Xeon Gold 6530 vs i7-980X

Primary details

Comparing Core i7-980X and Xeon Gold 6530 processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking	1358	60
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	0.22	55.96
Market segment	Desktop processor	Server
Power efficiency	3.12	14.46
Architecture codename	Gulftown (2010−2011)	Emerald Rapids (2023)
Release date	16 March 2010 (14 years ago)	14 December 2023 (less than a year ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$959	$2,128

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Xeon Gold 6530 has 25336% better value for money than i7-980X.

Detailed specifications

Core i7-980X and Xeon Gold 6530 basic parameters such as number of cores, number of threads, base frequency and turbo boost clock, lithography, cache size and multiplier lock state. These parameters indirectly say of CPU speed, though for more precise assessment you have to consider their test results.

Physical cores	6 (Hexa-Core)	32 (Dotriaconta-Core)
Threads	12	64
Base clock speed	3.33 GHz	2.1 GHz
Boost clock speed	3.6 GHz	4 GHz
Bus rate	6.4 GT/s	no data
L1 cache	64 KB (per core)	80 KB (per core)
L2 cache	256 KB (per core)	2 MB (per core)
L3 cache	12 MB (shared)	160 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	32 nm	Intel 7 nm
Die size	239 mm2	2x 763 mm2
Maximum core temperature	68 °C	no data
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	no data	74 °C
Number of transistors	1,170 million	no data
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	-	no data
Unlocked multiplier	+	-

Compatibility

Information on Core i7-980X and Xeon Gold 6530 compatibility with other computer components: motherboard (look for socket type), power supply unit (look for power consumption) etc. Useful when planning a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. Note that power consumption of some processors can well exceed their nominal TDP, even without overclocking. Some can even double their declared thermals given that the motherboard allows to tune the CPU power parameters.

Number of CPUs in a configuration	1	2
Socket	FCLGA1366	FCLGA4677
Power consumption (TDP)	130 Watt	270 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i7-980X and Xeon Gold 6530. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® SSE4.2	Intel® AMX, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX, Intel® AVX2, Intel® AVX-512
AES-NI	+	+
AVX	-	+
vPro	no data	+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
Speed Shift	no data	+
Turbo Boost Technology	1.0	2.0
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	+
TSX	-	+
Idle States	+	no data
Demand Based Switching	-	no data
PAE	36 Bit	no data
Deep Learning Boost	-	+

Security technologies

Core i7-980X and Xeon Gold 6530 technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	-	+
EDB	+	+
SGX	no data	Yes with Intel® SPS
OS Guard	no data	+

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i7-980X and Xeon Gold 6530 are enumerated here.

VT-d	no data	+
VT-x	+	+
EPT	+	+

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i7-980X and Xeon Gold 6530. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR3	DDR5 @ 4800 MT/s (1 DPC)
Maximum memory size	24 GB	4 TB
Max memory channels	3	8
Maximum memory bandwidth	25.6 GB/s	no data
ECC memory support	-	+

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card

no data

N/A

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i7-980X and Xeon Gold 6530.

PCIe version	2.0	5.0
PCI Express lanes	no data	80

Synthetic benchmark performance

Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.

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Combined synthetic benchmark score

This is our combined benchmark performance rating. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.

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Pros & cons summary

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Performance score	4.45	42.82
Recency	16 March 2010	14 December 2023
Physical cores	6	32
Threads	12	64
Power consumption (TDP)	130 Watt	270 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i7-980X and Xeon Gold 6530, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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