Intel Xeon Gold 6242R vs AMD Ryzen 9 3900

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   Let's say you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a choice after reading the detailed tests Intel Xeon Gold 6242R vs AMD Ryzen 9 3900 and understand which is better for games or simple use for video editing, programming, machine learning, streaming, rendering. Here is useful information from various benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A careful analysis of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests such as UserBenchmark, Gears 5, Prime95, WPrime, AIDA64, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Blender, 7zip, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Dolphin Emulator, SuperPi, PassMark, Handbrake, RealBench, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Furmark, MATLAB, VeraCrypt, 3DMark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Blender, PCMark 10.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 9 3900 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%

Ryzen 9 3900

59%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Xeon Gold 6242R is 1% better than Ryzen 9 3900. 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%

Ryzen 9 3900

57%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor at the moment. 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. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a small game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of less popular games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Control, Half-Life: Alyx, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), DOTA 2A, Battlefield V, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Horizon Zero Dawn, Forza Horizon 4, Monster Hunter World, Ghostrunner, NBA 2K20, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, League of Legends (LOL), Hitman 3, Metro Exodus.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	117.7	101.6
Valorant	133.8	115.5
Cyberpunk 2077	74.9	64.7
Apex Legends	125.8	108.6
Call of Duty Warzone	100.4	86.6
Overwatch	108.4	93.5
Red Dead Redemption 2	92.3	79.7
DOOM Eternal	66.9	57.7
Warzone	104.4	90.1
Assassin's Creed	112.4	97.0
Valheim	111.1	95.9

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 participating in the comparing not only were the equipped with different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, 4K or FullHD. Therefore, the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. You will get more accurate information about how powerful 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

Xeon Gold 6242R

17%

Ryzen 9 3900

67%

To make a finishing choice 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 Ryzen 9 3900 is more energy efficient than the Xeon Gold 6242R since it has less power consumption: 205W vs. 65W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you need to know its TDP. You need to buy a cooler that has the TDP data specified in the specification was greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video rendering or video editing, programming, machine learning, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum performance, the processor uses all cores and threads that it has. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the software you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Because 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 Xeon Gold 6242R	AMD Ryzen 9 3900
Cinbench 15 Single-core	216	196
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	5946	2922
Cinbench 20 Single-core	497	485
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	14382	6789
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1269	1149
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	36754	16943

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

	Intel Xeon Gold 6242R	AMD Ryzen 9 3900
Single-Core	2419	2627
Multi-Core	34882	30807

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

	Intel Xeon Gold 6242R	AMD Ryzen 9 3900
Single-Core	1073	1324
Multi-Core	29161	13362

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 later the processor is released, the longer it will last in your computer. 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 new games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Intel Xeon Gold 6242R	AMD Ryzen 9 3900
Announcement date	October 01, 2020	September 30, 2019
Type	Server	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA3647	AM4
Core name	Cascade Lake	Matisse
Architecture	x86	Zen 2
Generation	2	2
Turbo Frequency	4.1 MHz	4.2 MHz
Frequency	3.1 MHz	3.1 MHz
Cores	20	12
Threads	40	24
Bus rate
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	7510 millions	7800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	205 W	65 W
Memory type	DDR4-2933	DDR4
Max. Memory	1 Gb
Memory Frequency		3200
Memory bandwidth
L1 cache		768KB
L2 cache		6MB
L3 cache	35.75 MB	64MB
Overclocking	Yes	No
Supports ECC	Yes	No
Part number		100-000000072

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Another difference is that Xeon Gold 6242R has 8 more core than Ryzen 9 3900. 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 AMD Ryzen 9 3900 is better: 10
Although it should be understood that all the figures in the table above do not mean that taking them into account you should fully 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 AMD Ryzen 9 3900 before deciding which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

• Intel Xeon Gold 6242R specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 9 3900 specs and review.