Xeon E5-4660 v4 vs Xeon Gold 5217

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 E5-4660 v4 vs Xeon Gold 5217 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 E5-4660 v4 vs Xeon Gold 5217: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Xeon E5-4660 v4

2016

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+263.6% larger total L3 cache (40 MB vs 11 MB).

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (15,375 vs 15,429).
❌No AVX-512 support for niche heavy compute workloads where it can matter.

Xeon Gold 5217

2019

Why buy it

✅+0.4% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 115W instead of 120W, a 5W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon E5-4660 v4 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (11 MB vs 40 MB).

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon Gold 5217 better than Xeon E5-4660 v4?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Xeon E5-4660 v4 is ahead with a 4.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Gold 5217 pulls ahead with 0.4% better PassMark. Xeon E5-4660 v4 also has the bigger cache pool with 263.6% larger total L3 cache (40 MB vs 11 MB).

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Gold 5217 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.4% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Xeon Gold 5217 still makes the most sense overall. Xeon Gold 5217 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you 0.4% better PassMark.

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

Xeon Gold 5217 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2019 vs 2016), more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 16/32, 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 E5-4660 v4 vs Xeon Gold 5217 Technical Specifications

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

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.

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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

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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	—	Yes
PCIe Lanes	—	48

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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.