Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M vs Intel Core i9-9990XE

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   Let's say there are difficulties with the choice of a CPU, you will solve them by reading the detailed tests Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M vs Intel Core i9-9990XE and understand which is better for games or simple use for machine learning, programming, rendering, video editing, streaming. Here is all information from several benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A careful analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in special testing software such as GeekBench 6, 5.2, Prime95, Dolphin Emulator, VeraCrypt, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, RealBench, WPrime, 7zip, Furmark, Blender, SuperPi, PassMark, Blender, Gears 5, 3DMark, PCMark 10, Handbrake, MATLAB, DaVinci Resolve Studio, AIDA64, UserBenchmark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15).
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After reading the results of parallel benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-9990XE 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%

Core i9-9990XE

59%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Xeon Platinum 8260M is 1% better than Core i9-9990XE. 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%

Core i9-9990XE

59%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	121.9	104.6
Valorant	138.5	118.9
Cyberpunk 2077	77.6	66.6
Apex Legends	130.2	111.7
Call of Duty Warzone	103.9	89.1
Overwatch	112.2	96.3
Red Dead Redemption 2	95.6	82.0
DOOM Eternal	69.3	59.4
Warzone	108.1	92.7
Assassin's Creed	116.4	99.8
Valheim	115.0	98.6

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 comparisons not only were the equipped with 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. 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 Platinum 8260M

21%

Core i9-9990XE

16%

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 Xeon Platinum 8260M is more energy efficient than the Core i9-9990XE as it consumes less power: 165W vs. 260W. 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

Let's say 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, to reach maximum efficiency, the CPU 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 check whether the program 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 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	Intel Core i9-9990XE
Cinbench 15 Single-core	211	199
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	5808	3215
Cinbench 20 Single-core	366	455
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	14048	7457
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1239	1115
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	35899	22765

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

	Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M	Intel Core i9-9990XE
Single-Core	2291	3072
Multi-Core	34071	31845

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

	Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M	Intel Core i9-9990XE
Single-Core	1071	1308
Multi-Core	33238	16263

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most helpful. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. 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, thereby increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in the newest games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M	Intel Core i9-9990XE
Announcement date	October 01, 2020	April 01, 2020
Type	Server	Desktop
Socket	LGA3647	LGA2066
Core name	Cascade Lake	Skylake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	2	9
Turbo Frequency	3.9 MHz	5.2 MHz
Frequency	2.3 MHz	4.2 MHz
Cores	24	14
Threads	48	28
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	7510 millions	8600 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	165 W	260 W
Memory type	DDR4-2933	DDR4-2666
Max. Memory	1 Gb	128 Gb
Memory Frequency
Memory bandwidth		85 GB/s
L1 cache
L2 cache
L3 cache	35.75 MB	32 MB
Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Supports ECC	Yes	No
Part number

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Core i9-9990XE is 45% better than Xeon Platinum 8260M in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Xeon Platinum 8260M has 10 more core than Core i9-9990XE. 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: 24
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-9990XE is better: 10
However, it should be realized that the summary data in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should completely trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M and Intel Core i9-9990XE before deciding which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

• Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M specs and review.

• Intel Core i9-9990XE specs and review.