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Intel Xeon Gold 6542Y vs Intel Xeon Gold 6544Y: Comparison
What is the difference between Xeon Gold 6542Y and Xeon Gold 6544Y?
L3 cache is where these two genuinely part company, Xeon Gold 6542Y 180 MB against Xeon Gold 6544Y 120 MB, a 33% lead for Xeon Gold 6542Y. The benchmark result agrees. SPECrate® 2017 Integer (base), 1-chip puts Xeon Gold 6542Y 22% ahead, 261 against 203. They differ on boost clock too, 4.1 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6542Y versus 4.4 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6544Y. They differ on tdp too, 250 W on the Xeon Gold 6542Y versus 270 W on the Xeon Gold 6544Y. Core count is not the same on both, 24 cores on the Xeon Gold 6542Y versus 16 cores on the Xeon Gold 6544Y. They differ on thread count too, 48 threads on the Xeon Gold 6542Y versus 32 threads on the Xeon Gold 6544Y. Base clock is not the same on both, 2.9 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6542Y versus 3.6 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6544Y.
Which should you buy, Xeon Gold 6542Y or Xeon Gold 6544Y?
Buy the Xeon Gold 6542Y for enterprise virtualization and demanding server workloads, though it is not built for desktop use and gaming builds. The Xeon Gold 6544Y suits enterprise virtualization and demanding server workloads, though it is the wrong buy for desktop use and gaming builds. Our rating of the Xeon Gold 6542Y (8.1/10): the Intel Xeon Gold 6542Y is a strong mid-to-high tier data center chip, well suited to enterprise virtualization and server duty. Our rating of the Xeon Gold 6544Y (8.1/10): the Intel Xeon Gold 6544Y is a strong mid-to-high tier data center chip, well suited to enterprise virtualization and server duty.
What Xeon Gold 6542Y and Xeon Gold 6544Y have in common
Everything else lines up. Release year, igpu, core architecture and socket read the same on both, so those are not worth weighing.
Specs and benchmarks
Release Year
- Intel Xeon Gold 6542Y
- 2023
- Intel Xeon Gold 6544Y
- 2023
Core Count
- Intel Xeon Gold 6542Y
- 24 cores
- Intel Xeon Gold 6544Y
- 16 cores
iGPU
- Intel Xeon Gold 6542Y
- None
- Intel Xeon Gold 6544Y
- None
Thread Count
- Intel Xeon Gold 6542Y
- 48 threads
- Intel Xeon Gold 6544Y
- 32 threads
Core Architecture
- Intel Xeon Gold 6542Y
- Emerald Rapids
- Intel Xeon Gold 6544Y
- Emerald Rapids
Base Clock
- Intel Xeon Gold 6542Y
- 2.9 GHz
- Intel Xeon Gold 6544Y
- 3.6 GHz
Boost Clock
- Intel Xeon Gold 6542Y
- 4.1 GHz
- Intel Xeon Gold 6544Y
- 4.4 GHz
L3 Cache
- Intel Xeon Gold 6542Y
- 180 MBBest
- Intel Xeon Gold 6544Y
- 120 MB-33%
Socket
- Intel Xeon Gold 6542Y
- LGA 4677
- Intel Xeon Gold 6544Y
- LGA 4677
TDP
- Intel Xeon Gold 6542Y
- 250 W
- Intel Xeon Gold 6544Y
- 270 W
Benchmarks
- General CPU
SPECrate® 2017 Integer (base), 1-chip
- Intel Xeon Gold 6542Y
- 261Best
- Intel Xeon Gold 6544Y
- 203-22%
Best published 1-chip result on spec.org, retrieved 23 Sept 2026.
Server-style tasks like compiling and compression on every thread. Best for judging workstation and server work.
SPECrate® 2017 Floating Point (base), 1-chip
- Intel Xeon Gold 6542Y
- 358Best
- Intel Xeon Gold 6544Y
- 299-16%
Best published 1-chip result on spec.org, retrieved 23 Sept 2026.
Scientific and engineering tasks on every thread. Rewards core count and memory bandwidth.
SPEC®, SPECrate® and SPECspeed® are registered trademarks of the Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation. Copied by permission of the Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation (SPEC). Results retrieved from www.spec.org on 23 Sept 2026.
Which one should you pick?
Choose 6542Y if you want the higher L3 cache (180 MB vs 120 MB), the higher SPECrate® 2017 integer (base), 1-chip (261 vs 203) and the higher SPECrate® 2017 floating point (base), 1-chip (358 vs 299).
Choose 6544Y if you already have it on hand or find it at a lower price.
Verdict
Intel Xeon Gold 6542Y
8.1 / 10 Expert Rating
The Intel Xeon Gold 6542Y is a strong mid-to-high tier data center chip, well suited to enterprise virtualization and server duty.
Intel Xeon Gold 6544Y
8.1 / 10 Expert Rating
The Intel Xeon Gold 6544Y is a strong mid-to-high tier data center chip, well suited to enterprise virtualization and server duty.