Xeon Gold 6138 vs Core i5-12400F

Xeon Gold 6138

20 Cores40 Thrd125 WWMax: 3.7 GHz2017

Core i5-12400F

6 Cores12 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.4 GHz2022

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Xeon Gold 6138

20 / 40

24,108

+23.4%

19,532

0.0%

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.

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 6138

#485

Xeon Gold 6258R

MSRP: $3950|Avg: $1400

111%

#486

EPYC 9175F

MSRP: $4256|Avg: $3703

111%

#488

EPYC 9534

MSRP: $8803|Avg: $2999

110%

#489

EPYC 9654

MSRP: $11805|Avg: $5345

109%

#490

EPYC 7H12

MSRP: $6950|Avg: $1340

109%

#491

EPYC 7742

MSRP: $6950|Avg: $800

108%

#492

Xeon Platinum 8352M

MSRP: $4471|Avg: $4471

108%

#493

Xeon Platinum 8570

MSRP: $9595|Avg: $9595

106%

#494

EPYC 9184X

MSRP: $4928|Avg: $3750

105%

#495

Xeon Platinum 8470

MSRP: $9359|Avg: $9359

104%

#496

Xeon E7-8857 v2

MSRP: $3838|Avg: $2995

102%

#497

Xeon Gold 6148

MSRP: $3072|Avg: $290

102%

#498

Xeon E5-1681 V3

MSRP: $1589|Avg: $200

101%

#499

Xeon W-3275

MSRP: $4449|Avg: $1550

101%

#500

Xeon Gold 6138

MSRP: $2612|Avg: $300

100%

#501

Xeon E5-2690 v4

MSRP: $2090|Avg: $389

100%

#502

Xeon Platinum 8362

MSRP: $6236|Avg: $5740

99%

#503

Xeon W-3275M

MSRP: $4449|Avg: $4449

98%

#504

Xeon E5-2660 v3

MSRP: $1445|Avg: $150

98%

#505

Xeon E5-2679 v4

MSRP: $2702|Avg: $500

97%

#506

Xeon E5-2680 v3

MSRP: $1745|Avg: $212

92%

#507

Xeon Platinum 8562Y+

MSRP: $5945|Avg: $7000

91%

#508

Xeon E7-8895 v2

MSRP: $6841|Avg: $65

91%

#509

EPYC 9754

MSRP: $11900|Avg: $10631

90%

#509

EPYC 9684X

MSRP: $14756|Avg: $14756

90%

#511

Xeon D-1587

MSRP: $1652|Avg: $1443

89%

#512

Xeon E5-2687W v4

MSRP: $2141|Avg: $1138

89%

#513

Xeon W-3265

MSRP: $3684|Avg: $3400

89%

#514

Xeon E5-2658A V3

MSRP: $1832|Avg: $200

88%

#515

Xeon E5-4640 v4

MSRP: $2837|Avg: N/A

86%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i5-12400F

#15

Core i3-8300T

MSRP: $138|Avg: $25

121%

#16

Core Ultra 5 225F

MSRP: $231|Avg: $150

118%

#17

Core Ultra 7 265K

MSRP: $309|Avg: $285

116%

#18

Ryzen 9 3900

MSRP: $499|Avg: $150

115%

#19

Ryzen 5 3600X

MSRP: $249|Avg: $90

113%

#20

Core i7-14700KF

MSRP: $384|Avg: $260

113%

#21

Core i7-14700K

MSRP: $409|Avg: $270

109%

#22

Ryzen 5 4500

MSRP: $129|Avg: $85

106%

#23

Ryzen 5 5600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $115

106%

#24

Celeron G5925

MSRP: $62|Avg: $15

105%

#25

Ryzen 5 7500F

MSRP: $179|Avg: $145

104%

#26

Core Ultra 5 245

MSRP: $319|Avg: $220

103%

#27

Ryzen 7 2700

MSRP: $299|Avg: $86

102%

#28

Core Ultra 7 265KF

MSRP: $379|Avg: $323

102%

#29

Core Ultra 7 265F

MSRP: $369|Avg: $276

100%

#30

Core i5-12400F

MSRP: $174|Avg: $110

100%

#31

Ryzen 3 PRO 5355G

MSRP: $130|Avg: $80

99%

#32

Ryzen 7 2700X

MSRP: $329|Avg: $100

98%

#33

Core i3-10100F

MSRP: $88|Avg: $50

98%

#34

Ryzen 5 7400F

MSRP: $150|Avg: $147

98%

#35

Ryzen 5 9600X

MSRP: $279|Avg: $178

95%

#36

Ryzen 7 3800X

MSRP: $399|Avg: $140

93%

#37

Ryzen 3 5300G

MSRP: $130|Avg: $80

92%

#38

Ryzen 9 7900X

MSRP: $549|Avg: $316

91%

#39

Ryzen 5 5600X

MSRP: $299|Avg: $135

91%

#40

Core i5-14600KF

MSRP: $304|Avg: $239

91%

#41

Ryzen 7 5800

MSRP: $349|Avg: $160

91%

#42

Core i3-14100F

MSRP: $109|Avg: $96

90%

#43

Ryzen 7 3700X

MSRP: $329|Avg: $140

90%

#44

Ryzen 5 7600X

MSRP: $299|Avg: $178

90%

#45

Ryzen 3 3100

MSRP: $99|Avg: $75

90%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Use Case Distinction: This is a comparison between a Professional Workstation processor ($300) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon Gold 6138 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Xeon Gold 6138	Core i5-12400F
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($300)	✅ More affordable ($110)
Longevity	✨ Modern (Skylake (server) (2017−2018) / 14 nm)	✨ Modern (Alder Lake-S (2022) / Intel 7 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i5-12400F ($110), however, is optimized for mixed workloads and gaming. For most users, it offers superior single-thread performance and responsiveness at a fraction of the cost ($190 less, 63% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Xeon Gold 6138	Core i5-12400F
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+121%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($300)	✅ More affordable ($110)

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 6138 Benchmark Check

Core i5-12400F Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon Gold 6138 and Core i5-12400F

Xeon Gold 6138

The Xeon Gold 6138 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: 24,108 points. Launch price was $2,612.

Core i5-12400F

The Core i5-12400F is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 January 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 18 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200. Passmark benchmark score: 19,532 points. Launch price was $180.

⚡

Processing Power

The Xeon Gold 6138 packs 20 cores / 40 threads, while the Core i5-12400F offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Xeon Gold 6138 has 14 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.7 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6138 versus 4.4 GHz on the Core i5-12400F — a 17.3% clock advantage for the Core i5-12400F (base: 2 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Xeon Gold 6138 uses the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i5-12400F uses Alder Lake-S (2022) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon Gold 6138 scores 24,108 against the Core i5-12400F's 19,532 — a 21% lead for the Xeon Gold 6138. Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,261 vs 1,700, a 29.7% lead for the Core i5-12400F that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 15,439 vs 657 (183.7% advantage for the Xeon Gold 6138). L3 cache: 27.5 MB on the Xeon Gold 6138 vs 18 MB (total) on the Core i5-12400F.

Feature	Xeon Gold 6138	Core i5-12400F
Cores / Threads	20 / 40+233%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	3.7 GHz	4.4 GHz+19%
Base Clock	2 GHz	2.5 GHz+25%
L3 Cache	27.5 MB+53%	18 MB (total)
L2 Cache	20 MB+1500%	1.25 MB (per core)
Process	14 nm	Intel 7 nm-50%
Architecture	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)	Alder Lake-S (2022)
PassMark	24,108+23%	19,532
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	12,380
Geekbench 6 Single	1,261	1,700+35%
Geekbench 6 Multi	15,439+2250%	657

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon Gold 6138 uses the LGA3647 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i5-12400F uses LGA1700 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2666 on the Xeon Gold 6138 versus DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200 on the Core i5-12400F — the Core i5-12400F supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon Gold 6138 supports up to 768 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 142.9% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 6 (Xeon Gold 6138) vs 2 (Core i5-12400F). PCIe lanes: 48 (Xeon Gold 6138) vs 20 (Core i5-12400F) — the Xeon Gold 6138 offers 28 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: C621 (Xeon Gold 6138) and H610,B660,H670,Z690,B760,H770,Z790 (Core i5-12400F).

Feature	Xeon Gold 6138	Core i5-12400F
Socket	LGA3647	LGA1700
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR5-4800, DDR4-3200+25%
Max RAM Capacity	768 GB+500%	128 GB
RAM Channels	6+200%	2
ECC Support	✅	❌
PCIe Lanes	48+140%	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Xeon Gold 6138) vs VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Core i5-12400F). Primary use case: Xeon Gold 6138 targets Server, Core i5-12400F targets Gaming Performance/Value. Direct competitor: Core i5-12400F rivals Ryzen 5 5600.

Feature	Xeon Gold 6138	Core i5-12400F
Integrated GPU	No	No
IGPU Model	None	—
Unlocked	No	—
AVX-512	Yes	—
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	Server	Gaming Performance/Value

💰

Value Analysis

The Xeon Gold 6138 launched at $2612 MSRP, while the Core i5-12400F debuted at $174. At current prices ($300 vs $110), the Core i5-12400F is $190 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Xeon Gold 6138 delivers 80.4 pts/$ vs 177.6 pts/$ for the Core i5-12400F — making the Core i5-12400F the 75.4% better value option.