Xeon E5-4660 v4 vs Xeon Gold 5217
Xeon E5-4660 v4
Xeon Gold 5217
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.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5-4660 v4
Performance Per Dollar Xeon Gold 5217
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Xeon E5-4660 v4 | Xeon Gold 5217 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Broadwell (2015−2019) / 14 nm) | ✨ Modern (Cascade Lake (2019−2020) / 14 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Xeon E5-4660 v4 | Xeon Gold 5217 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | Equivalent pricing | Equivalent pricing |
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 E5-4660 v4 and Xeon Gold 5217
Xeon E5-4660 v4
The Xeon E5-4660 v4 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 20 June 2016 (9 years ago). It is based on the Broadwell (2015−2019) architecture. It features 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 40 MB. L2 cache: 4 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 120 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 15,375 points. Launch price was $4,727.
Xeon Gold 5217
The Xeon Gold 5217 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 April 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Cascade Lake (2019−2020) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 11 MB. L2 cache: 8 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 115 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2667. Passmark benchmark score: 15,429 points. Launch price was $1,522.
Processing Power
The Xeon E5-4660 v4 packs 16 cores / 32 threads, while the Xeon Gold 5217 offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Xeon E5-4660 v4 has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3 GHz on the Xeon E5-4660 v4 versus 3.7 GHz on the Xeon Gold 5217 — a 20.9% clock advantage for the Xeon Gold 5217 (base: 2.2 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Xeon E5-4660 v4 uses the Broadwell (2015−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon Gold 5217 uses Cascade Lake (2019−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5-4660 v4 scores 15,375 against the Xeon Gold 5217's 15,429 — a 0.4% lead for the Xeon Gold 5217. L3 cache: 40 MB on the Xeon E5-4660 v4 vs 11 MB on the Xeon Gold 5217.
| Feature | Xeon E5-4660 v4 | Xeon Gold 5217 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 16 / 32+100% | 8 / 16 |
| Boost Clock | 3 GHz | 3.7 GHz+23% |
| Base Clock | 2.2 GHz | 3 GHz+36% |
| L3 Cache | 40 MB+264% | 11 MB |
| L2 Cache | 4 MB | 8 MB+100% |
| Process | 14 nm | 14 nm |
| Architecture | Broadwell (2015−2019) | Cascade Lake (2019−2020) |
| PassMark | 15,375 | 15,429 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 1,041 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | — | 8,232 |
Memory & Platform
The Xeon E5-4660 v4 uses the LGA2011 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon Gold 5217 uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Xeon E5-4660 v4 | Xeon Gold 5217 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA2011 | LGA3647 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 3.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR4-2667 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 1024 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 6 |
| ECC Support | — | ✅ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 48 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (Xeon E5-4660 v4) / VT-x / VT-d / EPT (Xeon Gold 5217). Primary use case: Xeon Gold 5217 targets Server.
| Feature | Xeon E5-4660 v4 | Xeon Gold 5217 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | No |
| Unlocked | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | Yes |
| Virtualization | — | VT-x / VT-d / EPT |
| Target Use | — | Server |
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