Core i9-8950HK vs Xeon E5-1650 v3
Core i9-8950HK
Xeon E5-1650 v3
Performance Spectrum - CPU
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. The Core i9-8950HK is positioned at rank 927 and the Xeon E5-1650 v3 is on rank 652, so the Xeon E5-1650 v3 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar Core i9-8950HK
Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5-1650 v3
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Core i9-8950HK | Xeon E5-1650 v3 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks | ✅ Better multi-core power |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($583) |
| Longevity | ✨ Modern (Coffee Lake-H (2018−2019) / 14 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Haswell-EP (2014−2015) / 22 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Core i9-8950HK | Xeon E5-1650 v3 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($583) |
Performance Check
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.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-8950HK and Xeon E5-1650 v3
Core i9-8950HK
The Core i9-8950HK is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 April 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-H (2018−2019) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1440. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 10,373 points. Launch price was $583.
Xeon E5-1650 v3
The Xeon E5-1650 v3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.8 GHz. L3 cache: 15 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 140 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-1333, DDR4-1600, DDR4-1866, DDR4-2133. Passmark benchmark score: 10,387 points. Launch price was $800.
Processing Power
Both the Core i9-8950HK and Xeon E5-1650 v3 share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4.8 GHz on the Core i9-8950HK versus 3.8 GHz on the Xeon E5-1650 v3 — a 23.3% clock advantage for the Core i9-8950HK (base: 2.9 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Core i9-8950HK uses the Coffee Lake-H (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon E5-1650 v3 uses Haswell-EP (2014−2015) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-8950HK scores 10,373 against the Xeon E5-1650 v3's 10,387 — a 0.1% lead for the Xeon E5-1650 v3. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i9-8950HK vs 15 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-1650 v3.
| Feature | Core i9-8950HK | Xeon E5-1650 v3 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 6 / 12 | 6 / 12 |
| Boost Clock | 4.8 GHz+26% | 3.8 GHz |
| Base Clock | 2.9 GHz | 3.5 GHz+21% |
| L3 Cache | 12 MB (total) | 15 MB (total)+25% |
| L2 Cache | 256K (per core) | 256K (per core) |
| Process | 14 nm-36% | 22 nm |
| Architecture | Coffee Lake-H (2018−2019) | Haswell-EP (2014−2015) |
| PassMark | 10,373 | 10,387 |
Memory & Platform
The Core i9-8950HK uses the BGA1440 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E5-1650 v3 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Core i9-8950HK | Xeon E5-1650 v3 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | BGA1440 | LGA2011 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 5.0+67% |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR4-2133 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 768 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 4 |
| ECC Support | — | ✅ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 40 |
Top Performing CPUs
The most powerful cpus ranked by PassMark CPU Mark benchmark scores.
You May Also Compare
Similar CPU comparisons based on Core i9-8950HK and Xeon E5-1650 v3
