Core i9-10980XE vs Xeon Platinum 8168

Core i9-10980XE

18 Cores36 Thrd165 WWMax: 4.8 GHz2019

Xeon Platinum 8168

24 Cores48 Thrd205 WWMax: 3.7 GHz2017

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Core i9-10980XE

18 / 36

32,187

0.0%

32,373

+0.6%

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 i9-10980XE

#323

Core i9-11900K

MSRP: $539|Avg: $435

111%

#324

Core i7-12700TE

MSRP: $378|Avg: $350

109%

#325

Core i9-12900E

MSRP: $500|Avg: $500

109%

#326

Celeron G4900T

MSRP: $42|Avg: $40

108%

#327

Ryzen Threadripper 2920X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $452

107%

#328

Core i9-9900KS

MSRP: $513|Avg: $350

107%

#329

Core i5-11600T

MSRP: $262|Avg: $262

106%

#330

Core i9-9900K

MSRP: $488|Avg: $331

105%

#331

Ryzen Threadripper 2950X

MSRP: $899|Avg: $540

105%

#332

Celeron G4930T

MSRP: $42|Avg: $42

105%

#333

Core i9-9920X

MSRP: $1189|Avg: $464

104%

#334

Core i3-9100

MSRP: $122|Avg: $125

102%

#335

Core i9-10900X

MSRP: $590|Avg: $425

101%

#336

Core i7-8700T

MSRP: $303|Avg: $196

100%

#337

Ryzen 5 3600XT

MSRP: $249|Avg: $357

100%

#338

Core i9-10980XE

MSRP: $979|Avg: $620

100%

#339

Core i5-8500T

MSRP: $192|Avg: $149

100%

#340

Core i9-9900KF

MSRP: $488|Avg: $350

99%

#341

Ryzen Embedded V2748

MSRP: $309|Avg: $359

99%

#342

Core i3-9350K

MSRP: $184|Avg: $150

98%

#343

Athlon Gold PRO 3150G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $150

96%

#344

Core i9-9900

MSRP: $423|Avg: $330

95%

#345

Core i9-9980XE

MSRP: $1979|Avg: $593

95%

#346

Core i7-10700K

MSRP: $387|Avg: $380

94%

#347

Celeron G5905T

MSRP: $50|Avg: $50

91%

#348

Athlon PRO 200GE

MSRP: $55|Avg: $81

91%

#349

Core i5-9600

MSRP: $224|Avg: $219

91%

#350

Core i3-8300

MSRP: $138|Avg: $136

90%

#351

Core i5-8500B

MSRP: $192|Avg: $192

89%

#352

Core i7-13700TE

MSRP: $390|Avg: $476

89%

#353

Core i9-11900T

MSRP: $439|Avg: $413

87%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon Platinum 8168

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

125%

#16

EPYC 7302

MSRP: $978|Avg: $109

124%

#21

Xeon Platinum 8260M

MSRP: $7705|Avg: N/A

113%

#22

Xeon Platinum 8268

MSRP: $6302|Avg: N/A

113%

#24

Xeon Gold 6130H

MSRP: $1894|Avg: N/A

109%

#29

Xeon Platinum 8168

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#41

Xeon W-2195

MSRP: $150|Avg: $5

86%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Use Case Distinction: This is a comparison between a Professional Workstation processor ($0) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon Platinum 8168 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Core i9-10980XE	Xeon Platinum 8168
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	⚠️ Higher cost ($620)	✅ More affordable ($0)
Longevity	✨ Modern (Cascade Lake-X (2019) / 14 nm)	✨ Modern (Skylake (server) (2017−2018) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i9-10980XE ($620), however, is optimized for mixed workloads and gaming. For most users, it offers superior single-thread performance and responsiveness at a fraction of the cost ($620 less, Infinity% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Core i9-10980XE	Xeon Platinum 8168
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	⚠️ Higher cost ($620)	✅ More affordable ($0)

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 i9-10980XE Benchmark Check

Xeon Platinum 8168 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-10980XE and Xeon Platinum 8168

Core i9-10980XE

The Core i9-10980XE is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 19 October 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Cascade Lake-X (2019) architecture. It features 18 cores and 36 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 24.75 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. Passmark benchmark score: 32,187 points. Launch price was $979.

Xeon Platinum 8168

The Xeon Platinum 8168 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 25 April 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 24 cores and 48 threads. Base frequency is 2.7 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 33 MB. L2 cache: 24 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 205 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 32,373 points. Launch price was $5,890.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i9-10980XE packs 18 cores / 36 threads, while the Xeon Platinum 8168 offers 24 cores / 48 threads — the Xeon Platinum 8168 has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.8 GHz on the Core i9-10980XE versus 3.7 GHz on the Xeon Platinum 8168 — a 25.9% clock advantage for the Core i9-10980XE (base: 3 GHz vs 2.7 GHz). The Core i9-10980XE uses the Cascade Lake-X (2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon Platinum 8168 uses Skylake (server) (2017−2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-10980XE scores 32,187 against the Xeon Platinum 8168's 32,373 — a 0.6% lead for the Xeon Platinum 8168. L3 cache: 24.75 MB (total) on the Core i9-10980XE vs 33 MB on the Xeon Platinum 8168.

Feature	Core i9-10980XE	Xeon Platinum 8168
Cores / Threads	18 / 36	24 / 48+33%
Boost Clock	4.8 GHz+30%	3.7 GHz
Base Clock	3 GHz+11%	2.7 GHz
L3 Cache	24.75 MB (total)	33 MB+33%
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)	24 MB+2300%
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Cascade Lake-X (2019)	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)
PassMark	32,187	32,373
Cinebench R23 Multi	24,309	—
Geekbench 6 Single	1,242	—
Geekbench 6 Multi	16,275	—

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i9-10980XE uses the LGA2066 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon Platinum 8168 uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR4-2933 on the Core i9-10980XE versus 2666 on the Xeon Platinum 8168 — the Xeon Platinum 8168 supports 199.4% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon Platinum 8168 supports up to 768 of RAM compared to 256 GB — 100% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 4 (Core i9-10980XE) vs 6 (Xeon Platinum 8168). Both provide 48 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: X299 (Core i9-10980XE) and C621 (Xeon Platinum 8168).

Feature	Core i9-10980XE	Xeon Platinum 8168
Socket	LGA2066	LGA3647
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2933	2666+66550%
Max RAM Capacity	256 GB+34952433%	768
RAM Channels	4	6+50%
ECC Support	❌	✅
PCIe Lanes	48	48

🔧

Advanced Features

Both support AVX-512 instructions, benefiting scientific computing, AI inference, and encryption workloads. Virtualization support: Yes (Core i9-10980XE) vs VT-x, VT-d (Xeon Platinum 8168). Direct competitor: Xeon Platinum 8168 rivals EPYC 7501.