Xeon Gold 6538N vs Ryzen Threadripper 3990X
Aggregate performance score
Ryzen Threadripper 3990X outperforms Xeon Gold 6538N by an impressive 78% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
Comparing Ryzen Threadripper 3990X and Xeon Gold 6538N processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 34 | 164 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | 9.21 | 21.85 |
| Market segment | Desktop processor | Server |
| Series | AMD Ryzen Threadripper | no data |
| Power efficiency | 17.00 | 13.05 |
| Architecture codename | Matisse (2019−2020) | Emerald Rapids (2023) |
| Release date | 7 February 2020 (4 years ago) | 14 December 2023 (less than a year ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $3,999 | $3,351 |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance per price, higher is better.
Xeon Gold 6538N has 137% better value for money than Ryzen Threadripper 3990X.
Detailed specifications
Ryzen Threadripper 3990X and Xeon Gold 6538N 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 | 64 (Tetrahexaconta-Core) | 32 (Dotriaconta-Core) |
| Threads | 128 | 64 |
| Base clock speed | 2.9 GHz | 2.1 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 4.3 GHz | 4.1 GHz |
| Multiplier | 29 | no data |
| L1 cache | 96K (per core) | 80 KB (per core) |
| L2 cache | 512K (per core) | 2 MB (per core) |
| L3 cache | 256 MB | 60 MB (shared) |
| Chip lithography | 7 nm, 12 nm | Intel 7 nm |
| Die size | 74 mm2 | 2x 763 mm2 |
| Maximum case temperature (TCase) | 95 °C | 85 °C |
| Number of transistors | 3,800 million | no data |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Windows 11 compatibility | + | no data |
| Unlocked multiplier | + | - |
Compatibility
Information on Ryzen Threadripper 3990X and Xeon Gold 6538N 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 | TR4 | FCLGA4677 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 280 Watt | 205 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Ryzen Threadripper 3990X and Xeon Gold 6538N. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| Instruction set extensions | no data | Intel® AMX, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX, Intel® AVX2, Intel® AVX-512 |
| AES-NI | + | + |
| AVX | + | + |
| vPro | no data | + |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | no data | + |
| Speed Shift | no data | + |
| Turbo Boost Technology | no data | 2.0 |
| Hyper-Threading Technology | no data | + |
| TSX | - | + |
| Precision Boost 2 | + | no data |
| Deep Learning Boost | - | + |
Security technologies
Ryzen Threadripper 3990X and Xeon Gold 6538N technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | no data | + |
| EDB | no data | + |
| SGX | no data | Yes with Intel® SPS |
| OS Guard | no data | + |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Ryzen Threadripper 3990X and Xeon Gold 6538N are enumerated here.
| AMD-V | + | - |
| VT-d | no data | + |
| VT-x | no data | + |
| EPT | no data | + |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Ryzen Threadripper 3990X and Xeon Gold 6538N. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | DDR4-3200 | DDR5-5200 |
| Maximum memory size | 256 GB | 4 TB |
| Max memory channels | 4 | 8 |
| Maximum memory bandwidth | 102.403 GB/s | no data |
| ECC memory support | + | + |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | - | N/A |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Ryzen Threadripper 3990X and Xeon Gold 6538N.
| PCIe version | 4.0 | 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.
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.
Passmark
Passmark CPU Mark is a widespread benchmark, consisting of 8 different types of workload, including integer and floating point math, extended instructions, compression, encryption and physics calculation. There is also one separate single-threaded scenario measuring single-core performance.
Pros & cons summary
| Performance score | 50.29 | 28.26 |
| Recency | 7 February 2020 | 14 December 2023 |
| Physical cores | 64 | 32 |
| Threads | 128 | 64 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 280 Watt | 205 Watt |
Ryzen Threadripper 3990X has a 78% higher aggregate performance score, and 100% more physical cores and 100% more threads.
Xeon Gold 6538N, on the other hand, has an age advantage of 3 years, and 36.6% lower power consumption.
The Ryzen Threadripper 3990X is our recommended choice as it beats the Xeon Gold 6538N in performance tests.
Note that Ryzen Threadripper 3990X is a desktop processor while Xeon Gold 6538N is a server/workstation one.
Should you still have questions on choice between Ryzen Threadripper 3990X and Xeon Gold 6538N, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
Similar processor comparisons
We picked several similar comparisons of processors in the same market segment and performance relatively close to those reviewed on this page.
