Intel Xeon Gold 6334 vs Intel Xeon W-2155 Comparison

The Intel Xeon W-2155 and Intel Xeon Gold 6334 are both server/workstation processors from Intel, but they represent very different eras and design philosophies. The W-2155 is a Skylake-W part from 2017, while the Gold 6334 is an Ice Lake-SP chip from 2021. Despite the four-year gap, the benchmark data shows a remarkably tight race, with the older processor taking every single head-to-head win, albeit by incredibly slim margins. This analysis examines exactly what the numbers reveal about these two CPUs and what that means for potential users.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The data presents a clear, if narrow, sweep. The Intel Xeon W-2155 wins all six Cinebench tests, but the victory margins are almost negligible. In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the W-2155 scores 1767 against the Gold 6334's 1757, a delta of just 0.6%. The single-core R15 test shows a slightly larger relative gap, with the W-2155 at 249 and the Gold 6334 at 247, a 0.8% difference. This pattern of a 0.6% delta repeats across the R20 multi-core (7365 vs 7322) and single-core (1039 vs 1033) tests, as well as the R23 multi-core (17538 vs 17435) and single-core (2475 vs 2461) tests. The W-2155 edges out the Gold 6334 in every single metric, but the difference is consistently less than one percentage point.

What does this mean? On one hand, it shows that the older 14nm architecture is still competitive with the newer 10nm design. On the other hand, it suggests that for most real-world workloads, the two processors would be functionally indistinguishable from a performance standpoint. The Gold 6334 has a lower core count (8 vs 10) and a lower boost clock (3.70 GHz vs 4.50 GHz), yet it nearly matches the W-2155 in multi-threaded tests. This confirms the efficiency and IPC (instructions per clock) gains of the Ice Lake architecture. The data implies that the Gold 6334's newer architecture is doing more with less, compensating for its deficit in raw core count and clock speed.

Looking at the average benchmark score, the W-2155 sits at 5072, while the Gold 6334 is at 5043. The nearest rivals list for the W-2155 includes the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5750GE at 5070 (0% delta) and the Intel Core i9-12900TE at 5050 (0.4% delta). The Gold 6334's nearest rival is the same AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5750GE at 5070, but with a -0.5% delta, meaning the Gold 6334 actually performs below that rival. Both processors land in the 60th percentile of all CPUs, cementing their position as mid-range performers in the broader market.

Architecture Differences

The fundamental divide between these two CPUs is the architecture generation. The W-2155 is built on the Skylake-W architecture, using a 14 nm process node. Its die size is a substantial 484 mm². The Gold 6334, conversely, uses the Ice Lake-SP architecture on Intel's 10 nm process. This node shrink is a major factor in the Gold 6334's ability to match the W-2155's performance with fewer cores.

Core and thread counts differ as well. The W-2155 has 10 cores and 20 threads, while the Gold 6334 has 8 cores and 16 threads. This gives the W-2155 a 25% advantage in core count. Clock speeds tell a different story. The W-2155 has a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz. The Gold 6334 has a higher base clock at 3.60 GHz but a much lower boost clock at 3.70 GHz. This suggests the Gold 6334 is designed for sustained, all-core workloads at a consistent frequency, whereas the W-2155 can boost much higher for single-threaded tasks.

Cache configurations also differ. Both have 64 KB of L1 cache and 1 MB of L2 cache per core. However, the L3 cache is where a significant gap appears. The W-2155 has 13.75 MB of shared L3 cache, while the Gold 6334 has 18 MB of shared L3 cache. This larger pool of L3 cache on the Gold 6334 likely helps it compensate for its lower core count in multi-threaded scenarios.

Memory support is another key differentiator. Both support DDR4, but the memory bus width changes dramatically. The W-2155 uses a quad-channel memory bus with a bandwidth of 85.3 GB/s. The Gold 6334 uses an eight-channel memory bus with a bandwidth of 204.8 GB/s. That's a 2.4x increase in theoretical memory bandwidth, which is crucial for memory-intensive server workloads. The PCIe support also differs: the W-2155 offers Gen 3 with 48 lanes, while the Gold 6334 provides Gen 4 with 64 lanes. The newer standard and higher lane count give the Gold 6334 a significant I/O advantage.

Where Each One Wins

Based strictly on the benchmark data, the W-2155 wins in every Cinebench test, making it the outright winner in both single-core and multi-core synthetic rendering workloads. The data shows it is consistently 0.6% to 0.8% faster. This means that for tasks like 3D rendering, video encoding, or any application that relies heavily on CPU compute, the W-2155 holds a slight edge.

However, the Gold 6334's advantages lie outside the raw Cinebench scores. Its eight-channel memory bus and 204.8 GB/s bandwidth make it a more compelling choice for workloads that are memory-bandwidth bound, such as large database operations, virtualization, or in-memory analytics. The data does not provide direct benchmarks for these scenarios, but the architecture clearly supports this interpretation. Similarly, the Gold 6334's PCIe Gen 4 support with 64 lanes allows for faster NVMe storage and more expansion cards, which is a major benefit for server infrastructure.

The Gold 6334 also has a higher base clock of 3.60 GHz, which could translate to better performance in workloads that are consistently running at full load across all cores, without relying on turbo boost. The W-2155's 4.50 GHz boost clock is more impressive on paper, but the Gold 6334's sustained frequency might be more predictable in a server environment.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has a higher core count?

A: The Intel Xeon W-2155 has 10 cores and 20 threads, while the Intel Xeon Gold 6334 has 8 cores and 16 threads.

Q: Is the newer Intel Xeon Gold 6334 faster in Cinebench tests?

A: No. The data shows the Intel Xeon W-2155 wins all six head-to-head Cinebench tests, with deltas ranging from 0.6% to 0.8%.

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

A: The Intel Xeon W-2155 has a quad-channel memory bus with 85.3 GB/s bandwidth, while the Intel Xeon Gold 6334 has an eight-channel bus with 204.8 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: Yes, both the Intel Xeon W-2155 and the Intel Xeon Gold 6334 have ECC memory support.

Q: What are the production statuses of these two CPUs?

A: The Intel Xeon W-2155 is listed as end-of-life, while the Intel Xeon Gold 6334 is listed as active.

Q: How do they compare in terms of PCIe support?

A: The Intel Xeon W-2155 supports PCIe Gen 3 with 48 lanes, whereas the Intel Xeon Gold 6334 supports PCIe Gen 4 with 64 lanes.

The Verdict

The data paints a picture of two processors that are, in terms of raw compute performance, nearly identical. The Intel Xeon W-2155 wins every Cinebench test, but by margins so small they would be imperceptible in real-world use. Its 10 cores and higher boost clock of 4.50 GHz give it a slight edge in these specific workloads. If a user is optimizing purely for Cinebench scores, the W-2155 is the clear, albeit marginal, winner.

However, the Intel Xeon Gold 6334 offers a fundamentally different value proposition. It is an active, current product with a newer 10 nm architecture, a larger 18 MB L3 cache, and a dramatically more capable memory subsystem. The 204.8 GB/s of memory bandwidth and 64 lanes of PCIe Gen 4 make it the better foundation for a modern server that needs to handle high-throughput I/O and large data sets. The data shows it is slightly slower in pure CPU rendering, but its architectural advantages suggest it would be the better choice for a broader range of server tasks.

The verdict depends entirely on the use case. For a workstation where the primary workload is CPU-bound rendering, the Intel Xeon W-2155's benchmark wins are the deciding factor. For a server environment where memory bandwidth, I/O connectivity, and long-term product availability are critical, the Intel Xeon Gold 6334 is the more logical pick, despite its slight deficit in Cinebench performance. The data does not support a universal winner; it supports a context-dependent one.

Specification Differences

The table below outlines the key specifications where the two processors differ.

| Specification | Intel Xeon W-2155 | Intel Xeon Gold 6334 |

|:--- |:--- |:--- |

| Cores | 10 | 8 |

| Threads | 20 | 16 |

| Base Clock | 3.30 GHz | 3.60 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 4.50 GHz | 3.70 GHz |

| TDP | 140 W | 165 W |

| Socket | Intel Socket 2066 | Intel Socket 4189 |

| Architecture | Skylake | Ice Lake |

| Codename | Skylake-W | Ice Lake-SP |

| Process Node | 14 nm | 10 nm |

| Die Size | 484 mm² | N/A |

| L3 Cache | 13.75 MB (shared) | 18 MB (shared) |

| Memory Bus | Quad-channel | Eight-channel |

| Memory Bandwidth | 85.3 GB/s | 204.8 GB/s |

| PCIe | Gen 3, 48 Lanes (CPU only) | Gen 4, 64 Lanes (CPU only) |

| Production Status | End-of-life | Active |

| Release Date | 2017-08-28 | 2021-04-05 |

| Launch MSRP | $1440 | N/A |