Xeon Gold 5318Y vs Xeon Gold 6240R

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 5318Y vs Xeon Gold 6240R 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 5318Y vs Xeon Gold 6240R: 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 5318Y

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +3.0% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅33.3% more PCIe lanes (64 vs 48) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Xeon Gold 6240R

2020

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Gold 5318Y across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (22,500 vs 28,500).
❌Launch MSRP is still $2,444 MSRP, while Xeon Gold 5318Y mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon Gold 5318Y better than Xeon Gold 6240R?

Yes. Xeon Gold 5318Y is the better all-around CPU here. It gives you a 3.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data, 26.7% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, 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 5318Y is the better pick. According to our tests, it delivers 3.0% 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 5318Y is the stronger fit. You are getting 26.7% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 24 cores and 48 threads.

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

Xeon Gold 5318Y is still the faster CPU overall, but Xeon Gold 6240R is easier to justify if budget matters more than peak performance. Xeon Gold 5318Y comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $2,444 MSRP, and it still gives you a 3.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Xeon Gold 6240R is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (13.6 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 5318Y makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2020) and more multi-core headroom with 24 cores / 48 threads instead of 24/48. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Xeon Gold 5318Y vs Xeon Gold 6240R Technical Specifications

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

Xeon Gold 5318Y

The Xeon Gold 5318Y is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Ice Lake-SP (2021) architecture. It features 24 cores and 48 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 36 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4189. Thermal design power (TDP): 165 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 33,139 points. Launch price was $800.

Xeon Gold 6240R

The Xeon Gold 6240R is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 24 February 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Cascade Lake (2019−2020) architecture. It features 24 cores and 48 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 35.75 MB. L2 cache: 24 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 165 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 33,353 points. Launch price was $2,200.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Xeon Gold 5318Y and Xeon Gold 6240R share an identical 24-core/48-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.4 GHz on the Xeon Gold 5318Y versus 4 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6240R — a 16.2% clock advantage for the Xeon Gold 6240R (base: 2.1 GHz vs 2.4 GHz). The Xeon Gold 5318Y uses the Ice Lake-SP (2021) architecture (10 nm), while the Xeon Gold 6240R uses Cascade Lake (2019−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon Gold 5318Y scores 33,139 against the Xeon Gold 6240R's 33,353 — a 0.6% lead for the Xeon Gold 6240R. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 28,500 vs 22,500 (23.5% advantage for the Xeon Gold 5318Y). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,251 vs 1,212, a 3.2% lead for the Xeon Gold 5318Y that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 21,846 vs 17,218 (23.7% advantage for the Xeon Gold 5318Y). L3 cache: 36 MB (total) on the Xeon Gold 5318Y vs 35.75 MB on the Xeon Gold 6240R.

Feature	Xeon Gold 5318Y	Xeon Gold 6240R
Cores / Threads	24 / 48	24 / 48
Boost Clock	3.4 GHz	4 GHz+18%
Base Clock	2.1 GHz	2.4 GHz+14%
L3 Cache	36 MB (total)	35.75 MB
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)	24 MB+2300%
Process	10 nm-29%	14 nm
Architecture	Ice Lake-SP (2021)	Cascade Lake (2019−2020)
PassMark	33,139	33,353
Cinebench R23 Multi	28,500+27%	22,500
Geekbench 6 Single	1,251+3%	1,212
Geekbench 6 Multi	21,846+27%	17,218

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon Gold 5318Y uses the LGA4189 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon Gold 6240R uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2933 memory speed. The Xeon Gold 5318Y supports up to 6144 GB of RAM compared to 1024 GB — 500% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 8 (Xeon Gold 5318Y) vs 6 (Xeon Gold 6240R). PCIe lanes: 64 (Xeon Gold 5318Y) vs 48 (Xeon Gold 6240R) — the Xeon Gold 5318Y offers 16 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: C621A,Ice Lake-SP (Xeon Gold 5318Y) and C621,Lewisburg (Xeon Gold 6240R).

Feature	Xeon Gold 5318Y	Xeon Gold 6240R
Socket	LGA4189	LGA3647
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+33%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2933	DDR4-2933
Max RAM Capacity	6144 GB+500%	1024 GB
RAM Channels	8+33%	6
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	64+33%	48

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Both support AVX-512 instructions, benefiting scientific computing, AI inference, and encryption workloads. Both support VT-x, VT-d, EPT virtualization. Primary use case: Xeon Gold 5318Y targets Server / Virtualization, Xeon Gold 6240R targets Server / High-load computing. Direct competitor: Xeon Gold 5318Y rivals Xeon Silver 4316; Xeon Gold 6240R rivals EPYC 7402.