Core i9-10900 vs Xeon E5-2698 v3

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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

Core i9-10900

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +22.5% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 65W instead of 135W, a 70W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (20 MB vs 40 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2698 v3, which brings 16 cores / 32 threads.
❌Launch MSRP is still $483 MSRP, while Xeon E5-2698 v3 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Xeon E5-2698 v3

2014

Why buy it

✅+100% larger total L3 cache (40 MB vs 20 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 16 cores / 32 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-10900 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (18,870 vs 19,163).
❌107.7% higher power demand at 135W vs 65W.

Core i9-10900

2020

Xeon E5-2698 v3

2014

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +22.5% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 65W instead of 135W, a 70W reduction.

Why buy it

✅+100% larger total L3 cache (40 MB vs 20 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 16 cores / 32 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (20 MB vs 40 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2698 v3, which brings 16 cores / 32 threads.
❌Launch MSRP is still $483 MSRP, while Xeon E5-2698 v3 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-10900 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (18,870 vs 19,163).
❌107.7% higher power demand at 135W vs 65W.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i9-10900 better than Xeon E5-2698 v3?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon E5-2698 v3 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Core i9-10900 is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Core i9-10900 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 22.5% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-10900 is the better fit. You are getting 1.6% better PassMark, backed by 10 cores and 20 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Core i9-10900 is the smarter buy today. Core i9-10900 is at an unclear MSRP at $483 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 22.5% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (39.7 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Core i9-10900 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2014) and more multi-core headroom with 10 cores / 20 threads instead of 16/32. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Games Benchmarks

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 i9-10900 Benchmark Check

Xeon E5-2698 v3 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-10900	Xeon E5-2698 v3
1080p
low	292 FPS	181 FPS
medium	259 FPS	158 FPS
high	219 FPS	126 FPS
ultra	188 FPS	101 FPS
1440p
low	239 FPS	152 FPS
medium	191 FPS	128 FPS
high	157 FPS	99 FPS
ultra	138 FPS	81 FPS
4K
low	166 FPS	69 FPS
medium	135 FPS	62 FPS
high	104 FPS	48 FPS
ultra	91 FPS	39 FPS

Open Core i9-10900 Open Xeon E5-2698 v3

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-10900	Xeon E5-2698 v3
1080p
low	479 FPS	368 FPS
medium	479 FPS	334 FPS
high	479 FPS	282 FPS
ultra	479 FPS	227 FPS
1440p
low	479 FPS	316 FPS
medium	479 FPS	287 FPS
high	479 FPS	245 FPS
ultra	452 FPS	190 FPS
4K
low	458 FPS	197 FPS
medium	385 FPS	180 FPS
high	360 FPS	155 FPS
ultra	310 FPS	122 FPS

Open Core i9-10900 Open Xeon E5-2698 v3

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-10900	Xeon E5-2698 v3
1080p
low	479 FPS	472 FPS
medium	479 FPS	472 FPS
high	479 FPS	472 FPS
ultra	479 FPS	472 FPS
1440p
low	479 FPS	472 FPS
medium	479 FPS	472 FPS
high	479 FPS	472 FPS
ultra	461 FPS	472 FPS
4K
low	479 FPS	444 FPS
medium	465 FPS	361 FPS
high	417 FPS	328 FPS
ultra	351 FPS	273 FPS

Open Core i9-10900 Open Xeon E5-2698 v3

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-10900	Xeon E5-2698 v3
1080p
low	479 FPS	472 FPS
medium	479 FPS	472 FPS
high	479 FPS	472 FPS
ultra	479 FPS	472 FPS
1440p
low	479 FPS	472 FPS
medium	479 FPS	472 FPS
high	479 FPS	472 FPS
ultra	479 FPS	472 FPS
4K
low	479 FPS	472 FPS
medium	479 FPS	472 FPS
high	479 FPS	438 FPS
ultra	436 FPS	374 FPS

Open Core i9-10900 Open Xeon E5-2698 v3

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-10900 and Xeon E5-2698 v3

Core i9-10900

The Core i9-10900 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 30 April 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture. It features 10 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 20 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 19,163 points. Launch price was $299.

Xeon E5-2698 v3

The Xeon E5-2698 v3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture. It features 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.6 GHz. L3 cache: 40 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 135 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866, DDR4-2133. Passmark benchmark score: 18,870 points. Launch price was $800.

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Processing Power

The Core i9-10900 packs 10 cores / 20 threads, while the Xeon E5-2698 v3 offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the Xeon E5-2698 v3 has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.1 GHz on the Core i9-10900 versus 3.6 GHz on the Xeon E5-2698 v3 — a 34.5% clock advantage for the Core i9-10900 (base: 2.8 GHz vs 2.3 GHz). The Core i9-10900 uses the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon E5-2698 v3 uses Haswell-EP (2014−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-10900 scores 19,163 against the Xeon E5-2698 v3's 18,870 — a 1.5% lead for the Core i9-10900. L3 cache: 20 MB (total) on the Core i9-10900 vs 40 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-2698 v3.

Feature	Core i9-10900	Xeon E5-2698 v3
Cores / Threads	10 / 20	16 / 32+60%
Boost Clock	5.1 GHz+42%	3.6 GHz
Base Clock	2.8 GHz+22%	2.3 GHz
L3 Cache	20 MB (total)	40 MB (total)+100%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	256K (per core)
Process	14 nm-36%	22 nm
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	Haswell-EP (2014−2015)
PassMark	19,163+2%	18,870

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Memory & Platform

The Core i9-10900 uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E5-2698 v3 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.