	487 FPS
medium	462 FPS	452 FPS
high	404 FPS	391 FPS
ultra	336 FPS	320 FPS

Open Core Ultra 7 268V Open Xeon E-2386G

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core Ultra 7 268V	Xeon E-2386G
1080p
low	492 FPS	487 FPS
medium	492 FPS	487 FPS
high	492 FPS	487 FPS
ultra	492 FPS	487 FPS
1440p
low	492 FPS	487 FPS
medium	492 FPS	487 FPS
high	492 FPS	487 FPS
ultra	492 FPS	487 FPS
4K
low	492 FPS	487 FPS
medium	492 FPS	487 FPS
high	480 FPS	487 FPS
ultra	418 FPS	437 FPS

Open Core Ultra 7 268V Open Xeon E-2386G

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core Ultra 7 268V and Xeon E-2386G

Core Ultra 7 268V

The Core Ultra 7 268V 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 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 12 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: 19,698 points. Launch price was $299.

Xeon E-2386G

The Xeon E-2386G is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Rocket Lake-E (2021) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 19,468 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core Ultra 7 268V packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Xeon E-2386G offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Core Ultra 7 268V has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Core Ultra 7 268V versus 5.1 GHz on the Xeon E-2386G — a 2% clock advantage for the Xeon E-2386G (base: 2.2 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Core Ultra 7 268V uses the Lunar Lake (2024) architecture (3 nm), while the Xeon E-2386G uses Rocket Lake-E (2021) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core Ultra 7 268V scores 19,698 against the Xeon E-2386G's 19,468 — a 1.2% lead for the Core Ultra 7 268V. Both processors carry 12 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Core Ultra 7 268V	Xeon E-2386G
Cores / Threads	8 / 8+33%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	5 GHz	5.1 GHz+2%
Base Clock	2.2 GHz	3.5 GHz+59%
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)	12 MB (total)
L2 Cache	2.5 MB (per core)+400%	512K (per core)
Process	3 nm-79%	14 nm
Architecture	Lunar Lake (2024)	Rocket Lake-E (2021)
PassMark	19,698+1%	19,468
Cinebench R23 Multi	10,653	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,437	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	10,000	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core Ultra 7 268V uses the FCBGA2833 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon E-2386G uses LGA1200 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Core Ultra 7 268V	Xeon E-2386G
Socket	FCBGA2833	LGA1200
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+33%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	LPDDR5x-8533	—
Max RAM Capacity	32 GB	—
RAM Channels	2	—
ECC Support	No	—
PCIe Lanes	8	—

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core Ultra 7 268V) / not specified (Xeon E-2386G). The Core Ultra 7 268V includes integrated graphics (Arc Graphics 140V), while the Xeon E-2386G requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core Ultra 7 268V targets Productivity. Direct competitor: Core Ultra 7 268V rivals Core Ultra 7 155H.