Ryzen 9 3950X vs Xeon X5690

Aggregate performance score

Xeon X5690
2011
6 cores / 12 threads, 130 Watt
4.44
Ryzen 9 3950X
2019
16 cores / 32 threads, 105 Watt
24.39
+449%

Ryzen 9 3950X outperforms Xeon X5690 by a whopping 449% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

Primary details

Comparing Xeon X5690 and Ryzen 9 3950X processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking1320205
Place by popularitynot in top-100not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation3.7018.01
Market segmentServerDesktop processor
Seriesno dataAMD Ryzen 9
Power efficiency3.2321.98
Architecture codenameWestmere-EP (2010−2011)Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020)
Release date14 February 2011 (13 years ago)14 November 2019 (5 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)$205$799

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Ryzen 9 3950X has 387% better value for money than Xeon X5690.

Detailed specifications

Xeon X5690 and Ryzen 9 3950X 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 cores6 (Hexa-Core)16 (Hexadeca-Core)
Threads1232
Base clock speed3.46 GHz3.5 GHz
Boost clock speed3.73 GHz4.7 GHz
L1 cache64 KB (per core)96K (per core)
L2 cache256 KB (per core)512K (per core)
L3 cache12288 KB (shared)64 MB
Chip lithography32 nm7 nm, 12 nm
Die size239 mm22 x 72 mm + 125 mm (IO-Die) mm2
Maximum core temperature79 °Cno data
Number of transistors1,170 million19,200 million
64 bit support++
Windows 11 compatibility-+
Unlocked multiplier-+

Compatibility

Information on Xeon X5690 and Ryzen 9 3950X 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 (Uniprocessor)
SocketFCLGA1366,LGA1366AM4
Power consumption (TDP)130 Watt105 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Xeon X5690 and Ryzen 9 3950X. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensionsIntel® SSE4.286x MMX(+), SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, SSE4A,-64, AMD-V, AES, AVX, AVX2, FMA3, SHA, Precision Boost 2
AES-NI++
AVX-+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)+no data
Turbo Boost Technology1.0no data
Hyper-Threading Technology+no data
Idle States+no data
Demand Based Switching+no data
PAE40 Bitno data
Precision Boost 2no data+

Security technologies

Xeon X5690 and Ryzen 9 3950X technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT+no data
EDB+no data

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Xeon X5690 and Ryzen 9 3950X 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 Xeon X5690 and Ryzen 9 3950X. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory typesDDR3DDR4 Dual-channel
Maximum memory size288 GB128 GB
Max memory channels3no data
Maximum memory bandwidth32 GB/s51.196 GB/s
ECC memory support++

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Xeon X5690 and Ryzen 9 3950X.

PCIe version2.0no data

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 X5690 4.44
Ryzen 9 3950X 24.39
+449%

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 X5690 7046
Ryzen 9 3950X 38737
+450%

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 X5690 546
Ryzen 9 3950X 1732
+217%

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 X5690 2503
Ryzen 9 3950X 10799
+331%

Gaming performance

Pros & cons summary


Performance score 4.44 24.39
Recency 14 February 2011 14 November 2019
Physical cores 6 16
Threads 12 32
Chip lithography 32 nm 7 nm
Power consumption (TDP) 130 Watt 105 Watt

Ryzen 9 3950X has a 449.3% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 8 years, 166.7% more physical cores and 166.7% more threads, a 357.1% more advanced lithography process, and 23.8% lower power consumption.

The Ryzen 9 3950X is our recommended choice as it beats the Xeon X5690 in performance tests.

Be aware that Xeon X5690 is a server/workstation processor while Ryzen 9 3950X is a desktop one.


Should you still have questions on choice between Xeon X5690 and Ryzen 9 3950X, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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Intel Xeon X5690
Xeon X5690
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
Ryzen 9 3950X

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Community ratings

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Questions & comments

Here you can ask a question about Xeon X5690 or Ryzen 9 3950X, agree or disagree with our judgements, or report an error or mismatch.