Xeon E-2456 vs Xeon Gold 6250

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 E-2456 vs Xeon Gold 6250 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 E-2456 vs Xeon Gold 6250: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Xeon E-2456

2023

Why buy it

✅+0.7% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 80W instead of 185W, a 105W reduction.
✅Newer platform on LGA1700 with DDR5 support instead of LGA3647 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Gold 6250 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (18 MB vs 36 MB).

Xeon Gold 6250

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +8.4% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+98.6% larger total L3 cache (36 MB vs 18 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (20,552 vs 20,705).
❌Launch MSRP is still $3,400 MSRP, while Xeon E-2456 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌131.3% higher power demand at 185W vs 80W.
❌Older platform position on LGA3647 with DDR4, while Xeon E-2456 moves to LGA1700 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon E-2456 better than Xeon Gold 6250?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Xeon Gold 6250 is ahead with a 8.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Xeon E-2456 pulls ahead with 0.7% better PassMark. Xeon Gold 6250 also has the bigger cache pool with 98.6% larger total L3 cache (36 MB vs 18 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon E-2456 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.7% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.

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

Xeon E-2456 is still the faster CPU overall, but Xeon Gold 6250 is easier to justify if budget matters more than peak performance. Xeon E-2456 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $3,400 MSRP, and it still gives you 0.7% better PassMark. The compromise is that Xeon Gold 6250 is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 8.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Xeon Gold 6250 is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (6.0 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it can still make sense for tighter-budget builds on paper.

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

Xeon E-2456 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2020), a healthier platform with LGA1700 and DDR5 instead of LGA3647, and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 threads instead of 8/16. That gives you a healthier platform runway for motherboard, RAM, and later CPU upgrades.

Xeon E-2456 vs Xeon Gold 6250 Technical Specifications

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

Xeon E-2456

The Xeon E-2456 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 14 December 2023 (1 year ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 18 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 80 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800. Passmark benchmark score: 20,705 points. Launch price was $375.

Xeon Gold 6250

The Xeon Gold 6250 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 35.75 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 185 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 20,552 points. Launch price was $800.

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Processing Power

The Xeon E-2456 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon Gold 6250 offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Xeon Gold 6250 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.1 GHz on the Xeon E-2456 versus 4.5 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6250 — a 12.5% clock advantage for the Xeon E-2456 (base: 3.3 GHz vs 3.9 GHz). The Xeon E-2456 is built on the Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024) architecture. In PassMark, the Xeon E-2456 scores 20,705 against the Xeon Gold 6250's 20,552 — a 0.7% lead for the Xeon E-2456. L3 cache: 18 MB (total) on the Xeon E-2456 vs 35.75 MB on the Xeon Gold 6250.

Feature	Xeon E-2456	Xeon Gold 6250
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	5.1 GHz+13%	4.5 GHz
Base Clock	3.3 GHz	3.9 GHz+18%
L3 Cache	18 MB (total)	35.75 MB+99%
L2 Cache	1.25 MB (per core)	—
Process	Intel 7 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024)	—
PassMark	20,705	20,552

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Memory & Platform

The Xeon E-2456 uses the LGA1700 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Xeon Gold 6250 uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.