Ultra 9 285K vs Xeon Gold 6538N
Aggregate performance score
Core Ultra 9 285K outperforms Xeon Gold 6538N by an impressive 51% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
Comparing Xeon Gold 6538N and Core Ultra 9 285K processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 164 | 53 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | 21.76 | 69.52 |
| Market segment | Server | Desktop processor |
| Power efficiency | 13.05 | 32.38 |
| Architecture codename | Emerald Rapids (2023) | Arrow Lake-S (2024−2025) |
| Release date | 14 December 2023 (less than a year ago) | 24 October 2024 (recently) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $3,351 | $589 |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance per price, higher is better.
Ultra 9 285K has 219% better value for money than Xeon Gold 6538N.
Detailed specifications
Xeon Gold 6538N and Core Ultra 9 285K 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 | 32 (Dotriaconta-Core) | 24 (Tetracosa-Core) |
| Threads | 64 | 24 |
| Base clock speed | 2.1 GHz | 3.7 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 4.1 GHz | 5.7 GHz |
| Bus rate | no data | 250 MHz |
| L1 cache | 80 KB (per core) | 112 KB (per core) |
| L2 cache | 2 MB (per core) | 3 MB (per core) |
| L3 cache | 60 MB (shared) | 36 MB (shared) |
| Chip lithography | Intel 7 nm | 3 nm |
| Die size | 2x 763 mm2 | 243 mm2 |
| Maximum case temperature (TCase) | 85 °C | no data |
| Number of transistors | no data | 17,800 million |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Unlocked multiplier | - | + |
Compatibility
Information on Xeon Gold 6538N and Core Ultra 9 285K 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 | 2 | 1 |
| Socket | FCLGA4677 | 1851 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 205 Watt | 125 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Xeon Gold 6538N and Core Ultra 9 285K. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| Instruction set extensions | Intel® AMX, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX, Intel® AVX2, Intel® AVX-512 | no data |
| AES-NI | + | + |
| AVX | + | + |
| vPro | + | + |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | + |
| Speed Shift | + | no data |
| Turbo Boost Technology | 2.0 | no data |
| Hyper-Threading Technology | + | no data |
| TSX | + | + |
| Deep Learning Boost | + | - |
Security technologies
Xeon Gold 6538N and Core Ultra 9 285K technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | + | + |
| EDB | + | no data |
| SGX | Yes with Intel® SPS | no data |
| OS Guard | + | no data |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Xeon Gold 6538N and Core Ultra 9 285K are enumerated here.
| VT-d | + | + |
| VT-x | + | + |
| EPT | + | no data |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Xeon Gold 6538N and Core Ultra 9 285K. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | DDR5-5200 | DDR5 Depends on motherboard |
| Maximum memory size | 4 TB | no data |
| Max memory channels | 8 | no data |
| ECC memory support | + | - |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | N/A | Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 64EU |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Xeon Gold 6538N and Core Ultra 9 285K.
| PCIe version | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | 80 | 20 |
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 | 28.80 | 43.58 |
| Recency | 14 December 2023 | 24 October 2024 |
| Physical cores | 32 | 24 |
| Threads | 64 | 24 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 205 Watt | 125 Watt |
Xeon Gold 6538N has 33.3% more physical cores and 166.7% more threads.
Ultra 9 285K, on the other hand, has a 51.3% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 10 months, and 64% lower power consumption.
The Core Ultra 9 285K is our recommended choice as it beats the Xeon Gold 6538N in performance tests.
Be aware that Xeon Gold 6538N is a server/workstation processor while Core Ultra 9 285K is a desktop one.
Should you still have questions on choice between Xeon Gold 6538N and Core Ultra 9 285K, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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