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.

Xeon E-2378

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +27.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $924 less on MSRP ($362 MSRP vs $1,286 MSRP).
✅Delivers 258.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 47.2 vs 13.1 PassMark/$ ($362 MSRP vs $1,286 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 105W, a 40W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 19 MB).

Xeon Gold 5117

2017

Why buy it

✅+20.3% larger total L3 cache (19 MB vs 16 MB).
✅140% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E-2378 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (16,897 vs 17,069).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 13.1 vs 47.2 PassMark/$ ($1,286 MSRP vs $362 MSRP).
❌61.5% higher power demand at 105W vs 65W.

Xeon E-2378

2021

Xeon Gold 5117

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +27.3% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Costs $924 less on MSRP ($362 MSRP vs $1,286 MSRP).
✅Delivers 258.9% more PassMark for each dollar spent, at 47.2 vs 13.1 PassMark/$ ($362 MSRP vs $1,286 MSRP).
✅Draws 65W instead of 105W, a 40W reduction.

Why buy it

✅+20.3% larger total L3 cache (19 MB vs 16 MB).
✅140% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 19 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E-2378 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (16,897 vs 17,069).
❌Lower PassMark per dollar, at 13.1 vs 47.2 PassMark/$ ($1,286 MSRP vs $362 MSRP).
❌61.5% higher power demand at 105W vs 65W.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon E-2378 better than Xeon Gold 5117?

Yes. Xeon E-2378 is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 27.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 1% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Xeon E-2378 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 27.3% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon E-2378 is the better fit. You are getting 1% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Xeon E-2378 is the smarter buy today. Xeon E-2378 is $924 cheaper on MSRP at $362 MSRP versus $1,286 MSRP, and it gives you a 27.3% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 258.9% better value on MSRP (47.2 vs 13.1 PassMark/$), 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?

Xeon E-2378 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2017) and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 14/28. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

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.

Xeon E-2378 Benchmark Check

Xeon Gold 5117 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Xeon E-2378	Xeon Gold 5117
1080p
low	287 FPS	175 FPS
medium	257 FPS	140 FPS
high	218 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	187 FPS	88 FPS
1440p
low	235 FPS	139 FPS
medium	189 FPS	109 FPS
high	156 FPS	86 FPS
ultra	137 FPS	68 FPS
4K
low	164 FPS	66 FPS
medium	134 FPS	55 FPS
high	104 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	91 FPS	34 FPS

Open Xeon E-2378 Open Xeon Gold 5117

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Xeon E-2378	Xeon Gold 5117
1080p
low	427 FPS	189 FPS
medium	427 FPS	168 FPS
high	407 FPS	145 FPS
ultra	362 FPS	119 FPS
1440p
low	427 FPS	163 FPS
medium	412 FPS	149 FPS
high	359 FPS	129 FPS
ultra	309 FPS	104 FPS
4K
low	351 FPS	106 FPS
medium	294 FPS	97 FPS
high	272 FPS	85 FPS
ultra	235 FPS	68 FPS

Open Xeon E-2378 Open Xeon Gold 5117

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Xeon E-2378	Xeon Gold 5117
1080p
low	427 FPS	422 FPS
medium	427 FPS	422 FPS
high	427 FPS	422 FPS
ultra	427 FPS	406 FPS
1440p
low	427 FPS	422 FPS
medium	427 FPS	422 FPS
high	427 FPS	386 FPS
ultra	427 FPS	335 FPS
4K
low	427 FPS	401 FPS
medium	427 FPS	310 FPS
high	399 FPS	264 FPS
ultra	332 FPS	213 FPS

Open Xeon E-2378 Open Xeon Gold 5117

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Xeon E-2378	Xeon Gold 5117
1080p
low	427 FPS	422 FPS
medium	427 FPS	422 FPS
high	427 FPS	422 FPS
ultra	427 FPS	422 FPS
1440p
low	427 FPS	422 FPS
medium	427 FPS	422 FPS
high	427 FPS	422 FPS
ultra	427 FPS	415 FPS
4K
low	427 FPS	422 FPS
medium	427 FPS	401 FPS
high	427 FPS	357 FPS
ultra	427 FPS	306 FPS

Open Xeon E-2378 Open Xeon Gold 5117

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E-2378 and Xeon Gold 5117

Xeon E-2378

The Xeon E-2378 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Rocket Lake-E (2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 17,069 points. Launch price was $800.

Xeon Gold 5117

The Xeon Gold 5117 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 14 cores and 28 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 2.8 GHz. L3 cache: 19.25 MB. L2 cache: 14 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 16,897 points. Launch price was $800.

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Processing Power

The Xeon E-2378 packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Xeon Gold 5117 offers 14 cores / 28 threads — the Xeon Gold 5117 has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.8 GHz on the Xeon E-2378 versus 2.8 GHz on the Xeon Gold 5117 — a 52.6% clock advantage for the Xeon E-2378 (base: 2.6 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Xeon E-2378 uses the Rocket Lake-E (2021) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon Gold 5117 uses Skylake (server) (2017−2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E-2378 scores 17,069 against the Xeon Gold 5117's 16,897 — a 1% lead for the Xeon E-2378. L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Xeon E-2378 vs 19.25 MB on the Xeon Gold 5117.

Feature	Xeon E-2378	Xeon Gold 5117
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	14 / 28+75%
Boost Clock	4.8 GHz+71%	2.8 GHz
Base Clock	2.6 GHz+30%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)	19.25 MB+20%
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	14 MB+2700%
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Rocket Lake-E (2021)	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)
PassMark	17,069+1%	16,897
Geekbench 6 Single	1,821	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	9,986	—

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Memory & Platform

The Xeon E-2378 uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon Gold 5117 uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-3200 on the Xeon E-2378 versus 2400 on the Xeon Gold 5117 — the Xeon Gold 5117 supports 199.3% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon Gold 5117 supports up to 768 of RAM compared to 128 GB — 142.9% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Xeon E-2378) vs 6 (Xeon Gold 5117). PCIe lanes: 20 (Xeon E-2378) vs 48 (Xeon Gold 5117) — the Xeon Gold 5117 offers 28 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: C252,C256 (Xeon E-2378) and C621 (Xeon Gold 5117).

Feature	Xeon E-2378	Xeon Gold 5117
Socket	LGA1200	LGA3647
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+33%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-3200	2400+59900%
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB+17476167%	768
RAM Channels	2	6+200%
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	48+140%

🔧

Advanced Features

Both support AVX-512 instructions, benefiting scientific computing, AI inference, and encryption workloads. Virtualization support: Yes (Xeon E-2378) vs VT-x, VT-d (Xeon Gold 5117). Direct competitor: Xeon Gold 5117 rivals Xeon Silver 4114.

Feature	Xeon E-2378	Xeon Gold 5117
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	—	None
Unlocked	—	No
AVX-512	Yes	Yes
Virtualization	Yes	VT-x, VT-d

💰

Value Analysis

The Xeon E-2378 launched at $362 MSRP, while the Xeon Gold 5117 debuted at $1286. On MSRP ($362 vs $1286), the Xeon E-2378 is $924 cheaper. In terms of value on MSRP (PassMark points per dollar), the Xeon E-2378 delivers 47.2 pts/$ vs 13.1 pts/$ for the Xeon Gold 5117 — making the Xeon E-2378 the 112.8% better value option.