Xeon Gold 5222 vs Xeon E5-2680

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. The Xeon Gold 5222 is positioned at rank 295 and the Xeon E5-2680 is on rank 1014, so the Xeon Gold 5222 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon Gold 5222

#1

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

4446%

#6

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

840%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

746%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

576%

#230

Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX

MSRP: $1337|Avg: $368

100%

#232

EPYC 7282

MSRP: $650|Avg: $199

99%

#233

Xeon w5-2545

MSRP: $889|Avg: $1100

98%

#234

Xeon W-1250P

MSRP: $311|Avg: $311

98%

#295

Xeon Gold 5222

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#304

Xeon E5-2620 v4

MSRP: $417|Avg: $410

99%

#306

Xeon Silver 4108

MSRP: $417|Avg: $46

98%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5-2680

#1

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

72161%

#6

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

13625%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

12105%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

9351%

#541

Xeon E5-4669 v4

MSRP: $7007|Avg: $300

87%

#1014

Xeon E5-2680

MSRP: $3226|Avg: $40

100%

#1016

Xeon E5-4640

MSRP: $2725|Avg: N/A

89%

#1018

Xeon E5-4650

MSRP: $3616|Avg: $71

83%

#1019

Xeon E5-4650L

MSRP: $3616|Avg: N/A

82%

#1020

Xeon E5-4655 v4

MSRP: $4616|Avg: N/A

82%

#1021

Xeon E-2224

MSRP: $3226|Avg: $195

77%

#1022

Athlon MP 2400+

MSRP: $151|Avg: $20

70%

#1023

Xeon E5-2650L v2

MSRP: $4115|Avg: $1078

64%

#1024

Xeon E5-2640 v2

MSRP: $4115|Avg: $530

64%

#1025

Opteron 142

MSRP: $292|Avg: $20

53%

#1026

Athlon MP 2800+

MSRP: $275|Avg: $10

48%

#1027

Xeon L3110

MSRP: $1000|Avg: $950

47%

#1028

Xeon 2.66

MSRP: $337|Avg: $10

46%

#1029

Xeon X5272

MSRP: $1172|Avg: $76

43%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Generational Difference: This comparison involves processors from different technological eras. The Xeon Gold 5222 (2019) utilizes 14 nm technology and DDR4-2933, providing a fundamental performance advantage.

Insight	Xeon Gold 5222	Xeon E5-2680
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($40)
Longevity	✨ Modern (Cascade Lake (2019−2020) / 14 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Sandy Bridge-EP (2012) / 32 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Xeon E5-2680 (2012) relies on 32 nm technology and DDR3, placing it in a different performance category relative to modern standards.

Insight	Xeon Gold 5222	Xeon E5-2680
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($40)

Performance Check

Paired with RTX 4090

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.

Xeon Gold 5222 Benchmark Check

Xeon E5-2680 Benchmark Check

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Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon Gold 5222 and Xeon E5-2680

Xeon Gold 5222

The Xeon Gold 5222 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 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 16.5 MB. L2 cache: 4 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 9,348 points. Launch price was $1,221.

Xeon E5-2680

The Xeon E5-2680 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 6 March 2012 (13 years ago). It is based on the Sandy Bridge-EP (2012) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 20 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 32 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 130 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 9,289 points. Launch price was $1,723.

⚡

Processing Power

The Xeon Gold 5222 packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the Xeon E5-2680 offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Xeon E5-2680 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.9 GHz on the Xeon Gold 5222 versus 3.5 GHz on the Xeon E5-2680 — a 10.8% clock advantage for the Xeon Gold 5222 (base: 3.8 GHz vs 2.7 GHz). The Xeon Gold 5222 uses the Cascade Lake (2019−2020) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon E5-2680 uses Sandy Bridge-EP (2012) (32 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon Gold 5222 scores 9,348 against the Xeon E5-2680's 9,289 — a 0.6% lead for the Xeon Gold 5222. L3 cache: 16.5 MB on the Xeon Gold 5222 vs 20 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-2680.

Feature	Xeon Gold 5222	Xeon E5-2680
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	8 / 16+100%
Boost Clock	3.9 GHz+11%	3.5 GHz
Base Clock	3.8 GHz+41%	2.7 GHz
L3 Cache	16.5 MB	20 MB (total)+21%
L2 Cache	4 MB+1500%	256K (per core)
Process	14 nm-56%	32 nm
Architecture	Cascade Lake (2019−2020)	Sandy Bridge-EP (2012)
PassMark	9,348	9,289

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon Gold 5222 uses the LGA3647 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E5-2680 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 2.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Xeon Gold 5222	Xeon E5-2680
Socket	LGA3647	LGA2011
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0+50%	PCIe 2.0
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR3-1600
Max RAM Capacity	—	384 GB
RAM Channels	—	4
ECC Support	—	✅
PCIe Lanes	—	40