Xeon Silver 4123 vs Xeon W-2135

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 Silver 4123 vs Xeon W-2135 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 Silver 4123 vs Xeon W-2135: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

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

Xeon Silver 4123

2018

Why buy it

✅+0.1% higher PassMark.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (11 MB vs 8.3 MB).
✅Draws 105W instead of 140W, a 35W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon W-2135 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Xeon W-2135

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +9.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (14,396 vs 14,405).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (8.3 MB vs 11 MB).
❌33.3% higher power demand at 140W vs 105W.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon Silver 4123 better than Xeon W-2135?

It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Xeon W-2135 is ahead with a 9.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Silver 4123 pulls ahead with 0.1% better PassMark. Xeon Silver 4123 also has the bigger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (11 MB vs 8.3 MB).

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Silver 4123 is the stronger fit. You are getting 0.1% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also has the larger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (11 MB vs 8.3 MB).

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

Xeon Silver 4123 still makes the most sense overall. Xeon Silver 4123 comes in at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you 0.1% better PassMark.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Xeon Silver 4123 makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2018 vs 2017), 33.3% larger total L3 cache (11 MB vs 8.3 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 6/12. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Xeon Silver 4123 vs Xeon W-2135 Technical Specifications

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

Xeon Silver 4123

The Xeon Silver 4123 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 11 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 14,405 points. Launch price was $800.

Xeon W-2135

The Xeon W-2135 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 29 August 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 8.25 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2066. Thermal design power (TDP): 140 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866, DDR4-2133, DDR4-2400, DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 14,396 points. Launch price was $835.

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Processing Power

The Xeon Silver 4123 packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Xeon W-2135 offers 6 cores / 12 threads — the Xeon Silver 4123 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.2 GHz on the Xeon Silver 4123 versus 4.5 GHz on the Xeon W-2135 — a 33.8% clock advantage for the Xeon W-2135 (base: 3 GHz vs 3.7 GHz). The Xeon W-2135 is built on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. In PassMark, the Xeon Silver 4123 scores 14,405 against the Xeon W-2135's 14,396 — a 0.1% lead for the Xeon Silver 4123. L3 cache: 11 MB on the Xeon Silver 4123 vs 8.25 MB (total) on the Xeon W-2135.

Feature	Xeon Silver 4123	Xeon W-2135
Cores / Threads	8 / 16+33%	6 / 12
Boost Clock	3.2 GHz	4.5 GHz+41%
Base Clock	3 GHz	3.7 GHz+23%
L3 Cache	11 MB+33%	8.25 MB (total)
L2 Cache	—	1 MB (per core)
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	—	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)
PassMark	14,405	14,396

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Memory & Platform

The Xeon Silver 4123 uses the LGA3647 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon W-2135 uses LGA2066 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.