Home / Intel Xeon W / Intel Xeon W-11855M: Performance and Specs

Intel Xeon W-11855M

Intel Xeon W-11855M: Power and Reliability for Mobile Professionals

(Relevant as of April 2025)

Architecture and Process Technology: 10 nm SuperFin and Tiger Lake Innovations

The Intel Xeon W-11855M processor, built on the Tiger Lake architecture, represents the evolution of mobile workstation solutions. Its key features include:

- 6 cores and 12 threads with a base frequency of 3.2 GHz and a turbo mode up to 4.9 GHz.

- 18 MB of L3 cache — the increased capacity accelerates data processing in professional applications.

- 10 nm SuperFin process technology: improved energy efficiency and transistor density compared to previous generations (e.g., Ice Lake).

- Integrated Intel UHD Graphics for the 11th generation: 32 execution units (EUs), support for DirectX 12.1, AV1 decoding, and HDMI 2.0.

The Willow Cove architecture provides a 15-20% increase in IPC (instructions per clock) compared to Sunny Cove (Ice Lake). Support for PCIe 4.0 (up to 20 lanes) and Thunderbolt 4 makes the processor ideal for connecting high-speed storage and peripherals.

Power Consumption and TDP: A Balance Between Power and Battery Life

With a TDP of 35 W, the Xeon W-11855M is positioned as a solution for mobile workstations and premium ultrabooks. However, in reality, laptop manufacturers can adjust the TDP in the range of 25-45 W, depending on the cooling system.

- Thermal design: even under peak loads, the processor maintains stability thanks to Thermal Velocity Boost, which temporarily increases the frequency when there is thermal headroom.

- Energy efficiency: the 10 nm SuperFin process and voltage optimization reduce idle power consumption by 20% compared to Xeon W-10855M (Comet Lake, 14 nm).

Performance: From Office to Rendering

Geekbench 6 test results (1996 / 7042) place the Xeon W-11855M at the top of mobile CPUs for work tasks:

- Office Work: Running dozens of tabs in Chrome + Microsoft Teams + Excel — without lag.

- Multimedia: 4K video rendering in DaVinci Resolve is 30% faster than Core i7-11800H (8 cores, Tiger Lake).

- Gaming: On integrated graphics — playable 40-50 FPS in Dota 2 (1080p, medium settings). With a discrete GPU (e.g., NVIDIA RTX A2000) — a comfortable 60 FPS in Autodesk Maya.

Turbo Boost Max 3.0 dynamically distributes the load between cores, raising the frequency to 4.9 GHz for single-threaded tasks. However, in multi-threaded scenarios (e.g., rendering), the frequency stabilizes at 3.8-4.2 GHz to avoid exceeding the TDP.

Use Cases: Who is the Xeon W-11855M For?

This processor is designed for:

1. Engineers and Designers: ECC memory support minimizes errors when working with CAD models.

2. Video Editors: Fast project exports thanks to AVX-512 and PCIe 4.0 SSD.

3. Data Analysts: 12 threads handle large datasets in Python or R.

4. Corporate Users: vPro provides hardware protection against threats.

For everyday tasks (web browsing, Netflix), the processor is overkill — a Core i5 would suffice.

Battery Life: How Long Will the Laptop Last?

With a battery capacity of 80-90 Wh:

- Office Mode: 8-10 hours (brightness 150 nits, Wi-Fi, power-saving profile).

- Load: 3-4 hours (rendering + active cooling).

Energy-saving technologies:

- Intel Speed Shift: Instant switching between P-states.

- Dynamic Tuning 2.0: AI optimization of core load in real time.

Comparison with Competitors

- AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 6950H (Zen 3+, 6C/12T, 45 W): Better in multi-threaded tasks (+10% in Cinebench R23), but weaker in single-threaded (-7%). No ECC support. Laptops are cheaper — starting from $1800.

- Apple M2 Pro (8 cores, 5 nm): More energy-efficient (12+ hours of battery life), but limited compatibility with Windows software. MacBook Pro with M2 Pro starts at $2200.

- Intel Core i9-11950H (8C/16T, Tiger Lake): Cheaper (~$1700) but lacks ECC and vPro.

Pros and Cons of Xeon W-11855M

Strengths:

- Reliability for professional tasks (ECC, vPro).

- High single-threaded performance.

- Support for Thunderbolt 4 and PCIe 4.0.

Weaknesses:

- Price: Laptops starting at $2200.

- iGPU weaker than AMD's Radeon 680M.

- Limited model selection (top Dell Precision, HP ZBook).

Recommendations for Laptop Selection

1. Device Type: Mobile workstation (e.g., Dell Precision 5570) or premium business laptop (Lenovo ThinkPad P15).

2. Cooling: Look for models with dual fans and copper heat pipes.

3. Memory: At least 32 GB DDR4-3200 with ECC.

4. Storage: PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD of 1-2 TB.

5. Display: 4K IPS with 100% sRGB for color correction.

Examples of 2025 models:

- Dell Precision 5580: Starting at $2400, 15.6" 4K, RTX A2000.

- HP ZBook Studio G9: Starting at $2300, 16" OLED, 64 GB RAM.

Final Conclusion

The Intel Xeon W-11855M is the choice for professionals who need maximum stability and mobility. It is ideal for engineers, programmers, and designers working in "field conditions." If your budget is limited and ECC is not critical, consider Core i9 or Ryzen 9 PRO. However, for tasks where errors are unacceptable, Xeon remains the only option in 2025.

Basic

Label Name

Intel

Platform

Mobile

Launch Date

May 2021

Model Name

The Intel processor number is just one of several factors - along with processor brand, system configurations, and system-level benchmarks - to be considered when choosing the right processor for your computing needs.

W-11855M

Code Name

Tiger Lake

CPU Specifications

Total Cores

Cores is a hardware term that describes the number of independent central processing units in a single computing component (die or chip).

Total Threads

Where applicable, Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology is only available on Performance-cores.

Max Turbo Frequency

Max Turbo Frequency is the maximum single-core frequency at which the processor is capable of operating using Intel® Turbo Boost Technology and, if present, Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 and Intel® Thermal Velocity Boost. Frequency is typically measured in gigahertz (GHz), or billion cycles per second.

4.90 GHz

Intel Hyper-Threading Technology

Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology (Intel® HT Technology) delivers two processing threads per physical core. Highly threaded applications can get more work done in parallel, completing tasks sooner.

Yes

Intel Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 Frequency

Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 identifies the best performing core(s) on a processor and provides increased performance on those cores through increasing frequency as needed by taking advantage of power and thermal headroom. Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 frequency is the clock frequency of the CPU when running in this mode.

4.90 GHz

Intel Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0

Yes

L3 Cache

18 MB

CPU Socket

The socket is the component that provides the mechanical and electrical connections between the processor and motherboard.

FCBGA1787

Technology

Lithography refers to the semiconductor technology used to manufacture an integrated circuit, and is reported in nanometer (nm), indicative of the size of features built on the semiconductor.

10 nm SuperFin

TDP

35 W

Max. Operating Temperature

Junction Temperature is the maximum temperature allowed at the processor die.

100°C

Number of PCI Express Lanes

A PCI Express (PCIe) lane consists of two differential signaling pairs, one for receiving data, one for transmitting data, and is the basic unit of the PCIe bus. Max # of PCI Express Lanes is the total number of supported lanes.

Instruction Set

The instruction set is a hard program stored inside the CPU that guides and optimizes CPU operations. With these instruction sets, the CPU can run more efficiently. There are many manufacturers that design CPUs, which results in different instruction sets, such as the 8086 instruction set for the Intel camp and the RISC instruction set for the ARM camp. x86, ARM v8, and MIPS are all codes for instruction sets. Instruction sets can be extended; for example, x86 added 64-bit support to create x86-64. Manufacturers developing CPUs that are compatible with a certain instruction set need authorization from the instruction set patent holder. A typical example is Intel authorizing AMD, enabling the latter to develop CPUs compatible with the x86 instruction set.

64-bit

PCI Express Configurations

PCI Express (PCIe) Configurations describe the available PCIe lane configurations that can be used to link to PCIe devices.

Up to 1x16+1x4 | 2x8+1x4 | 1x8+3x4

Microprocessor PCIe Revision

Gen 4

Memory Specifications

Memory Type

Intel® processors come in four different types: Single Channel, Dual Channel, Triple Channel, and Flex Mode. Maximum supported memory speed may be lower when populating multiple DIMMs per channel on products that support multiple memory channels.

Up to 3200 MT/s

Max Memory Size

Max memory size refers to the maximum memory capacity supported by the processor.

128 GB

Memory Channels

The number of memory channels refers to the bandwidth operation for real world application.

Bus Speed

8 GT/s

Max Memory Bandwidth

Max Memory bandwidth is the maximum rate at which data can be read from or stored into a semiconductor memory by the processor (in GB/s).

51.2 GB/s

ECC Memory Supported

ECC Memory Supported indicates processor support for Error-Correcting Code memory. ECC memory is a type of system memory that can detect and correct common kinds of internal data corruption. Note that ECC memory support requires both processor and chipset support.

Yes

GPU Specifications

Integrated Graphics Model

An integrated GPU refers to the graphics core that is integrated into the CPU processor. Leveraging the processor's powerful computational capabilities and intelligent power efficiency management, it delivers outstanding graphics performance and a smooth application experience at a lower power consumption.

Intel® UHD Graphics for 11th Gen Intel® Processors

Graphics Base Frequency

Graphics Base frequency refers to the rated/guaranteed graphics render clock frequency in MHz.

350 MHz

Graphics Frequency

Graphics max dynamic frequency refers to the maximum opportunistic graphics render clock frequency (in MHz) that can be supported using Intel® HD Graphics with Dynamic Frequency feature.

1.45 GHz

DirectX Support

DirectX* Support indicates support for a specific version of Microsoft’s collection of APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) for handling multimedia compute tasks.

12.1

Execution Units

The Execution Unit is the foundational building block of Intel’s graphics architecture. Execution Units are compute processors optimized for simultaneous Multi-Threading for high throughput compute power.

Max Resolution (HDMI)

Max Resolution (HDMI) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor via the HDMI interface (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your system.

4096x2304@60Hz

Max Resolution (DP)

Max Resolution (DP) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor via the DP interface (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your system.

7680x4320@60Hz

Max Resolution (eDP - Integrated Flat Panel)

Max Resolution (Integrated Flat Panel) is the maximum resolution supported by the processor for a device with an integrated flat panel (24bits per pixel & 60Hz). System or device display resolution is dependent on multiple system design factors; actual resolution may be lower on your device.

4096x2304@60Hz

Number of Displays Supported

Graphics Output

Graphics Output defines the interfaces available to communicate with display devices.

eDP 1.4b | DP 1.4 | HDMI 2.0b

Miscellaneous

Intel Image Processing Unit

6.0

Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-x)

Intel® Virtualization Technology (VT-x) allows one hardware platform to function as multiple “virtual” platforms. It offers improved manageability by limiting downtime and maintaining productivity by isolating computing activities into separate partitions.

Yes

Intel Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d)

Intel® Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d) continues from the existing support for IA-32 (VT-x) and Itanium® processor (VT-i) virtualization adding new support for I/O-device virtualization. Intel VT-d can help end users improve security and reliability of the systems and also improve performance of I/O devices in virtualized environments.

Yes

Intel Standard Manageability (ISM)

Intel® Standard Manageability is the manageability solution for Intel vPro® Essentials platforms and is a subset of Intel® AMT with out-of-band management over Ethernet and Wi-Fi, but no KVM or new life cycle management features.

Intel® SSE4.1 | Intel® SSE4.2 | Intel® AVX2 | Intel® AVX-512

Cache

CPU Cache is an area of fast memory located on the processor. Intel® Smart Cache refers to the architecture that allows all cores to dynamically share access to the last level cache.

18 MB Intel® Smart Cache

Intel AES New Instructions

Intel® AES New Instructions (Intel® AES-NI) are a set of instructions that enable fast and secure data encryption and decryption. AES-NI are valuable for a wide range of cryptographic applications, for example: applications that perform bulk encryption/decryption, authentication, random number generation, and authenticated encryption.

Yes

Intel High Definition Audio

Yes

Intel Volume Management Device (VMD)

Intel® Volume Management Device (VMD) provides a common, robust method of hot plug and LED management for NVMe-based solid state drives.

Yes

Intel Boot Guard

Intel® Device Protection Technology with Boot Guard helps protect the system’s pre-OS environment from viruses and malicious software attacks.

Yes

Intel VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT)

Intel® VT-x with Extended Page Tables (EPT), also known as Second Level Address Translation (SLAT), provides acceleration for memory intensive virtualized applications. Extended Page Tables in Intel® Virtualization Technology platforms reduces the memory and power overhead costs and increases battery life through hardware optimization of page table management.

Yes

Intel Control-Flow Enforcement Technology

CET - Intel Control-flow Enforcement Technology (CET) helps protect against the misuse of legitimate code snippets through return-oriented programming (ROP) control-flow hijacking attacks.

Yes

Intel Deep Learning Boost (Intel DL Boost)

Yes

Intel Flex Memory Access

Yes

Intel OS Guard

Yes

OpenGL Support

OpenGL (Open Graphics Library) is a cross-language, multi-platform API (Application Programming Interface) for rendering 2D and 3D vector graphics.

4.6

OpenCL Support

OpenCL (Open Computing Language) is a multi-platform API (Application Programming Interface) for heterogeneous parallel programming.

3.0

Intel Quick Sync Video

Intel® Quick Sync Video delivers fast conversion of video for portable media players, online sharing, and video editing and authoring.

Yes

Benchmarks

Geekbench 6

Single Core Score

1996

Geekbench 6

Multi Core Score

7042

Geekbench 5

Single Core Score

1452

Geekbench 5

Multi Core Score

6671

Passmark CPU

Single Core Score

3274

Passmark CPU

Multi Core Score

18272

Compared to Other CPU

Geekbench 6 Single Core

Core i9-12900HK

2186 +9.5%

EPYC 9684X

2083 +4.4%

Xeon W-11855M

1996

Ryzen 9 PRO 6950HS

1903 -4.7%

Ryzen 9 PRO 6950H

1777 -11%

Geekbench 6 Multi Core

Xeon W-11865MRE

8020 +13.9%

EPYC 7252

7484 +6.3%

Xeon W-11855M

7042

Ryzen 5 6600U

6613 -6.1%

Ryzen 5 5600HS

6241 -11.4%

Geekbench 5 Single Core

Core i5-13600HRE

1597 +10%

Xeon w5-3435X

1534 +5.6%

Xeon W-11855M

1452

Core i5-1155G7

1389 -4.3%

Ryzen 7 PRO 7730U

1331 -8.3%

Geekbench 5 Multi Core

Core i5-12400

7415 +11.2%

Core i5-11400

7090 +6.3%

Xeon W-11855M

6671

Xeon E5-4667 v4

6269 -6%

Xeon W-1290TE

5971 -10.5%

Passmark CPU Single Core

Core i3-1220P

3412 +4.2%

Core i5-11600KF

3344 +2.1%

Xeon W-11855M

3274

Ryzen 5 5500GT

3210 -2%

Core i9-10900

3145 -3.9%

Passmark CPU Multi Core

Core i9-9900K

19528 +6.9%

Core i7-10700

18892 +3.4%

Xeon W-11855M

18272

Xeon E5-4669 v3

17430 -4.6%

Xeon Gold 6134

16651 -8.9%