Intel Xeon Gold 6242R vs Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   If you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a decision by looking at the Intel Xeon Gold 6242R vs Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M tests and decide which is better for games or simple use for machine learning, streaming, programming, video editing, rendering. Here is useful information from different benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A careful analysis of all the technical characteristics, so that it can be easier to read, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in special test applications like RealBench, Gears 5, Handbrake, DaVinci Resolve Studio, SuperPi, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Furmark, AIDA64, PassMark, Blender, MATLAB, UserBenchmark, PCMark 10, GeekBench 6, 5.2, 3DMark, Prime95, 7zip, Blender, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, WPrime, Dolphin Emulator, VeraCrypt.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After looking at the data of joint benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M 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%

Xeon Platinum 8260M

60%

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Xeon Gold 6242R

66%

Xeon Platinum 8260M

69%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. And of course, this is a server processor, on which no one will run 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 final table below.
List of other games in which processors were compared: Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Horizon Zero Dawn, Hitman 3, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Microsoft Flight Simulator, NBA 2K20, Half-Life: Alyx, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Monster Hunter World, League of Legends (LOL), Control, DOTA 2A, Metro Exodus, Battlefield V, Forza Horizon 4, Ghostrunner.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	117.7	121.9
Valorant	133.8	138.5
Cyberpunk 2077	74.9	77.6
Apex Legends	125.8	130.2
Call of Duty Warzone	100.4	103.9
Overwatch	108.4	112.2
Red Dead Redemption 2	92.3	95.6
DOOM Eternal	66.9	69.3
Warzone	104.4	108.1
Assassin's Creed	112.4	116.4
Valheim	111.1	115.0

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 computers that were in the comparisons not only did they have different amounts of RAM and different video cards. 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 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%

Xeon Platinum 8260M

21%

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 Platinum 8260M 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 streaming, machine learning, programming, video editing or video rendering, then first of all you need to pay attention to the 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. Because there are still many programs that use only one core to work, and all the benefit 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 Xeon Platinum 8260M
Cinbench 15 Single-core	216	211
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	5946	5808
Cinbench 20 Single-core	497	366
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	14382	14048
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1269	1239
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	36754	35899

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

	Intel Xeon Gold 6242R	Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M
Single-Core	2419	2291
Multi-Core	34882	34071

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

	Intel Xeon Gold 6242R	Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M
Single-Core	1073	1071
Multi-Core	29161	33238

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. When the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in new games. The savings are obvious! Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Intel Xeon Gold 6242R	Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M
Announcement date	October 01, 2020	October 01, 2020
Type	Server	Server
Socket	FCLGA3647	LGA3647
Core name	Cascade Lake	Cascade Lake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	2	2
Turbo Frequency	4.1 MHz	3.9 MHz
Frequency	3.1 MHz	2.3 MHz
Cores	20	24
Threads	40	48
Bus rate
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	7510 millions	7510 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	205 W	165 W
Memory type	DDR4-2933	DDR4-2933
Max. Memory	1 Gb	1 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	35.75 MB	35.75 MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	Yes	Yes
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 25% better than Xeon Platinum 8260M in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Xeon Platinum 8260M has 4 more core than Xeon Gold 6242R. 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: 11
The number of parameters for which Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M is better: 15
Although it should be understood that the summary data in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should undividedly trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Be sure to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of real owners of Intel Xeon Gold 6242R and Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M before making a choice which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Xeon Gold 6242R specs and review.

• Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M specs and review.