Xeon Gold 6256
VS
Core i7-12700H

Xeon Gold 6256 vs Core i7-12700H

Intel

Xeon Gold 6256

12 Cores24 Thrd205 WWMax: 4.5 GHz2020
VS
Intel

Core i7-12700H

14 Cores20 Thrd45 WWMax: 4.7 GHz2022

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.

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 6256

#472
EPYC 9845
MSRP: $13564|Avg: $8670
111%
#473
EPYC 7F32
MSRP: $2100|Avg: $179
109%
#474
EPYC 9654P
MSRP: $10625|Avg: $5345
108%
#475
EPYC 9965
MSRP: $14813|Avg: $10000
107%
#476
EPYC 9745
MSRP: $12141|Avg: $10588
106%
#477
EPYC 7J13
MSRP: $7890|Avg: $150
106%
#478
EPYC 7702
MSRP: $6450|Avg: $2035
106%
#479
EPYC 7763
MSRP: $7890|Avg: $1513
106%
#480
EPYC 9734
MSRP: $9600|Avg: $6598
105%
#481
Xeon Platinum 8160M
MSRP: $5000|Avg: $350
105%
#482
Xeon 6724P
MSRP: $3622|Avg: $3622
104%
#483
EPYC 9634
MSRP: $10304|Avg: $3949
103%
#484
EPYC 7773X
MSRP: $8800|Avg: $8800
102%
#485
Xeon Gold 6258R
MSRP: $3950|Avg: $1400
101%
#486
EPYC 9175F
MSRP: $4256|Avg: $3703
101%
#487
Xeon Gold 6256
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#488
EPYC 9534
MSRP: $8803|Avg: $2999
100%
#489
EPYC 9654
MSRP: $11805|Avg: $5345
100%
#490
EPYC 7H12
MSRP: $6950|Avg: $1340
99%
#491
EPYC 7742
MSRP: $6950|Avg: $800
99%
#492
Xeon Platinum 8352M
MSRP: $4471|Avg: $4471
98%
#493
Xeon Platinum 8570
MSRP: $9595|Avg: $9595
96%
#494
EPYC 9184X
MSRP: $4928|Avg: $3750
95%
#495
Xeon Platinum 8470
MSRP: $9359|Avg: $9359
95%
#496
Xeon E7-8857 v2
MSRP: $3838|Avg: $2995
93%
#497
Xeon Gold 6148
MSRP: $3072|Avg: $290
93%
#498
Xeon E5-1681 V3
MSRP: $1589|Avg: $200
92%
#499
Xeon W-3275
MSRP: $4449|Avg: $1550
92%
#500
Xeon Gold 6138
MSRP: $2612|Avg: $300
91%
#501
Xeon E5-2690 v4
MSRP: $2090|Avg: $389
91%
#502
Xeon Platinum 8362
MSRP: $6236|Avg: $5740
90%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-12700H

#101
Core i5-1350P
MSRP: $320|Avg: $250
104%
#102
Core i3-1220P
MSRP: $250|Avg: $150
103%
#107
Core Ultra 5 228V
MSRP: $295|Avg: $295
102%
#111
Ryzen 5 PRO 5675U
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $180
101%
#113
Core i7-12700H
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#119
Ryzen 7 PRO 250
MSRP: $400|Avg: $380
97%
#120
Core i7-11850HE
MSRP: $400|Avg: $75
95%
#124
Core i5-1240P
MSRP: $309|Avg: $200
93%
#125
Core i7-13700H
MSRP: $502|Avg: N/A
92%
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 ($0) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon Gold 6256 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.
InsightXeon Gold 6256Core i7-12700H
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
Equivalent pricing
Equivalent pricing
Longevity
✨ Modern (Legacy / 14 nm)
✨ Modern (Alder Lake-H (2022) / Intel 7 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i7-12700H ($0), 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 ($0 less, NaN% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.
InsightXeon Gold 6256Core i7-12700H
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
Equivalent pricing
Equivalent pricing

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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon Gold 6256 and Core i7-12700H

Intel

Xeon Gold 6256

The Xeon Gold 6256 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 33 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 205 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 25,334 points. Launch price was $800.

Intel

Core i7-12700H

The Core i7-12700H is manufactured by Intel. It was released in Janeiro 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Alder Lake-H (2022) architecture. It features 14 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 4.7 GHz. L3 cache: 24 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA1744. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 25,365 points. Launch price was $299.

Processing Power

The Xeon Gold 6256 packs 12 cores / 24 threads, while the Core i7-12700H offers 14 cores / 20 threads — the Core i7-12700H has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.5 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6256 versus 4.7 GHz on the Core i7-12700H — a 4.3% clock advantage for the Core i7-12700H (base: 3.6 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The Core i7-12700H is built on the Alder Lake-H (2022) architecture. In PassMark, the Xeon Gold 6256 scores 25,334 against the Core i7-12700H's 25,365 — a 0.1% lead for the Core i7-12700H. L3 cache: 33 MB on the Xeon Gold 6256 vs 24 MB (total) on the Core i7-12700H.

FeatureXeon Gold 6256Core i7-12700H
Cores / Threads
12 / 24
14 / 20+17%
Boost Clock
4.5 GHz
4.7 GHz+4%
Base Clock
3.6 GHz+57%
2.3 GHz
L3 Cache
33 MB+38%
24 MB (total)
L2 Cache
1.25 MB (per core)
Process
14 nm
Intel 7 nm-50%
Architecture
Alder Lake-H (2022)
PassMark
25,334
25,365
Cinebench R23 Multi
15,453
Geekbench 6 Single
2,648
Geekbench 6 Multi
12,802
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon Gold 6256 uses the LGA3647 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i7-12700H uses FCBGA1744 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureXeon Gold 6256Core i7-12700H
Socket
LGA3647
FCBGA1744
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0
PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed
DDR5-4800
Max RAM Capacity
64 GB
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
20
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Xeon Gold 6256) / VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-12700H). The Core i7-12700H includes integrated graphics (Iris Xe 96EU), while the Xeon Gold 6256 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Core i7-12700H targets Workstation. Direct competitor: Core i7-12700H rivals Ryzen 7 6800H.

FeatureXeon Gold 6256Core i7-12700H
Integrated GPU
Yes
IGPU Model
Iris Xe 96EU
Unlocked
No
AVX-512
No
Virtualization
VT-x, VT-d
Target Use
Workstation