Intel Core i7-6950X vs Intel Xeon E5-2697R v4

Processor comparisons   24-03-2021
   You may have difficulties with the choice of a CPU, you will solve them by reading the detailed tests Intel Core i7-6950X vs Intel Xeon E5-2697R v4 and see which is better for games or normal use for video editing, rendering, programming, streaming, machine learning. Here you can find all information from various benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A thorough analysis 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 parallel examination in software tests such as Handbrake, Dolphin Emulator, MATLAB, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, 3DMark, Furmark, VeraCrypt, AIDA64, SuperPi, WPrime, Blender, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Prime95, UserBenchmark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, PCMark 10, Gears 5, RealBench, Blender, 7zip, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), PassMark.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Xeon E5-2697R v4 or Intel Core i7-6950X.

Summary benchmark results

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

Core i7-6950X

55%

Xeon E5-2697R v4

55%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i7-6950X

56%

Xeon E5-2697R v4

61%

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 the cost of this processor reaches several tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a little game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of less popular games in which processors were compared: NBA 2K20, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Ghostrunner, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Metro Exodus, Monster Hunter World, DOTA 2A, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Half-Life: Alyx, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Control, Forza Horizon 4, Battlefield V, Hitman 3, Horizon Zero Dawn, League of Legends (LOL).

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	99.4	108.6
Valorant	113.0	123.4
Cyberpunk 2077	63.3	69.1
Apex Legends	106.2	116.0
Call of Duty Warzone	84.7	92.6
Overwatch	91.5	100.0
Red Dead Redemption 2	77.9	85.2
DOOM Eternal	56.5	61.7
Warzone	88.1	96.3
Assassin's Creed	94.9	103.7
Valheim	93.8	102.5

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 tested computers not only did they have different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: FullHD, 2K or 4K. 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 compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Core i7-6950X

28%

Xeon E5-2697R v4

20%

To make a final decision on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. The newer the processor generation, the better its performance in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Core i7-6950X is more energy efficient than the Xeon E5-2697R v4 as it consumes less power: 140W vs. 145W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful to know its TDP. It is necessary to count so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

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

	Intel Core i7-6950X	Intel Xeon E5-2697R v4
Cinbench 15 Single-core	152	108
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1819	3177
Cinbench 20 Single-core	498	240
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	4827	7475
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1091	641
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	12713	18061

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

	Intel Core i7-6950X	Intel Xeon E5-2697R v4
Single-Core	2377	1916
Multi-Core	17125	18383

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

	Intel Core i7-6950X	Intel Xeon E5-2697R v4
Single-Core	1204	910
Multi-Core	11187	20218

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the release date of the processor and the possibility of overclocking it. The newer the processor, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in the newest games. The savings are obvious! Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Core i7-6950X	Intel Xeon E5-2697R v4
Announcement date	April 01, 2016	January 01, 2021
Type	Desktop	Server
Socket	LGA2011-v3	FCLGA2011-3
Core name	Broadwell E	Broadwell
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	6	4
Turbo Frequency	3.5 MHz	3.6 MHz
Frequency	3 MHz	2.3 MHz
Cores	10	18
Threads	20	36
Bus rate		9.6 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count		4130 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	140 W	145 W
Memory type	DDR4 2400/2133	DDR4 1600/1866/2133/2400
Max. Memory	128 Gb	15 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth		76.8 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	25 MB	45 MB
Overclocking	No	Yes
Supports ECC	No	Yes
Part number

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i7-6950X is 23% better than Xeon E5-2697R v4 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Xeon E5-2697R v4 has 8 more core than Core i7-6950X. 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 Core i7-6950X is better: 9
The number of parameters for which Intel Xeon E5-2697R v4 is better: 26
Although it should be realized that all the data in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch the video tests and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i7-6950X and Intel Xeon E5-2697R v4 before making a selection which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

Intel Core i7-6950X - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Intel Core i7-6950X specs and review.

• Intel Xeon E5-2697R v4 specs and review.