Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M vs AMD Ryzen 9 5950X

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 detailed tests Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M vs AMD Ryzen 9 5950X and decide which is better for games or simple use for rendering, streaming, programming, machine learning, video editing. Here is all information from real streaming and video editing tests or several benchmarks. A step-by-step analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to understand, is made by the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests like GeekBench 6, 5.2, WPrime, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Furmark, RealBench, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Gears 5, Prime95, Blender, PassMark, Handbrake, VeraCrypt, AIDA64, MATLAB, 7zip, 3DMark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Blender, PCMark 10, UserBenchmark, SuperPi, Dolphin Emulator.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which processor is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 9 5950X or Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M.

Summary benchmark results

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

Xeon Platinum 8260M

60%

Ryzen 9 5950X

64%

This shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen 9 5950X is 6% better than Xeon Platinum 8260M. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Xeon Platinum 8260M

69%

Ryzen 9 5950X

60%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	121.9	107.2
Valorant	138.5	121.9
Cyberpunk 2077	77.6	68.2
Apex Legends	130.2	114.6
Call of Duty Warzone	103.9	91.4
Overwatch	112.2	98.7
Red Dead Redemption 2	95.6	84.1
DOOM Eternal	69.3	60.9
Warzone	108.1	95.1
Assassin's Creed	116.4	102.4
Valheim	115.0	101.1

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

Xeon Platinum 8260M

21%

Ryzen 9 5950X

57%

To make a final resolution 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 5950X is more energy efficient than the Xeon Platinum 8260M as it consumes less power: 165W vs. 105W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you need 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 plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for programming, machine learning, video editing or video rendering, streaming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the processor turns on all threads and cores 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 check whether the software you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that 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 Platinum 8260M	AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	211	277
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	5808	4569
Cinbench 20 Single-core	366	647
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	14048	10428
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1239	1639
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	35899	28641

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

	Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M	AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
Single-Core	2291	3455
Multi-Core	34071	46183

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

	Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M	AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
Single-Core	1071	1814
Multi-Core	33238	18863

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 Platinum 8260M	AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
Announcement date	October 01, 2020	November 05, 2020
Type	Server	Desktop
Socket	LGA3647	AM4
Core name	Cascade Lake	Vermeer
Architecture	x86	Zen 3
Generation	2	5
Turbo Frequency	3.9 MHz	4.9 MHz
Frequency	2.3 MHz	3.4 MHz
Cores	24	16
Threads	48	32
Bus rate
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	7510 millions	9400 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	165 W	105 W
Memory type	DDR4-2933	DDR4
Max. Memory	1 Gb
Memory Frequency		3200
Memory bandwidth
L1 cache
L2 cache		8MB
L3 cache	35.75 MB	64MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	Yes	No
Part number		100-000000059 100-100000059WOF

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Ryzen 9 5950X is 32% better than Xeon Platinum 8260M in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Xeon Platinum 8260M has 8 more core than Ryzen 9 5950X. 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 Platinum 8260M is better: 19
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 9 5950X is better: 16
All the figures in the table above do not mean that taking them into account you should totally trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M and AMD Ryzen 9 5950X before deciding which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

• Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 9 5950X specs and review.