Xeon E5-2695 v3 vs Xeon Platinum 8256

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 Platinum 8256 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 Platinum 8256: 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: +3.4% 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 16,787).

Xeon Platinum 8256

2019

Why buy it

✅+1.6% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 105W instead of 120W, a 15W reduction.

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 Platinum 8256 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 3.4% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Platinum 8256 pulls ahead with 1.6% 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 Platinum 8256 is the stronger fit. You are getting 1.6% better PassMark, backed by 4 cores and 8 threads.

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

Xeon Platinum 8256 still makes the most sense overall. Xeon Platinum 8256 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you 1.6% better PassMark.

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

Xeon Platinum 8256 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 vs 2014) and more multi-core headroom with 4 cores / 8 threads instead of 14/28. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Xeon E5-2695 v3 vs Xeon Platinum 8256 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 Platinum 8256

The Xeon Platinum 8256 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 December 2018 (6 years ago). It is based on the Cascade Lake-SP (2018) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 16.5 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 16,787 points. Launch price was $7,007.

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Processing Power

The Xeon E5-2695 v3 packs 14 cores / 28 threads, while the Xeon Platinum 8256 offers 4 cores / 8 threads — the Xeon E5-2695 v3 has 10 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.3 GHz on the Xeon E5-2695 v3 versus 3.9 GHz on the Xeon Platinum 8256 — a 16.7% clock advantage for the Xeon Platinum 8256 (base: 2.3 GHz vs 3.8 GHz). The Xeon E5-2695 v3 uses the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Xeon Platinum 8256 uses Cascade Lake-SP (2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5-2695 v3 scores 16,528 against the Xeon Platinum 8256's 16,787 — a 1.6% lead for the Xeon Platinum 8256. L3 cache: 35 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-2695 v3 vs 16.5 MB (total) on the Xeon Platinum 8256.

Feature	Xeon E5-2695 v3	Xeon Platinum 8256
Cores / Threads	14 / 28+250%	4 / 8
Boost Clock	3.3 GHz	3.9 GHz+18%
Base Clock	2.3 GHz	3.8 GHz+65%
L3 Cache	35 MB (total)+112%	16.5 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256K (per core)+25500%	1 MB (per core)
Process	22 nm	14 nm-36%
Architecture	Haswell-EP (2014−2015)	Cascade Lake-SP (2018)
PassMark	16,528	16,787+2%

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Memory & Platform

The Xeon E5-2695 v3 uses the LGA2011 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon Platinum 8256 uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.