Core i9-8950HK vs Xeon E5-2660 v2
Core i9-8950HK
Xeon E5-2660 v2
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 E5-2660 v2 is on rank 931, so the Core i9-8950HK 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 E5-2660 v2
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Core i9-8950HK | Xeon E5-2660 v2 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ✅ Superior gaming performance | ❌ Lower gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($129) |
| Longevity | ✨ Modern (Coffee Lake-H (2018−2019) / 14 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Ivy Bridge-EP (2013) / 22 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Core i9-8950HK | Xeon E5-2660 v2 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($129) |
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 E5-2660 v2
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 E5-2660 v2
The Xeon E5-2660 v2 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 1 September 2013 (12 years ago). It is based on the Ivy Bridge-EP (2013) architecture. It features 10 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 25 MB (total). L2 cache: 256 kB (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR3. Passmark benchmark score: 10,353 points. Launch price was $850.
Processing Power
The Core i9-8950HK packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon E5-2660 v2 offers 10 cores / 20 threads — the Xeon E5-2660 v2 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.8 GHz on the Core i9-8950HK versus 3 GHz on the Xeon E5-2660 v2 — a 46.2% clock advantage for the Core i9-8950HK (base: 2.9 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Core i9-8950HK uses the Coffee Lake-H (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon E5-2660 v2 uses Ivy Bridge-EP (2013) (22 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-8950HK scores 10,373 against the Xeon E5-2660 v2's 10,353 — a 0.2% lead for the Core i9-8950HK. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i9-8950HK vs 25 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-2660 v2.
| Feature | Core i9-8950HK | Xeon E5-2660 v2 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 6 / 12 | 10 / 20+67% |
| Boost Clock | 4.8 GHz+60% | 3 GHz |
| Base Clock | 2.9 GHz+32% | 2.2 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 12 MB (total) | 25 MB (total)+108% |
| L2 Cache | 256K (per core) | 256 kB (per core) |
| Process | 14 nm-36% | 22 nm |
| Architecture | Coffee Lake-H (2018−2019) | Ivy Bridge-EP (2013) |
| PassMark | 10,373 | 10,353 |
Memory & Platform
The Core i9-8950HK uses the BGA1440 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon E5-2660 v2 uses LGA2011 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Core i9-8950HK | Xeon E5-2660 v2 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | BGA1440 | LGA2011 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 3.0 | PCIe 3.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR3-1866 |
| 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 E5-2660 v2
