Intel Xeon Gold 6242R vs Intel Core i9-7960X

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   Let's say you are thinking about choosing a processor, you will be able to make a choice after reading the comprehensive tests Intel Xeon Gold 6242R vs Intel Core i9-7960X and see which is better for games or simple use for streaming, machine learning, video editing, programming, rendering. Here you can find useful information from several benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A careful review of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests such as AIDA64, Prime95, RealBench, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Blender, Furmark, Blender, DaVinci Resolve Studio, VeraCrypt, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), UserBenchmark, 3DMark, MATLAB, Dolphin Emulator, Handbrake, PassMark, Gears 5, PCMark 10, 7zip, SuperPi, WPrime.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

Cyberpunk 2077
Halo Infinite
Last Man Standing
Red Dead Redemption 2
Valorant
Rainbow Six Siege
Fallout 76
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone
DOOM: Eternal
Fortnite
Death Stranding
Overwatch
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
Borderlands 3
Watch Dogs Legion
Valheim
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Grand Theft Auto V
Apex Legends

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-7960X or Intel Xeon Gold 6242R.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

Xeon Gold 6242R

60%

Core i9-7960X

58%

This shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Xeon Gold 6242R is 3% better than Core i9-7960X. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Xeon Gold 6242R

66%

Core i9-7960X

60%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. And it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will play games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a small game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: League of Legends (LOL), Forza Horizon 4, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), DOTA 2A, Control, Monster Hunter World, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Ghostrunner, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Hitman 3, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Metro Exodus, NBA 2K20, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Horizon Zero Dawn, Battlefield V, Half-Life: Alyx.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	117.7	106.9
Valorant	133.8	121.4
Cyberpunk 2077	74.9	68.0
Apex Legends	125.8	114.2
Call of Duty Warzone	100.4	91.1
Overwatch	108.4	98.4
Red Dead Redemption 2	92.3	83.8
DOOM Eternal	66.9	60.7
Warzone	104.4	94.7
Assassin's Creed	112.4	102.0
Valheim	111.1	100.8

The numbers in this table indicate the maximum FPS that was received on the device with the corresponding processor. Depending on the configuration of the computer (RAM size and Video Card) and graphics quality settings (Ultra, Medium, Normal), the results may differ quite significantly. We recommend that you better study the results of the Cinebench, GeekBench and Passmark becnmarks.
The computers that were in the comparisons not only did they have different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 4K, 2K or FullHD. So the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. To be sure exactly how much performance the processor will be in games, if you get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Xeon Gold 6242R

17%

Core i9-7960X

22%

To make a finishing decision on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. It is clear that the newer the generation, the better the performance of the processor in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i9-7960X is more energy efficient than the Xeon Gold 6242R as it consumes less power: 205W vs. 165W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must know its TDP. It is necessary to calculate so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

Let's say you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, programming, streaming, video editing or video rendering, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU uses all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to reach maximum efficiency. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to find out whether the program that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that can use only one core to run, and all the advantages of multi-core mode are unused.
Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Intel Xeon Gold 6242R	Intel Core i9-7960X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	216	184
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	5946	3161
Cinbench 20 Single-core	497	611
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	14382	5496
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1269	1103
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	36754	22189

Passmark
This popular benchmark displays Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Xeon Gold 6242R	Intel Core i9-7960X
Single-Core	2419	2605
Multi-Core	34882	27039

GeekBench 6, 5.2
This benchmark shows Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Intel Xeon Gold 6242R	Intel Core i9-7960X
Single-Core	1073	1113
Multi-Core	29161	18501

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most helpful will be the release date of the processor and the possibility of overclocking it. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in the newest games. It turns out that there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Intel Xeon Gold 6242R	Intel Core i9-7960X
Announcement date	October 01, 2020	October 01, 2017
Type	Server	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA3647	FCLGA2066
Core name	Cascade Lake	Skylake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	2	7
Turbo Frequency	4.1 MHz	4.2 MHz
Frequency	3.1 MHz	2.8 MHz
Cores	20	16
Threads	40	32
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm
Transistors count	7510 millions	7800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	205 W	165 W
Memory type	DDR4-2933	DDR4-2666
Max. Memory	1 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth		85 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	35.75 MB	22 MB
Overclocking	Yes	No
Supports ECC	Yes	No
Part number

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Xeon Gold 6242R is 9% better than Core i9-7960X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Xeon Gold 6242R has 4 more core than Core i9-7960X. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which Intel Xeon Gold 6242R is better: 25
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-7960X is better: 11
However, it should be understood that all the data that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should totally trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch the video tests and read the opinion of of people who bought Intel Xeon Gold 6242R and Intel Core i9-7960X before making a choice which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Xeon Gold 6242R specs and review.

• Intel Core i9-7960X specs and review.