Core i7-9800X vs Xeon E5-2686 V3

Core i7-9800X

8 Cores16 Thrd165 WWMax: 4.5 GHz2018

Xeon E5-2686 V3

18 Cores36 Thrd120 WWMax: 3.5 GHz2014

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i7-9800X

8 / 16

18,128

0.0%

18,148

+0.1%

About PassMark

PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Value Upgrade Path

This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Core i7-9800X

#207

Core i9-13900F

MSRP: $524|Avg: $536

106%

#208

Processor 300

MSRP: $82|Avg: $80

105%

#209

Ryzen 5 2600

MSRP: $199|Avg: $145

105%

#210

Ryzen 5 2400GE

MSRP: $169|Avg: $80

105%

#211

Core i9-14900KS

MSRP: $749|Avg: $670

105%

#212

Ryzen 7 7800X3D

MSRP: $449|Avg: $384

103%

#213

Core i3-8100T

MSRP: $117|Avg: $59

103%

#214

Core i7-13700E

MSRP: $390|Avg: $380

103%

#215

Ryzen 7 PRO 5750G

MSRP: $430|Avg: $270

103%

#216

Core i7-9700

MSRP: $333|Avg: $150

102%

#217

Core i5-13500TE

MSRP: $235|Avg: $250

102%

#218

Ryzen 3 PRO 2200G

MSRP: $294|Avg: $76

102%

#219

Ryzen 7 PRO 5845

MSRP: $300|Avg: $300

101%

#220

Athlon PRO 300GE

MSRP: $50|Avg: $50

101%

#221

Athlon Gold 3150G

MSRP: $100|Avg: $80

100%

#222

Core i7-9800X

MSRP: $589|Avg: $210

100%

#223

Ryzen 7 4700G

MSRP: $299|Avg: $235

99%

#224

Ryzen 9 5900

MSRP: $549|Avg: $395

99%

#225

Ryzen 5 7600X3D

MSRP: $299|Avg: $300

99%

#226

Ryzen 5 1600X

MSRP: $249|Avg: $144

61%

#226

Core i5-14500T

MSRP: $232|Avg: $267

99%

#227

Core i5-12600

MSRP: $233|Avg: $250

99%

#228

Core i7-11700T

MSRP: $323|Avg: $180

99%

#229

Core i5-10600

MSRP: $244|Avg: $159

99%

#230

Ryzen 5 PRO 2400G

MSRP: $193|Avg: $100

99%

#231

Core i7-8700B

MSRP: $303|Avg: $139

98%

#232

Ryzen 3 2200G

MSRP: $99|Avg: $80

98%

#233

Core i3-9100F

MSRP: $97|Avg: $80

97%

#234

Ryzen 7 9800X3D

MSRP: $479|Avg: $479

97%

#235

Ryzen 9 3900XT

MSRP: $499|Avg: $390

97%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5-2686 V3

#445

Xeon Gold 6338N

MSRP: $3200|Avg: $3200

109%

#446

Xeon Gold 5117

MSRP: $1286|Avg: $300

109%

#447

EPYC 73F3

MSRP: $3521|Avg: $2100

108%

#448

EPYC 9384X

MSRP: $5529|Avg: $4157

108%

#449

EPYC 8534P

MSRP: $5529|Avg: $5529

107%

#450

EPYC 7663

MSRP: $6366|Avg: $6366

107%

#450

EPYC 9565

MSRP: $10486|Avg: $8233

107%

#452

EPYC 9755

MSRP: $12984|Avg: $10931

106%

#454

Xeon Platinum 8368

MSRP: $7214|Avg: $429

105%

#456

EPYC 9575F

MSRP: $11791|Avg: $9238

104%

#457

EPYC 7642

MSRP: $4775|Avg: $850

103%

#458

EPYC 7573X

MSRP: $5590|Avg: $3580

103%

#459

Xeon Platinum 8568Y+

MSRP: $6497|Avg: $6497

101%

#460

Xeon E5-2686 V3

MSRP: $1500|Avg: $160

100%

#460

Xeon Gold 6242R

MSRP: $2977|Avg: $779

100%

#462

Xeon W-2175

MSRP: $1947|Avg: $180

100%

#463

EPYC 75F3

MSRP: $5383|Avg: $2799

99%

#464

Xeon W-3375

MSRP: $4951|Avg: $6000

99%

#466

Xeon Platinum 8358

MSRP: $4607|Avg: $3145

98%

#467

EPYC 7662

MSRP: $6150|Avg: $1266

97%

#467

EPYC 7713

MSRP: $7060|Avg: $1299

97%

#469

EPYC 9554

MSRP: $9087|Avg: $2795

95%

#470

Xeon Gold 6338T

MSRP: $3139|Avg: $1795

94%

#471

Xeon E5-2650 v4

MSRP: $1166|Avg: $45

94%

#472

EPYC 9845

MSRP: $13564|Avg: $8670

93%

#473

EPYC 7F32

MSRP: $2100|Avg: $179

91%

#474

EPYC 9654P

MSRP: $10625|Avg: $5345

90%

#475

EPYC 9965

MSRP: $14813|Avg: $10000

90%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Generational Difference: This comparison involves processors from different technological eras. The Core i7-9800X (2018) utilizes 14 nm technology and DDR4-2666, providing a fundamental performance advantage.

Insight	Core i7-9800X	Xeon E5-2686 V3
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($210)	✅ More affordable ($160)
Longevity	✨ Modern (Skylake (server) (2017−2018) / 14 nm)	🛑 Legacy (Haswell-EP (2014−2015) / 22 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Xeon E5-2686 V3 (2014) relies on 22 nm technology and **DDR3, DDR4 2133 MHz Quad-channel**, placing it in a different performance category relative to modern standards.

Insight	Core i7-9800X	Xeon E5-2686 V3
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+31%)
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($210)	✅ More affordable ($160)

Performance Check

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

Core i7-9800X Benchmark Check

Xeon E5-2686 V3 Benchmark Check

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i7-9800X and Xeon E5-2686 V3

Core i7-9800X

The Core i7-9800X is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 19 October 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.8 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 16.5 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2066. Thermal design power (TDP): 165 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 18,128 points. Launch price was $589.

Xeon E5-2686 V3

The Xeon E5-2686 V3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture. It features 18 cores and 36 threads. Base frequency is 2 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 45 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011-3. Thermal design power (TDP): 120 Watt. Memory support: DDR3, DDR4 2133 MHz Quad-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 18,148 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i7-9800X packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Xeon E5-2686 V3 offers 18 cores / 36 threads — the Xeon E5-2686 V3 has 10 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.5 GHz on the Core i7-9800X versus 3.5 GHz on the Xeon E5-2686 V3 — a 25% clock advantage for the Core i7-9800X (base: 3.8 GHz vs 2 GHz). The Core i7-9800X uses the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon E5-2686 V3 uses Haswell-EP (2014−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core i7-9800X scores 18,128 against the Xeon E5-2686 V3's 18,148 — a 0.1% lead for the Xeon E5-2686 V3. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 13,067 vs 10,000 (26.6% advantage for the Core i7-9800X). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,372 vs 1,033, a 28.2% lead for the Core i7-9800X that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 7,552 vs 8,649 (13.5% advantage for the Xeon E5-2686 V3). L3 cache: 16.5 MB (total) on the Core i7-9800X vs 45 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-2686 V3.

Feature	Core i7-9800X	Xeon E5-2686 V3
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	18 / 36+125%
Boost Clock	4.5 GHz+29%	3.5 GHz
Base Clock	3.8 GHz+90%	2 GHz
L3 Cache	16.5 MB (total)	45 MB (total)+173%
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)+300%	256K (per core)
Process	14 nm-36%	22 nm
Architecture	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)	Haswell-EP (2014−2015)
PassMark	18,128	18,148
Cinebench R23 Multi	13,067+31%	10,000
Geekbench 6 Single	1,372+33%	1,033
Geekbench 6 Multi	7,552	8,649+15%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i7-9800X uses the LGA2066 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E5-2686 V3 uses LGA2011-3 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2666 memory speed. The Xeon E5-2686 V3 supports up to 768 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 142.9% more capacity for professional workloads. Both feature 4-channel memory with ECC support. PCIe lanes: 44 (Core i7-9800X) vs 40 (Xeon E5-2686 V3) — the Core i7-9800X offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: X299 (Core i7-9800X) and C612,X99 (Xeon E5-2686 V3).

Feature	Core i7-9800X	Xeon E5-2686 V3
Socket	LGA2066	LGA2011-3
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR4-2133
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	768 GB+500%
RAM Channels	4	4
ECC Support	❌	✅
PCIe Lanes	44+10%	40

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Core i7-9800X supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d (Core i7-9800X) vs Yes (Xeon E5-2686 V3). Primary use case: Core i7-9800X targets Workstation. Direct competitor: Core i7-9800X rivals Ryzen 5 3600XT.

Feature	Core i7-9800X	Xeon E5-2686 V3
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	Yes	—
AVX-512	Yes	No
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d	Yes
Target Use	Workstation	—

💰

Value Analysis

The Core i7-9800X launched at $589 MSRP, while the Xeon E5-2686 V3 debuted at $1500. At current prices ($210 vs $160), the Xeon E5-2686 V3 is $50 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Core i7-9800X delivers 86.3 pts/$ vs 113.4 pts/$ for the Xeon E5-2686 V3 — making the Xeon E5-2686 V3 the 27.1% better value option.