Intel Core i7-6950X vs Intel Xeon W-1290T

Processor comparisons   24-03-2021
   Let's say there are difficulties with the choice of a processor, you will solve them by reading the comprehensive tests Intel Core i7-6950X vs Intel Xeon W-1290T and decide which is better for games or normal use for streaming, video editing, programming, machine learning, rendering. Here you can find useful information from real streaming and video editing tests or many benchmarks. A careful analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in software tests such as PassMark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Dolphin Emulator, PCMark 10, DaVinci Resolve Studio, WPrime, Prime95, 7zip, AIDA64, UserBenchmark, VeraCrypt, GeekBench 6, 5.2, MATLAB, SuperPi, Furmark, Handbrake, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Blender, Gears 5, RealBench, Blender, 3DMark.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Xeon W-1290T 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 W-1290T

55%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Core i7-6950X

56%

Xeon W-1290T

54%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. And it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will run games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a low game result, 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: Shadow of the Tomb Raider, NBA 2K20, League of Legends (LOL), Forza Horizon 4, Monster Hunter World, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Half-Life: Alyx, Control, Horizon Zero Dawn, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Metro Exodus, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Hitman 3, Microsoft Flight Simulator, DOTA 2A, Battlefield V, Ghostrunner, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	99.4	96.5
Valorant	113.0	109.7
Cyberpunk 2077	63.3	61.4
Apex Legends	106.2	103.1
Call of Duty Warzone	84.7	82.2
Overwatch	91.5	88.8
Red Dead Redemption 2	77.9	75.7
DOOM Eternal	56.5	54.8
Warzone	88.1	85.5
Assassin's Creed	94.9	92.1
Valheim	93.8	91.0

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 amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, FullHD 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 W-1290T

124%

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 Xeon W-1290T is more energy efficient than the Core i7-6950X as it consumes less power: 140W vs. 35W. 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

If you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, video rendering or video editing, programming, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU uses all cores and threads that it has to the maximum to reach maximum performance. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to make sure that 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 work, and all the benefit 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 W-1290T
Cinbench 15 Single-core	152	108
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1819	3171
Cinbench 20 Single-core	498	240
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	4827	7463
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1091	640
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	12713	18031

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

	Intel Core i7-6950X	Intel Xeon W-1290T
Single-Core	2377	2944
Multi-Core	17125	18353

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

	Intel Core i7-6950X	Intel Xeon W-1290T
Single-Core	1204	1308
Multi-Core	11187	8329

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most helpful. The later the processor is released, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in the newest games. Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Intel Core i7-6950X	Intel Xeon W-1290T
Announcement date	April 01, 2016	January 01, 2021
Type	Desktop	Server
Socket	LGA2011-v3	FCLGA1200
Core name	Broadwell E	Comet Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	6	12
Turbo Frequency	3.5 MHz	4.7 MHz
Frequency	3 MHz	1.9 MHz
Cores	10	10
Threads	20	20
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count		2460 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	140 W	35 W
Memory type	DDR4 2400/2133	DDR4-2933
Max. Memory	128 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth		45.8 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	25 MB	20 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 36% better than Xeon W-1290T in terms of CPU frequency. 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: 17
The number of parameters for which Intel Xeon W-1290T is better: 15
All the data that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should completely trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Core i7-6950X and Intel Xeon W-1290T before making a choice which of the processors 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 W-1290T specs and review.