i7-6950X vs Xeon E5-2698 v3

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Aggregate performance score

Xeon E5-2698 v3
2014
16 cores / 32 threads, 135 Watt
11.85
+8.5%
Core i7-6950X
2016
10 cores / 20 threads, 140 Watt
10.92

Xeon E5-2698 v3 outperforms Core i7-6950X by a small 9% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

Primary details

Comparing Xeon E5-2698 v3 and Core i7-6950X processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking658718
Place by popularitynot in top-100not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluationno data0.89
Market segmentServerDesktop processor
Seriesno dataIntel Core i7 (Desktop)
Power efficiency8.307.38
Architecture codenameHaswell-EP (2014−2015)Broadwell-E (2016)
Release date8 September 2014 (10 years ago)31 May 2016 (8 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)no data$1,723

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

no data

Detailed specifications

Xeon E5-2698 v3 and Core i7-6950X 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 cores16 (Hexadeca-Core)10 (Deca-Core)
Threads3220
Base clock speed2.3 GHz3 GHz
Boost clock speed3.6 GHz4 GHz
Bus rate9.6 GT/s9.6 GT/s / QPI
L1 cache64K (per core)32K (per core)
L2 cache256K (per core)256K (per core)
L3 cache40 MB (shared)25 MB (shared)
Chip lithography22 nm14 nm
Die size356 mm2246 mm2
Maximum case temperature (TCase)88 °C72 °C
Number of transistors2,600 million3,800 million
64 bit support++
Windows 11 compatibility--
Unlocked multiplier-+

Compatibility

Information on Xeon E5-2698 v3 and Core i7-6950X 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 configuration21
SocketFCLGA2011FCLGA2011
Power consumption (TDP)135 Watt140 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Xeon E5-2698 v3 and Core i7-6950X. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensionsIntel® AVX2no data
AES-NI++
AVX++
vPro+no data
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)++
Turbo Boost Technology2.02.0
Hyper-Threading Technology++
Idle States++
Thermal Monitoring+-
Flex Memory Access-no data
Smart Responseno data+
Demand Based Switching+no data
PAE46 Bitno data
Turbo Boost Max 3.0no data+

Security technologies

Xeon E5-2698 v3 and Core i7-6950X technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT++
EDB++
Secure Key+no data
OS Guard+no data

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Xeon E5-2698 v3 and Core i7-6950X are enumerated here.

VT-d++
VT-x++
EPT++

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Xeon E5-2698 v3 and Core i7-6950X. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory typesDDR4-1600, DDR4-1866, DDR4-2133DDR4
Maximum memory size768 GB128 GB
Max memory channels44
Maximum memory bandwidth68 GB/sno data
ECC memory support+-

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Xeon E5-2698 v3 and Core i7-6950X.

PCIe version3.03.0
PCI Express lanes4040

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.

Xeon E5-2698 v3 11.85
+8.5%
i7-6950X 10.92

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.

Xeon E5-2698 v3 18825
+8.6%
i7-6950X 17340

GeekBench 5 Single-Core

GeekBench 5 Single-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses only a single CPU core.

Xeon E5-2698 v3 1054
i7-6950X 1316
+24.9%

GeekBench 5 Multi-Core

GeekBench 5 Multi-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses all available CPU cores.

Xeon E5-2698 v3 7351
i7-6950X 8570
+16.6%

Gaming performance

Pros & cons summary


Performance score 11.85 10.92
Recency 8 September 2014 31 May 2016
Physical cores 16 10
Threads 32 20
Chip lithography 22 nm 14 nm
Power consumption (TDP) 135 Watt 140 Watt

Xeon E5-2698 v3 has a 8.5% higher aggregate performance score, 60% more physical cores and 60% more threads, and 3.7% lower power consumption.

i7-6950X, on the other hand, has an age advantage of 1 year, and a 57.1% more advanced lithography process.

Given the minimal performance differences, no clear winner can be declared between Xeon E5-2698 v3 and Core i7-6950X.

Be aware that Xeon E5-2698 v3 is a server/workstation processor while Core i7-6950X is a desktop one.


Should you still have questions on choice between Xeon E5-2698 v3 and Core i7-6950X, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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Intel Xeon E5-2698 v3
Xeon E5-2698 v3
Intel Core i7-6950X
Core i7-6950X

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Community ratings

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