Ryzen 9 9950X vs Xeon Max 9480
Aggregate performance score
Xeon Max 9480 outperforms Ryzen 9 9950X by a substantial 32% based on our aggregate benchmark results.
Primary details
Comparing Xeon Max 9480 and Ryzen 9 9950X processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.
| Place in the ranking | 24 | 59 |
| Place by popularity | not in top-100 | not in top-100 |
| Cost-effectiveness evaluation | 0.04 | 61.82 |
| Market segment | Server | Desktop processor |
| Power efficiency | 14.88 | 23.26 |
| Architecture codename | Sapphire Rapids HBM (2023) | Granite Ridge (2024) |
| Release date | 10 January 2023 (1 year ago) | 15 August 2024 (less than a year ago) |
| Launch price (MSRP) | $12,980 | $649 |
Cost-effectiveness evaluation
Performance per price, higher is better.
Ryzen 9 9950X has 154450% better value for money than Xeon Max 9480.
Detailed specifications
Xeon Max 9480 and Ryzen 9 9950X 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 | 56 (Hexapentaconta-Core) | 16 (Hexadeca-Core) |
| Threads | 112 | 32 |
| Base clock speed | 1.9 GHz | 4.3 GHz |
| Boost clock speed | 3.5 GHz | 5.7 GHz |
| L1 cache | 80K (per core) | 80 KB (per core) |
| L2 cache | 2 MB (per core) | 1 MB (per core) |
| L3 cache | 112.5 MB | 64 MB (shared) |
| Chip lithography | 10 nm | 4 nm |
| Die size | 4x 477 mm2 | 2x 70.6 mm2 |
| Maximum core temperature | no data | 95 °C |
| Maximum case temperature (TCase) | 64 °C | no data |
| Number of transistors | no data | 16,630 million |
| 64 bit support | + | + |
| Unlocked multiplier | - | + |
Compatibility
Information on Xeon Max 9480 and Ryzen 9 9950X 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 | 4677 | AM5 |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 350 Watt | 170 Watt |
Technologies and extensions
Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Xeon Max 9480 and Ryzen 9 9950X. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.
| Instruction set extensions | no data | SMT, AES, AVX, AVX2, AVX512, FMA3, MMX (+), SHA, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, SSE4A |
| AES-NI | + | + |
| AVX | + | + |
| vPro | + | no data |
| Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST) | + | no data |
| TSX | + | - |
| Precision Boost 2 | no data | + |
Security technologies
Xeon Max 9480 and Ryzen 9 9950X technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.
| TXT | + | no data |
Virtualization technologies
Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Xeon Max 9480 and Ryzen 9 9950X are enumerated here.
| AMD-V | - | + |
| VT-d | + | no data |
| VT-x | + | no data |
Memory specs
Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Xeon Max 9480 and Ryzen 9 9950X. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.
| Supported memory types | DDR5-4800 | DDR5 |
Graphics specifications
General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.
| Integrated graphics card | no data | AMD Radeon Graphics |
Peripherals
Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Xeon Max 9480 and Ryzen 9 9950X.
| PCIe version | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| PCI Express lanes | 80 | 24 |
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 | 55.03 | 41.79 |
| Recency | 10 January 2023 | 15 August 2024 |
| Physical cores | 56 | 16 |
| Threads | 112 | 32 |
| Chip lithography | 10 nm | 4 nm |
| Power consumption (TDP) | 350 Watt | 170 Watt |
Xeon Max 9480 has a 31.7% higher aggregate performance score, and 250% more physical cores and 250% more threads.
Ryzen 9 9950X, on the other hand, has an age advantage of 1 year, a 150% more advanced lithography process, and 105.9% lower power consumption.
The Xeon Max 9480 is our recommended choice as it beats the Ryzen 9 9950X in performance tests.
Be aware that Xeon Max 9480 is a server/workstation processor while Ryzen 9 9950X is a desktop one.
Should you still have questions on choice between Xeon Max 9480 and Ryzen 9 9950X, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.
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