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.

Ryzen 7 5700X

2022

Why buy it

✅Costs $2,313 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $2,612 MSRP).
✅Delivers 864.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 89.0 vs 9.2 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $2,612 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 125W, a 60W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Gold 6138 across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (9,715 vs 15,439).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Gold 6138, which brings 20 cores / 40 threads and 48 PCIe lanes.

Xeon Gold 6138

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.7% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 20 cores / 40 threads, plus 48 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅100% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 9.2 vs 89.0 PassMark/$ ($2,612 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
❌92.3% higher power demand at 125W vs 65W.

Ryzen 7 5700X

2022

Xeon Gold 6138

2017

Why buy it

✅Costs $2,313 less on MSRP ($299 MSRP vs $2,612 MSRP).
✅Delivers 864.2% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 89.0 vs 9.2 PassMark/$ ($299 MSRP vs $2,612 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 125W, a 60W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.7% higher average FPS across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 20 cores / 40 threads, plus 48 PCIe lanes vs 24.
✅100% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 24) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Gold 6138 across 3 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Geekbench multi-core (9,715 vs 15,439).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Gold 6138, which brings 20 cores / 40 threads and 48 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 9.2 vs 89.0 PassMark/$ ($2,612 MSRP vs $299 MSRP).
❌92.3% higher power demand at 125W vs 65W.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon Gold 6138 better than Ryzen 7 5700X?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon Gold 6138 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Ryzen 7 5700X 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 Gold 6138 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 3.7% more average FPS across 3 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Gold 6138 is the better fit. You are getting 58.9% better Geekbench multi-core, backed by 20 cores and 40 threads.

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

Xeon Gold 6138 is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 7 5700X makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Xeon Gold 6138 is 773.6% more expensive on MSRP at $2,612 MSRP versus $299 MSRP, and it gives you a 3.7% average FPS lead across 3 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 7 5700X is also 864.2% better value on MSRP (89.0 vs 9.2 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Ryzen 7 5700X is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2017). That makes it the safer long-term pick.

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.

Ryzen 7 5700X Benchmark Check

Xeon Gold 6138 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 7 5700X	Xeon Gold 6138
1080p
low	156 FPS	186 FPS
medium	129 FPS	151 FPS
high	115 FPS	123 FPS
ultra	94 FPS	96 FPS
1440p
low	137 FPS	146 FPS
medium	111 FPS	115 FPS
high	95 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	78 FPS	72 FPS
4K
low	77 FPS	68 FPS
medium	67 FPS	57 FPS
high	55 FPS	45 FPS
ultra	43 FPS	36 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 5700X Open Xeon Gold 6138

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 7 5700X	Xeon Gold 6138
1080p
low	649 FPS	212 FPS
medium	549 FPS	188 FPS
high	448 FPS	161 FPS
ultra	404 FPS	136 FPS
1440p
low	552 FPS	183 FPS
medium	484 FPS	166 FPS
high	407 FPS	143 FPS
ultra	350 FPS	120 FPS
4K
low	343 FPS	119 FPS
medium	303 FPS	109 FPS
high	277 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	245 FPS	82 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 5700X Open Xeon Gold 6138

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 7 5700X	Xeon Gold 6138
1080p
low	665 FPS	603 FPS
medium	557 FPS	603 FPS
high	509 FPS	603 FPS
ultra	439 FPS	603 FPS
1440p
low	554 FPS	603 FPS
medium	458 FPS	603 FPS
high	419 FPS	573 FPS
ultra	358 FPS	506 FPS
4K
low	402 FPS	455 FPS
medium	322 FPS	357 FPS
high	292 FPS	318 FPS
ultra	229 FPS	259 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 5700X Open Xeon Gold 6138

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 7 5700X	Xeon Gold 6138
1080p
low	665 FPS	603 FPS
medium	665 FPS	603 FPS
high	665 FPS	603 FPS
ultra	665 FPS	563 FPS
1440p
low	665 FPS	603 FPS
medium	665 FPS	587 FPS
high	607 FPS	505 FPS
ultra	533 FPS	433 FPS
4K
low	545 FPS	462 FPS
medium	488 FPS	414 FPS
high	439 FPS	369 FPS
ultra	385 FPS	320 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 5700X Open Xeon Gold 6138

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 7 5700X and Xeon Gold 6138

Ryzen 7 5700X

The Ryzen 7 5700X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 April 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 4.6 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 26,609 points. Launch price was $299.

Xeon Gold 6138

The Xeon Gold 6138 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 25 April 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 20 cores and 40 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 27.5 MB. L2 cache: 20 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 24,108 points. Launch price was $2,612.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen 7 5700X packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Xeon Gold 6138 offers 20 cores / 40 threads — the Xeon Gold 6138 has 12 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.6 GHz on the Ryzen 7 5700X versus 3.7 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6138 — a 21.7% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 5700X (base: 3.4 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Ryzen 7 5700X uses the Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022) architecture (7 nm), while the Xeon Gold 6138 uses Skylake (server) (2017−2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 7 5700X scores 26,609 against the Xeon Gold 6138's 24,108 — a 9.9% lead for the Ryzen 7 5700X. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,116 vs 1,261, a 50.6% lead for the Ryzen 7 5700X that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 9,715 vs 15,439 (45.5% advantage for the Xeon Gold 6138). L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 5700X vs 27.5 MB on the Xeon Gold 6138.

Feature	Ryzen 7 5700X	Xeon Gold 6138
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	20 / 40+150%
Boost Clock	4.6 GHz+24%	3.7 GHz
Base Clock	3.4 GHz+70%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB (total)+16%	27.5 MB
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	20 MB+3900%
Process	7 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Vermeer (Zen 3) (2020−2022)	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)
PassMark	26,609+10%	24,108
Cinebench R23 Multi	14,000	—
Geekbench 6 Single	2,116+68%	1,261
Geekbench 6 Multi	9,715	15,439+59%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 7 5700X uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon Gold 6138 uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-3200 memory speed. The Xeon Gold 6138 supports up to 768 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 142.9% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Ryzen 7 5700X) vs 6 (Xeon Gold 6138). PCIe lanes: 24 (Ryzen 7 5700X) vs 48 (Xeon Gold 6138) — the Xeon Gold 6138 offers 24 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: A320,B350,X370,B450,X470,B550,X570 (Ryzen 7 5700X) and C621 (Xeon Gold 6138).

Feature	Ryzen 7 5700X	Xeon Gold 6138
Socket	AM4	LGA3647
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+33%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	DDR4-2666
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	768 GB+500%
RAM Channels	2	6+200%
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	24	48+100%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 7 5700X has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Xeon Gold 6138 supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: AMD-V (Ryzen 7 5700X) vs VT-x, VT-d (Xeon Gold 6138). Primary use case: Ryzen 7 5700X targets Gaming, Xeon Gold 6138 targets Server. Direct competitor: Ryzen 7 5700X rivals Core i7-11700K.

Feature	Ryzen 7 5700X	Xeon Gold 6138
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	—	None
Unlocked	Yes	No
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	AMD-V	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Gaming	Server

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen 7 5700X launched at $299 MSRP, while the Xeon Gold 6138 debuted at $2612. On MSRP ($299 vs $2612), the Ryzen 7 5700X is $2313 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Ryzen 7 5700X delivers 89.0 pts/$ vs 9.2 pts/$ for the Xeon Gold 6138 — making the Ryzen 7 5700X the 162.4% better value option.