Xeon Gold 5315Y vs Xeon Gold 6138T

Intel

Xeon Gold 5315Y

8 Cores16 Thrd140 WWMax: 3.6 GHz2021
Similar parts
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VS
Intel

Xeon Gold 6138T

20 Cores40 Thrd125 WWMax: 3.7 GHz2017
Similar parts
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Xeon Gold 5315Y vs Xeon Gold 6138T Performance Spectrum

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.

Xeon Gold 5315Y vs Xeon Gold 6138T 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 Gold 5315Y vs Xeon Gold 6138T: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Xeon Gold 5315Y

2021

Why buy it

  • Better for gaming: +6.8% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

  • Smaller total L3 cache (12 MB vs 28 MB).
  • No AVX-512 support for niche heavy compute workloads where it can matter.

Xeon Gold 6138T

2017

Why buy it

  • +129.2% larger total L3 cache (28 MB vs 12 MB).
  • Draws 125W instead of 140W, a 15W reduction.
  • 100+% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

  • Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Gold 5315Y across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
  • Lower PassMark (20,356 vs 20,477).
  • Launch MSRP is still $2,742 MSRP, while Xeon Gold 5315Y mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon Gold 5315Y better than Xeon Gold 6138T?
Yes. Xeon Gold 5315Y is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 6.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 0.6% better PassMark, and the stronger long-term platform, which is enough to make it the stronger overall pick.
Which one is better for gaming?
If gaming is the priority, Xeon Gold 5315Y is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 6.8% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.
Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?
For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Gold 5315Y is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.6% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?
Xeon Gold 5315Y is still the faster CPU overall, but Xeon Gold 6138T is easier to justify if budget matters more than peak performance. Xeon Gold 5315Y comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $2,742 MSRP, and it still gives you a 6.8% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Xeon Gold 6138T is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (7.4 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it can still make sense for tighter-budget builds on paper.
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
Xeon Gold 5315Y makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2017) and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 20/40. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Xeon Gold 5315Y vs Xeon Gold 6138T Technical Specifications

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

Intel

Xeon Gold 5315Y

The Xeon Gold 5315Y is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Ice Lake-SP (2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4189. Thermal design power (TDP): 140 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 20,477 points. Launch price was $800.

Intel

Xeon Gold 6138T

The Xeon Gold 6138T is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 25 April 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 20 cores and 40 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 27.5 MB. L2 cache: 20 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 20,356 points. Launch price was $2,742.

Processing Power

The Xeon Gold 5315Y packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Xeon Gold 6138T offers 20 cores / 40 threads — the Xeon Gold 6138T has 12 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.6 GHz on the Xeon Gold 5315Y versus 3.7 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6138T — a 2.7% clock advantage for the Xeon Gold 6138T (base: 3.2 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Xeon Gold 5315Y uses the Ice Lake-SP (2021) architecture (10 nm), while the Xeon Gold 6138T uses Skylake (server) (2017−2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon Gold 5315Y scores 20,477 against the Xeon Gold 6138T's 20,356 — a 0.6% lead for the Xeon Gold 5315Y. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Xeon Gold 5315Y vs 27.5 MB on the Xeon Gold 6138T.

FeatureXeon Gold 5315YXeon Gold 6138T
Cores / Threads
8 / 16
20 / 40+150%
Boost Clock
3.6 GHz
3.7 GHz+3%
Base Clock
3.2 GHz+60%
2 GHz
L3 Cache
12 MB (total)
27.5 MB+129%
L2 Cache
1 MB (per core)
20 MB+1900%
Process
10 nm-29%
14 nm
Architecture
Ice Lake-SP (2021)
Skylake (server) (2017−2018)
PassMark
20,477
20,356
Geekbench 6 Single
1,030
Geekbench 6 Multi
11,988
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Memory & Platform

The Xeon Gold 5315Y uses the LGA4189 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon Gold 6138T uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureXeon Gold 5315YXeon Gold 6138T
Socket
LGA4189
LGA3647
PCIe Generation
PCIe 4.0+33%
PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed
DDR4-2666
Max RAM Capacity
768 GB
RAM Channels
6
ECC Support
Yes
PCIe Lanes
48
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Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Xeon Gold 5315Y) / Yes (Xeon Gold 6138T).

FeatureXeon Gold 5315YXeon Gold 6138T
Integrated GPU
No
AVX-512
Yes
Virtualization
Yes