Xeon E5-2670 vs Xeon Gold 5122
Xeon E5-2670
Xeon Gold 5122
Performance Spectrum - CPU
About PassMark
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.
Value Upgrade Path
This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money. The Xeon E5-2670 is positioned at rank 974 and the Xeon Gold 5122 is on rank 489, so the Xeon Gold 5122 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5-2670
Performance Per Dollar Xeon Gold 5122
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Xeon E5-2670 | Xeon Gold 5122 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($60) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge-EP (2012) / 32 nm) | ✨ Modern (Skylake (server) (2017−2018) / 14 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Xeon E5-2670 | Xeon Gold 5122 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($60) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
Performance Check
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.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E5-2670 and Xeon Gold 5122
Xeon E5-2670
The Xeon E5-2670 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 6 March 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge-EP (2012) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.3 GHz. L3 cache: 20480 kB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 115 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 8,901 points. Launch price was $145.
Xeon Gold 5122
The Xeon Gold 5122 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 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 16.5 MB. L2 cache: 4 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 8,867 points. Launch price was $1,221.
Processing Power
The Xeon E5-2670 packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Xeon Gold 5122 offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Xeon E5-2670 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.3 GHz on the Xeon E5-2670 versus 3.7 GHz on the Xeon Gold 5122 — a 11.4% clock advantage for the Xeon Gold 5122 (base: 2.6 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Xeon E5-2670 uses the Sandy Bridge-EP (2012) architecture (32 nm), while the Xeon Gold 5122 uses Skylake (server) (2017−2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5-2670 scores 8,901 against the Xeon Gold 5122's 8,867 — a 0.4% lead for the Xeon E5-2670. L3 cache: 20480 kB (total) on the Xeon E5-2670 vs 16.5 MB on the Xeon Gold 5122.
| Feature | Xeon E5-2670 | Xeon Gold 5122 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 8 / 16+100% | 4 / 8 |
| Boost Clock | 3.3 GHz | 3.7 GHz+12% |
| Base Clock | 2.6 GHz | 3.6 GHz+38% |
| L3 Cache | 20480 kB (total)+21% | 16.5 MB |
| L2 Cache | 256 kB (per core) | 4 MB+1500% |
| Process | 32 nm | 14 nm-56% |
| Architecture | Sandy Bridge-EP (2012) | Skylake (server) (2017−2018) |
| PassMark | 8,901 | 8,867 |
Memory & Platform
The Xeon E5-2670 uses the LGA2011 socket (PCIe 2.0), while the Xeon Gold 5122 uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Xeon E5-2670 | Xeon Gold 5122 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA2011 | LGA3647 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 2.0 | PCIe 3.0+50% |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR3-1600 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 384 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 4 | — |
| ECC Support | ✅ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 40 | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Xeon E5-2670) / not specified (Xeon Gold 5122). Primary use case: Xeon E5-2670 targets Server.
| Feature | Xeon E5-2670 | Xeon Gold 5122 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | — |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | No | — |
| Virtualization | VT-x, VT-d | — |
| Target Use | Server | — |
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