Intel Xeon W-1290 vs Intel Xeon W-2155 Comparison

The Intel Xeon W-2155 and Intel Xeon W-1290 are two 10-core, 20-thread workstation processors separated by nearly a generation of platform evolution, and the recorded data shows a remarkably consistent picture: the older W-2155 sweeps every Cinebench test, but only by margins under three percent. The W-1290 answers with a far leaner power envelope, a smaller die, integrated graphics, and a newer socket, making this a contest between raw throughput on one side and efficiency and platform features on the other.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The sweep belongs entirely to the Intel Xeon W-2155: six wins from six tests, with every victory landing in a narrow band between 2.8 and 2.9 percent. That consistency across single-core and multi-core workloads is itself informative, because it tells a single coherent story about clock behavior rather than scattered noise.

In Cinebench R15 multi-core, the W-2155 scores 1767 against 1718 for the W-1290, a 2.9 percent lead. The single-core result repeats the pattern: 249 versus 242, again 2.9 percent in favor of the W-2155. Cinebench R20 widens the sample without changing the verdict. The W-2155 posts 7365 multi-core and 1039 single-core, against 7162 and 1010 for the W-1290, deltas of 2.8 and 2.9 percent respectively.

Cinebench R23, the most demanding render in the set, confirms the trend at scale. The W-2155 reaches 17538 multi-core and 2475 single-core; the W-1290 records 17054 and 2407. That is a 2.8 percent gap both ways. The takeaway is unambiguous: the W-2155 is uniformly faster, but the margin is small enough that no individual workload in this dataset separates the two chips by more than three percent.

Context from the broader database reinforces how closely matched they are. The W-2155 sits at the 60th percentile against all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 5072, while the W-1290 sits at the 59th percentile with an average score of 4932. Their nearest-rival lists do not overlap at all, yet the average scores of those rivals cluster in the same narrow range, from the AMD Ryzen 7 4700G at 4949 near the W-1290 to the Intel Core i7-11850HE at 5095 near the W-2155. Both chips occupy the same performance neighborhood; the W-2155 simply occupies the slightly better street.

The single-core gap is the more surprising result. The W-1290 boosts to 5.20 GHz, well above the 4.50 GHz boost of the W-2155, yet still trails in every single-core test by 2.8 to 2.9 percent. The data indicates the W-2155's per-core throughput holds up despite the lower peak frequency, likely a function of its Skylake-W core design paired with 1 MB of L2 cache per core, quadruple the 256 KB per core of the W-1290.

The Verdict

For pure CPU throughput, the Intel Xeon W-2155 is the pick. It wins all six recorded benchmarks, holds the higher average score (5072 versus 4932), and edges the percentile comparison (60 versus 59). If render performance is the only criterion, the data gives a clear answer.

For everything else, the Intel Xeon W-1290 is the more sensible platform. It delivers that performance at an 80 W TDP versus 140 W for the W-2155, a substantial reduction in sustained thermal demand. It is an active product, while the W-2155 is end-of-life. It includes Intel UHD Graphics P630 integrated graphics, which the W-2155 lacks entirely, meaning the W-1290 can boot and drive displays without a discrete GPU. Its launch MSRP was $498, compared with $1440 for the W-2155.

The practical summary: choose the W-2155 only when maximum sustained multi-core output on Socket 2066 hardware already in hand matters most. Choose the W-1290 for new builds, efficiency-sensitive deployments, or systems that benefit from integrated graphics and the Socket 1200 platform.

Where Each One Wins

Intel Xeon W-2155 wins in:

• Sustained rendering and multi-core compute: 17538 versus 17054 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, with the same 2.8 percent edge in R15 and R20 multi-core.
• Single-threaded responsiveness: 2475 versus 2407 in Cinebench R23 single-core, and identical margins in R15 and R20 single-core.
• Memory-bandwidth-heavy workloads: quad-channel DDR4 delivering 85.3 GB/s, nearly double the 46.9 GB/s of the W-1290's dual-channel configuration.
• Expansion-heavy systems: 48 PCIe 3.0 lanes from the CPU versus 16, enough for multiple GPUs or fast storage controllers.
• Large per-core working sets: 1 MB of L2 per core versus 256 KB.

Intel Xeon W-1290 wins in:

• Power-constrained environments: 80 W TDP versus 140 W, a difference of 60 W at the platform specification level.
• Headless or display-light deployments: integrated Intel UHD Graphics P630 versus none on the W-2155.
• Latency-sensitive shared workloads: 20 MB of shared L3 cache versus 13.75 MB.
• Compact builds: a 206 mm² die versus 484 mm².
• Long-term availability: active production status versus end-of-life.

FAQ

Q: Which CPU is faster overall?

A: The Intel Xeon W-2155. It won all six recorded Cinebench tests, with margins of 2.8 to 2.9 percent, and holds a higher average benchmark score, 5072 versus 4932.

Q: How large is the single-core performance gap?

A: Between 2.8 and 2.9 percent in favor of the W-2155 across R15, R20, and R23 single-core tests. In Cinebench R23 the scores were 2475 for the W-2155 and 2407 for the W-1290.

Q: Does the higher boost clock of the W-1290 translate into more performance?

A: No. The W-1290 boosts to 5.20 GHz versus 4.50 GHz for the W-2155, yet the W-2155 still leads every single-core benchmark in the database. Higher frequency does not overcome the W-2155's per-core advantages in this dataset.

Q: Which CPU uses less power?

A: The W-1290, by a wide margin: its TDP is 80 W against 140 W for the W-2155, despite nearly identical benchmark results.

Q: Do both CPUs support ECC memory?

A: Yes. Both the W-2155 and W-1290 support ECC DDR4 memory, consistent with their Server/Workstation segment.

Q: Are these CPUs still in production?

A: The W-1290 is active. The W-2155 is end-of-life, released on 2017-08-28, while the W-1290 launched later, on 2020-05-12.

Architecture Differences

Both processors come from Intel, both are fabricated on the 14 nm process at Intel foundries, and both carry 10 cores and 20 threads. The architectural split is generational: the W-2155 uses the Skylake architecture under the Skylake-W codename, while the W-1290 uses Comet Lake under the Comet Lake codename.

The cache hierarchy diverges sharply. The W-2155 pairs 64 KB of L1 per core with a generous 1 MB of L2 per core and 13.75 MB of shared L3. The W-1290 keeps the same 64 KB L1 per core but drops to 256 KB of L2 per core while nearly one-and-a-half-timing the shared L3 to 20 MB. This explains part of the performance picture: the W-2155's deep per-core L2 likely contributes to its single-core wins, while the W-1290's larger L3 favors workloads with shared data across threads.

Memory and I/O are where the platforms truly diverge. The W-2155 connects quad-channel DDR4 for 85.3 GB/s of bandwidth, while the W-1290 is dual-channel at 46.9 GB/s. The W-2155 exposes 48 PCIe 3.0 lanes from the CPU, triple the 16 lanes of the W-1290, giving it room for multi-GPU or storage-heavy workstation configurations the W-1290 cannot match. On the other hand, the W-1290 integrates Intel UHD Graphics P630, a feature the W-2155 omits entirely.

Die size reflects these differences: 484 mm² for the W-2155 versus a much tighter 206 mm² for the W-1290. Neither CPU has an unlocked multiplier.

Specification Differences

| Field | Intel Xeon W-2155 | Intel Xeon W-1290 |

|---|---|---|

| Base Clock | 3.30 GHz | 3.20 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 4.50 GHz | 5.20 GHz |

| TDP | 140 W | 80 W |

| Socket | Intel Socket 2066 | Intel Socket 1200 |

| Architecture | Skylake (Skylake-W) | Comet Lake (Comet Lake) |

| Die Size | 484 mm² | 206 mm² |

| L2 Cache | 1 MB per core | 256 KB per core |

| L3 Cache | 13.75 MB shared | 20 MB shared |

| Memory Bus | Quad-channel | Dual-channel |

| Memory Bandwidth | 85.3 GB/s | 46.9 GB/s |

| PCIe | Gen 3, 48 lanes (CPU only) | Gen 3, 16 lanes (CPU only) |

| Integrated Graphics | None | Intel UHD Graphics P630 |

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

| Release Date | 2017-08-28 | 2020-05-12 |

| Launch MSRP | $1440 | $498 |

| Part Number | SR3LR | SRH94 |

Identical between the two: manufacturer, core count (10), thread count (20), process node (14 nm), foundry, memory support (DDR4), ECC support, market segment (Server/Workstation), and locked multipliers on both parts.