Intel Xeon Gold 6246R vs Intel Core i9-7980XE

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   Perhaps you are thinking about choosing a processor, you will be able to make a choice by looking at the Intel Xeon Gold 6246R vs Intel Core i9-7980XE tests and decide which is better for games or normal use for streaming, programming, machine learning, video editing, rendering. Here is useful information from different benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A step-by-step analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to read, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests such as Gears 5, 3DMark, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Prime95, DaVinci Resolve Studio, MATLAB, RealBench, PassMark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), VeraCrypt, WPrime, Dolphin Emulator, 7zip, UserBenchmark, Blender, Blender, Furmark, AIDA64, SuperPi, PCMark 10, Handbrake.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After looking at the data of all benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which processor is better to buy for gaming Intel Core i9-7980XE or Intel Xeon Gold 6246R.

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 6246R

59%

Core i9-7980XE

58%

This shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Xeon Gold 6246R is 1% better than Core i9-7980XE. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Xeon Gold 6246R

62%

Core i9-7980XE

60%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. 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, 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: NBA 2K20, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Ghostrunner, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Metro Exodus, Monster Hunter World, DOTA 2A, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Half-Life: Alyx, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Control, Forza Horizon 4, Battlefield V, Hitman 3, Horizon Zero Dawn, League of Legends (LOL).

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	109.5	107.0
Valorant	124.5	121.6
Cyberpunk 2077	69.7	68.1
Apex Legends	117.0	114.3
Call of Duty Warzone	93.4	91.2
Overwatch	100.8	98.5
Red Dead Redemption 2	85.9	83.9
DOOM Eternal	62.2	60.8
Warzone	97.1	94.9
Assassin's Creed	104.6	102.2
Valheim	103.3	100.9

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 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 Gold 6246R

16%

Core i9-7980XE

23%

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 Core i9-7980XE is more energy efficient than the Xeon Gold 6246R as it consumes less power: 205W vs. 165W. 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

For example you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, video rendering or video editing, streaming, programming, 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 find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account 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 use only one core to run, 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 6246R	Intel Core i9-7980XE
Cinbench 15 Single-core	179	184
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	5252	3455
Cinbench 20 Single-core	397	446
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	12359	7671
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1059	1281
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	29861	28196

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

	Intel Xeon Gold 6246R	Intel Core i9-7980XE
Single-Core	2365	2490
Multi-Core	30393	29612

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

	Intel Xeon Gold 6246R	Intel Core i9-7980XE
Single-Core	1041	1158
Multi-Core	21110	18658

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful 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 later. The same can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS even in new games. It turns out that you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Intel Xeon Gold 6246R	Intel Core i9-7980XE
Announcement date	October 01, 2020	April 01, 2017
Type	Server	Desktop
Socket	FCLGA3647	FCLGA2066
Core name	Cascade Lake	Skylake
Architecture	x86	x86
Generation	2	9
Turbo Frequency	4.1 MHz	4.2 MHz
Frequency	3.4 MHz	2.6 MHz
Cores	16	18
Threads	32	36
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	7510 millions	7800 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	205 W	165 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	24.75 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 Xeon Gold 6246R is 23% better than Core i9-7980XE in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Core i9-7980XE has 2 more core than Xeon Gold 6246R. 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 6246R is better: 20
The number of parameters for which Intel Core i9-7980XE is better: 14
Although it should be understood that all the number in the text above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these figures. Be sure to watch the testing video and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Xeon Gold 6246R and Intel Core i9-7980XE before making a decision which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

• Intel Xeon Gold 6246R specs and review.

• Intel Core i9-7980XE specs and review.