Intel Xeon Platinum 8260 vs AMD Ryzen 9 3950X

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CPU comparison with benchmarks

-VS-

CPU lineage

Intel Xeon Platinum 8260 or Intel Xeon Platinum 8260 – which processor offers superior performance? In this comparison, we examine disparities and assess which of these two CPUs outperforms the other. We delve into technical specifications and benchmark outcomes.
The Intel Xeon Platinum 8260 features 24 processor cores and has the capability to manage 48 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q2/2019 and belongs to the 2 generation of the Intel Xeon Platinum series.
To use the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260, you'll need a motherboard with a LGA 3647 socket.
The AMD Ryzen 9 3950X features 16 processor cores and has the capability to manage 32 threads concurrently.
It was released in Q3/2019 and belongs to the 3 generation of the AMD Ryzen 9 series.
To use the AMD Ryzen 9 3950X, you'll need a motherboard with a AM4 (PGA 1331) socket.
Desktop / Server Segment Desktop / Server
Intel Xeon Platinum 8260 Name AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
Intel Xeon Platinum Family AMD Ryzen 9
2 Generation 3
Intel Xeon Platinum 8200/9200 Group AMD Ryzen 3000
 
 

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Intel Xeon Platinum 8260 has 24 CPU cores and can calculate 48 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the Intel Xeon Platinum 8260 is 2.4 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 3.9 GHz.
The number of CPU cores greatly affects the speed of the processor and is an important performance indicator.
The AMD Ryzen 9 3950X has 16 CPU cores and can calculate 32 threads in parallel.
The clock frequency of the AMD Ryzen 9 3950X is 3.5 GHz
and turbo frequency for one core is 4.7 GHz.
3.9 GHz Turbo Frequency (1 core) 4.7 GHz
No Overclocking Yes
normal Core architecture normal
2.4 GHz Frequency 3.5 GHz
48 Threads 32
Yes Hyperthreading Yes
24 CPU Cores 16
24x Cores 16x
 
 

Internal Graphics

The Intel Xeon Platinum 8260 does not have integrated graphics.
The AMD Ryzen 9 3950X does not have integrated graphics.
-- GPU frequency --
-- Release date --
-- Direct X --
GPU name
-- Technology --
-- Max. displays --
-- Shaders --
0 bytes Max. GPU Memory 0 bytes
-- Execution units --
-- Generation --
-- GPU (Turbo) --
 
 

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

-- AI specifications --
-- AI hardware --
 
 

Hardware codec support

A photo or video codec that is accelerated in hardware can greatly accelerate the working speed of a processor and extend the battery life of notebooks or smartphones when playing videos.
-- AVC --
-- VC-1 --
-- VP9 --
-- h265 / HEVC (10 bit) --
-- h264 --
-- VP8 --
-- h265 / HEVC (8 bit) --
-- JPEG --
-- AV1 --
 
 

Memory & PCIe

The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 1.0 TB distributed across 6 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 140.7 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
The processor supports a maximum memory capacity of 128.0 GB distributed across 2 memory channels. It offers a peak memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. Both the type and quantity of memory can have a substantial impact on the overall system performance.
6 Memory channels 2
1.0 TB Max. Memory 128.0 GB
pci PCIe pci
Yes AES-NI Yes
Yes ECC Yes
140.7 GB/s Bandwidth 51.2 GB/s
DDR4-2933 Memory type DDR4-3200
 
 

Thermal Management

The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 165 W watts.
TDP indicates the cooling solution needed to effectively manage the processor's heat. It generally provides an approximate indication of the actual power consumption of the CPU itself.
The processor has a thermal design power (TDP) of 105 W watts.
-- Tjunction max 95 °C
None TDP (PL2) 142 W
165 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 105 W
 
 

Technical details

The Intel Xeon Platinum 8260 is manufactured using a 14 nm process.
A smaller manufacturing process indicates a more contemporary and energy-efficient CPU.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 35.8 MB cache.
A substantial cache can significantly enhance the processor's performance, particularly in scenarios like gaming.
The AMD Ryzen 9 3950X is manufactured using a 7 nm process.
In total, this processor boasts a generous 64.0 MB cache.
Q2/2019 Release date Q3/2019
-- Part Number --
0 bytes L2-Cache 0 bytes
VT-x, VT-x EPT, VT-d Virtualization AMD-V, SVM
SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, AVX-512 ISA extensions SSE4a, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, FMA3, AVX2
Monolithic Chip design Chiplet
Cascade Lake Architecture Matisse (Zen 2)
14 nm Technology 7 nm
LGA 3647 Socket AM4 (PGA 1331)
Windows 10, Linux Operating systems Windows 10, Linux, Windows 11
4702 $ Release price 650 $
Technical data sheet Documents Technical data sheet
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
35.8 MB L3-Cache 64.0 MB
 
 

Benchmarks

Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark

AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 3.5 GHz
39079
39079
Intel Xeon Platinum 8260
24C 48T @ 2.4 GHz
29369
29369

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Intel Xeon Platinum 8260
24C 48T @ 2.4 GHz
18863
18863
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 3.5 GHz
14322
14322

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 3.5 GHz
1408
1408
Intel Xeon Platinum 8260
24C 48T @ 2.4 GHz
1131
1131

Cinebench R20 (Single-Core)

AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
16C 32T @ 3.5 GHz
531
531
Intel Xeon Platinum 8260
24C 48T @ 2.4 GHz
366
366

Intel Xeon Platinum 8260 and AMD Ryzen 9 3950X in leaderboards