Xeon Gold 5218 vs Xeon E5-2696 V3
Xeon Gold 5218
Xeon E5-2696 V3
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 Gold 5218
Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5-2696 V3
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Xeon Gold 5218 | Xeon E5-2696 V3 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($500) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | ✨ Modern (Cascade Lake (2019−2020) / 14 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Haswell-EP (2014−2015) / 22 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Xeon Gold 5218 | Xeon E5-2696 V3 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($500) | ✅ 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 Gold 5218 and Xeon E5-2696 V3
Xeon Gold 5218
The Xeon Gold 5218 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 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 22 MB. L2 cache: 16 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2667. Passmark benchmark score: 21,586 points. Launch price was $1,273.
Xeon E5-2696 V3
The Xeon E5-2696 V3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture. It features 18 cores and 36 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 45 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011-3. Thermal design power (TDP): 145 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4 2133 MHz Quad-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 21,435 points. Launch price was $800.
Processing Power
The Xeon Gold 5218 packs 16 cores / 32 threads, while the Xeon E5-2696 V3 offers 18 cores / 36 threads — the Xeon E5-2696 V3 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.9 GHz on the Xeon Gold 5218 versus 3.8 GHz on the Xeon E5-2696 V3 — a 2.6% clock advantage for the Xeon Gold 5218 (base: 2.3 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The Xeon Gold 5218 uses the Cascade Lake (2019−2020) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon E5-2696 V3 uses Haswell-EP (2014−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon Gold 5218 scores 21,586 against the Xeon E5-2696 V3's 21,435 — a 0.7% lead for the Xeon Gold 5218. L3 cache: 22 MB on the Xeon Gold 5218 vs 45 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-2696 V3.
| Feature | Xeon Gold 5218 | Xeon E5-2696 V3 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 16 / 32 | 18 / 36+13% |
| Boost Clock | 3.9 GHz+3% | 3.8 GHz |
| Base Clock | 2.3 GHz | 2.3 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 22 MB | 45 MB (total)+105% |
| L2 Cache | 16 MB+6300% | 256K (per core) |
| Process | 14 nm-36% | 22 nm |
| Architecture | Cascade Lake (2019−2020) | Haswell-EP (2014−2015) |
| PassMark | 21,586 | 21,435 |
Memory & Platform
The Xeon Gold 5218 uses the LGA3647 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E5-2696 V3 uses LGA2011-3 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Xeon Gold 5218 | Xeon E5-2696 V3 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA3647 | LGA2011-3 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 3.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | 2666 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 768 | — |
| RAM Channels | 6 | — |
| ECC Support | ✅ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 48 | — |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d (Xeon Gold 5218) / not specified (Xeon E5-2696 V3).
| Feature | Xeon Gold 5218 | Xeon E5-2696 V3 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | No | — |
| IGPU Model | None | — |
| Unlocked | No | — |
| AVX-512 | Yes | — |
| Virtualization | VT-x, VT-d | — |
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