Xeon E5-2695 v3 vs Xeon Gold 5118

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 E5-2695 v3 vs Xeon Gold 5118 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 E5-2695 v3 vs Xeon Gold 5118: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Xeon E5-2695 v3

2014

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+112.1% larger total L3 cache (35 MB vs 17 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (16,528 vs 16,744).
❌No AVX-512 support for niche heavy compute workloads where it can matter.

Xeon Gold 5118

2017

Why buy it

✅+1.3% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 105W instead of 120W, a 15W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E5-2695 v3 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (17 MB vs 35 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon Gold 5118 better than Xeon E5-2695 v3?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Xeon E5-2695 v3 is ahead with a 4.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Gold 5118 pulls ahead with 1.3% better PassMark. Xeon E5-2695 v3 also has the bigger cache pool with 112.1% larger total L3 cache (35 MB vs 17 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Gold 5118 is the stronger fit. You are getting 1.3% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 24 threads.

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

Xeon Gold 5118 still makes the most sense overall. Xeon Gold 5118 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you 1.3% better PassMark.

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

Xeon Gold 5118 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2017 vs 2014), more multi-core headroom with 12 cores / 24 threads instead of 14/28, and AVX-512 support for heavier modern compute workloads. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Xeon E5-2695 v3 vs Xeon Gold 5118 Technical Specifications

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

Xeon E5-2695 v3

The Xeon E5-2695 v3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture. It features 14 cores and 28 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.3 GHz. L3 cache: 35 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 120 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866, DDR4-2133. Passmark benchmark score: 16,528 points. Launch price was $800.

Xeon Gold 5118

The Xeon Gold 5118 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 July 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 16.5 MB. L2 cache: 12 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 16,744 points. Launch price was $1,273.

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Processing Power

The Xeon E5-2695 v3 packs 14 cores / 28 threads, while the Xeon Gold 5118 offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the Xeon E5-2695 v3 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.3 GHz on the Xeon E5-2695 v3 versus 3.2 GHz on the Xeon Gold 5118 — a 3.1% clock advantage for the Xeon E5-2695 v3 (base: 2.3 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The Xeon E5-2695 v3 uses the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Xeon Gold 5118 uses Skylake (server) (2017−2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5-2695 v3 scores 16,528 against the Xeon Gold 5118's 16,744 — a 1.3% lead for the Xeon Gold 5118. L3 cache: 35 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-2695 v3 vs 16.5 MB on the Xeon Gold 5118.

Feature	Xeon E5-2695 v3	Xeon Gold 5118
Cores / Threads	14 / 28+17%	12 / 24
Boost Clock	3.3 GHz+3%	3.2 GHz
Base Clock	2.3 GHz	2.3 GHz
L3 Cache	35 MB (total)+112%	16.5 MB
L2 Cache	256K (per core)+2033%	12 MB
Process	22 nm	14 nm-36%
Architecture	Haswell-EP (2014−2015)	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)
PassMark	16,528	16,744+1%

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Memory & Platform

The Xeon E5-2695 v3 uses the LGA2011 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon Gold 5118 uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.