Xeon W-1290E vs Core Ultra 7 266V

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 W-1290E

#73

EPYC 4484PX

MSRP: $599|Avg: $599

111%

#86

Xeon Platinum 8260

MSRP: $400|Avg: $400

101%

#88

Xeon W-1290E

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#97

Xeon Silver 4314

MSRP: $395|Avg: $395

97%

#98

Xeon W-1350

MSRP: $255|Avg: $255

96%

#99

Xeon W-1370P

MSRP: $323|Avg: $323

96%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core Ultra 7 266V

#169

Core i7-1280P

MSRP: $482|Avg: $482

112%

#173

Core Ultra 5 238V

MSRP: $454|Avg: $454

108%

#176

Core i9-13900HK

MSRP: $697|Avg: N/A

105%

#178

Core i7-1360P

MSRP: $480|Avg: $280

104%

#179

Core i7-1260P

MSRP: $432|Avg: $432

104%

#184

Core Ultra 7 266V

MSRP: $520|Avg: $520

100%

#185

Ryzen 7 5825C

MSRP: $400|Avg: $400

98%

#187

Core Ultra 9 288V

MSRP: $600|Avg: $600

91%

#188

Core i7-10870H

MSRP: $417|Avg: N/A

91%

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 W-1290E is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Xeon W-1290E	Core Ultra 7 266V
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($520)
Longevity	✨ Modern (Comet Lake (2020−2025) / 14 nm)	✨ Modern (Lunar Lake (2024) / 3 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core Ultra 7 266V ($520), 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 ($520 less, Infinity% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Xeon W-1290E	Core Ultra 7 266V
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($520)

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 W-1290E Benchmark Check

Core Ultra 7 266V Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon W-1290E and Core Ultra 7 266V

Xeon W-1290E

The Xeon W-1290E is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 13 May 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture. It features 10 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 20 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 19,060 points. Launch price was $552.

Core Ultra 7 266V

The Core Ultra 7 266V is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 24 September 2024 (1 year ago). It is based on the Lunar Lake (2024) architecture. It features 8 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 2.5 MB (per core). Built on 3 nm process technology. Socket: FCBGA2833. Thermal design power (TDP): 17 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 19,274 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Xeon W-1290E packs 10 cores / 20 threads, while the Core Ultra 7 266V offers 8 cores / 8 threads — the Xeon W-1290E has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.8 GHz on the Xeon W-1290E versus 5 GHz on the Core Ultra 7 266V — a 4.1% clock advantage for the Core Ultra 7 266V (base: 3.5 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Xeon W-1290E uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Core Ultra 7 266V uses Lunar Lake (2024) (3 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon W-1290E scores 19,060 against the Core Ultra 7 266V's 19,274 — a 1.1% lead for the Core Ultra 7 266V. L3 cache: 20 MB (total) on the Xeon W-1290E vs 12 MB (total) on the Core Ultra 7 266V.

Feature	Xeon W-1290E	Core Ultra 7 266V
Cores / Threads	10 / 20+25%	8 / 8
Boost Clock	4.8 GHz	5 GHz+4%
Base Clock	3.5 GHz+59%	2.2 GHz
L3 Cache	20 MB (total)+67%	12 MB (total)
L2 Cache	256 kB (per core)	2.5 MB (per core)+900%
Process	14 nm	3 nm-79%
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Lunar Lake (2024)
PassMark	19,060	19,274+1%

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Memory & Platform

The Xeon W-1290E uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core Ultra 7 266V uses FCBGA2833 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.