Xeon D-2146NT vs Xeon Platinum 8481C

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.

Xeon D-2146NT vs Xeon Platinum 8481C FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Xeon D-2146NT vs Xeon Platinum 8481C: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Xeon D-2146NT

2018

Why buy it

✅+0.5% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 80W instead of 350W, a 270W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Platinum 8481C across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Older platform position on FCBGA2518 with DDR4, while Xeon Platinum 8481C moves to LGA4677 and DDR5.

Xeon Platinum 8481C

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +14.6% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Newer platform on LGA4677 with DDR5 support instead of FCBGA2518 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (11,681 vs 11,736).
❌337.5% higher power demand at 350W vs 80W.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon D-2146NT better than Xeon Platinum 8481C?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Xeon Platinum 8481C is ahead with a 14.6% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Xeon D-2146NT pulls ahead with 0.5% better PassMark. Xeon Platinum 8481C also has the bigger cache pool with 854.5% larger total L3 cache (105 MB vs 11 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon D-2146NT is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.5% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Xeon D-2146NT still makes the most sense overall. Xeon D-2146NT comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you 0.5% better PassMark.

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

Xeon Platinum 8481C makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2018), a healthier platform with LGA4677 and DDR5 instead of FCBGA2518, and 3D V-Cache and a much larger 105 MB L3 cache instead of 11 MB. That gives you a healthier platform runway for motherboard, RAM, and later CPU upgrades.

Xeon D-2146NT vs Xeon Platinum 8481C Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Xeon D-2146NT

The Xeon D-2146NT is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 7 February 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 11 MB. L2 cache: 8 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA2518. Thermal design power (TDP): 80 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 11,736 points. Launch price was $641.

Xeon Platinum 8481C

The Xeon Platinum 8481C is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024) architecture. It features 56 cores and 112 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 105 MB. L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4677. Thermal design power (TDP): 350 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 11,681 points. Launch price was $800.

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Processing Power

The Xeon D-2146NT packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Xeon Platinum 8481C offers 56 cores / 112 threads — the Xeon Platinum 8481C has 48 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3 GHz on the Xeon D-2146NT versus 3.8 GHz on the Xeon Platinum 8481C — a 23.5% clock advantage for the Xeon Platinum 8481C (base: 2.3 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Xeon D-2146NT uses the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon Platinum 8481C uses Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024) (10 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon D-2146NT scores 11,736 against the Xeon Platinum 8481C's 11,681 — a 0.5% lead for the Xeon D-2146NT. L3 cache: 11 MB on the Xeon D-2146NT vs 105 MB on the Xeon Platinum 8481C.

Feature	Xeon D-2146NT	Xeon Platinum 8481C
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	56 / 112+600%
Boost Clock	3 GHz	3.8 GHz+27%
Base Clock	2.3 GHz+15%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	11 MB	105 MB+855%
L2 Cache	8 MB+300%	2 MB (per core)
Process	14 nm	10 nm-29%
Architecture	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)	Sapphire Rapids (2023−2024)
PassMark	11,736	11,681

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Memory & Platform

The Xeon D-2146NT uses the FCBGA2518 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon Platinum 8481C uses LGA4677 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.