Intel Xeon D-2799 vs Intel Xeon Gold 5318Y Comparison

Both processors are built on the same 10nm Ice Lake architecture, yet they target different corners of the server market. The Intel Xeon D-2799 is a 20-core, 40-thread part with a 2.40 GHz base clock and a 3.40 GHz boost clock, while the Intel Xeon Gold 5318Y offers 24 cores and 48 threads with a 2.10 GHz base clock and the same 3.40 GHz boost. The benchmark data shows a consistent, albeit narrow, advantage for the D-2799 across every tested workload, with a 2% delta in each of the six Cinebench tests. However, the Gold 5318Y counters with a significantly higher memory bandwidth capacity, more PCIe lanes, and a larger L3 cache, making the choice dependent on whether the workload is compute-bound or memory and I/O bound.

Where Each One Wins

The data is unambiguous on raw compute: the Intel Xeon D-2799 wins all six head-to-head Cinebench benchmarks. In single-core tests, the D-2799 scores 408 in R15, 1703 in R20, and 4055 in R23, while the Gold 5318Y trails at 400, 1669, and 3976 respectively. The 2% advantage in each case comes despite the D-2799 having four fewer cores and eight fewer threads, indicating that its higher 2.40 GHz base clock provides a meaningful boost in lightly threaded tasks. The same pattern holds in multi-core tests: the D-2799 posts 2895 in R15, 12063 in R20, and 28723 in R23, versus 2839, 11830, and 28168 for the Gold 5318Y.

The Gold 5318Y’s wins are not in raw CPU throughput but in platform capabilities. It supports eight-channel memory with 187.7 GB/s bandwidth, nearly double the D-2799’s quad-channel 102.4 GB/s. It also provides 64 PCIe Gen 4 lanes versus 32 on the D-2799. For workloads that stream large datasets or drive many NVMe drives or GPUs, the Gold 5318Y’s platform headroom is the decisive factor. The D-2799, by contrast, is the better choice for compute-dense environments where raw core speed and lower power consumption matter more than memory or I/O expansion.

Architecture Differences

Both chips are built on Intel’s 10 nm process and share the Ice Lake microarchitecture, but they come from different product lines within that generation. The D-2799 is part of the Ice Lake-D family, designed as a system-on-chip for dense, power-constrained edge and storage deployments. It uses the Intel BGA 2579 socket, which is soldered rather than upgradeable, and carries a 129 W TDP. The Gold 5318Y is an Ice Lake-SP part, built for standard server platforms with the Intel Socket 4189, and has a higher 165 W TDP.

Cache layouts differ noticeably. The D-2799 allocates 80 KB of L1 and 1.25 MB of L2 per core, with a 30 MB shared L3. The Gold 5318Y uses smaller per-core allocations—64 KB L1 and 1 MB L2—but compensates with a larger 36 MB shared L3. This means the Gold 5318Y has more total cache to work with across its 24 cores, which can help with larger working sets, while the D-2799’s larger per-core cache may favor single-threaded locality.

Memory and PCIe are the biggest architectural dividers. The D-2799 runs quad-channel DDR4 with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth and 32 PCIe Gen 4 lanes. The Gold 5318Y runs eight-channel DDR4 with 187.7 GB/s bandwidth and 64 PCIe Gen 4 lanes. Both support ECC memory, but the Gold 5318Y’s doubling of memory channels and PCIe lanes makes it the clear choice for systems that need to move large volumes of data. The D-2799’s launch MSRP is $1972; the Gold 5318Y has no listed launch MSRP.

The Verdict

Pick the Intel Xeon D-2799 if your priority is maximum compute per watt in a compact, integrated package. It wins every benchmark in this comparison, despite having fewer cores, and its 129 W TDP is 36 W lower than the Gold 5318Y’s. The 2% advantage in both single-core and multi-core Cinebench scores suggests that the higher 2.40 GHz base clock on the D-2799 more than compensates for the core count deficit in these workloads. Its BGA socket means you are committing to the entire platform, but for a dedicated compute node that is acceptable.

Pick the Intel Xeon Gold 5318Y if your workload is constrained by memory bandwidth or PCIe expansion rather than raw CPU cycles. Its 187.7 GB/s eight-channel memory subsystem is 83% faster than the D-2799’s 102.4 GB/s quad-channel setup. The 64 PCIe Gen 4 lanes give you room for more accelerators or storage controllers. The 24 cores and 48 threads also provide more parallel throughput capacity for highly threaded applications that scale beyond the D-2799’s 20 cores, even if the current Cinebench results do not reflect that advantage. The Gold 5318Y sits in the same 64th percentile of all CPUs as the D-2799, so neither is a performance outlier; they are evenly matched parts with different platform philosophies.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has more cores and threads?

A: The Intel Xeon Gold 5318Y has 24 cores and 48 threads, while the Intel Xeon D-2799 has 20 cores and 40 threads.

Q: Does the Intel Xeon D-2799 actually beat the Gold 5318Y in multi-core performance?

A: Yes, despite having fewer cores, the D-2799 scores 28723 in Cinebench R23 multi-core versus 28168 for the Gold 5318Y, a 2% difference in favor of the D-2799.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth difference between the two?

A: The Gold 5318Y supports eight-channel memory with 187.7 GB/s bandwidth, while the D-2799 supports quad-channel memory with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Which CPU has more PCIe lanes?

A: The Gold 5318Y has 64 PCIe Gen 4 lanes, double the 32 PCIe Gen 4 lanes on the D-2799.

Q: Are both processors based on the same architecture?

A: Yes, both use Intel’s 10 nm process and the Ice Lake architecture, but the D-2799 is from the Ice Lake-D line while the Gold 5318Y is from the Ice Lake-SP line.

Q: Which processor has a higher base clock speed?

A: The D-2799 has a base clock of 2.40 GHz, which is higher than the Gold 5318Y’s 2.10 GHz base clock, while both share the same 3.40 GHz boost clock.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The head-to-head results show a perfect sweep for the Intel Xeon D-2799, with a 2% margin in all six Cinebench tests. The largest absolute gap is in Cinebench R23 multi-core, where the D-2799 scores 28723 versus 28168 for the Gold 5318Y, a difference of 555 points. In Cinebench R20 multi-core, the D-2799 posts 12063 against 11830 for the Gold, an edge of 233 points. Single-core results are similarly close: the D-2799 leads by 8 points in R15 (408 vs 400), 34 points in R20 (1703 vs 1669), and 79 points in R23 (4055 vs 3976).

The pattern is remarkable because the Gold 5318Y has 20% more cores and threads. Yet the D-2799’s higher base clock of 2.40 GHz versus 2.10 GHz appears to be the deciding factor in these benchmarks. Since both chips boost to the same 3.40 GHz, the sustained all-core frequency is likely where the D-2799 pulls ahead. The Gold 5318Y’s larger 36 MB L3 cache and 187.7 GB/s memory bandwidth do not translate into Cinebench wins, as that workload is primarily core-count and clock-speed sensitive.

Specification Differences

The two processors diverge on several key specifications. The D-2799 has 20 cores and 40 threads, while the Gold 5318Y has 24 cores and 48 threads. Base clocks differ: 2.40 GHz for the D-2799 versus 2.10 GHz for the Gold 5318Y, with both sharing a 3.40 GHz boost clock. TDP is 129 W for the D-2799 and 165 W for the Gold 5318Y. The D-2799 uses the Intel BGA 2579 socket, while the Gold 5318Y uses Intel Socket 4189.

Cache configurations are distinct: the D-2799 has 80 KB L1 and 1.25 MB L2 per core with 30 MB shared L3, whereas the Gold 5318Y has 64 KB L1 and 1 MB L2 per core with 36 MB shared L3. Memory support is quad-channel DDR4 with 102.4 GB/s bandwidth for the D-2799, versus eight-channel DDR4 with 187.7 GB/s for the Gold 5318Y. PCIe connectivity is also different: 32 Gen 4 lanes on the D-2799 and 64 Gen 4 lanes on the Gold 5318Y. Both support ECC memory and are currently active in production. The D-2799 has a launch MSRP of $1972, while the Gold 5318Y has no listed launch MSRP.