
Xeon E5-1650 v3 vs Core i9-8950HK

Xeon E5-1650 v3

Core i9-8950HK
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 Xeon E5-1650 v3 is positioned at rank 652 and the Core i9-8950HK is on rank 927, 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 Xeon E5-1650 v3
Performance Per Dollar Core i9-8950HK
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | Xeon E5-1650 v3 | Core i9-8950HK |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ⚠️ Higher cost ($583) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
| Longevity | 🛑 Legacy (Haswell-EP (2014−2015) / 22 nm) | ✨ Modern (Coffee Lake-H (2018−2019) / 14 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | Xeon E5-1650 v3 | Core i9-8950HK |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ⚠️ Higher cost ($583) | ✅ More affordable ($0) |
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 Xeon E5-1650 v3 and Core i9-8950HK

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.

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.
Processing Power
Both the Xeon E5-1650 v3 and Core i9-8950HK share an identical 6-core/12-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 3.8 GHz on the Xeon E5-1650 v3 versus 4.8 GHz on the Core i9-8950HK — a 23.3% clock advantage for the Core i9-8950HK (base: 3.5 GHz vs 2.9 GHz). The Xeon E5-1650 v3 uses the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture (22 nm), while the Core i9-8950HK uses Coffee Lake-H (2018−2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon E5-1650 v3 scores 10,387 against the Core i9-8950HK's 10,373 — a 0.1% lead for the Xeon E5-1650 v3. L3 cache: 15 MB (total) on the Xeon E5-1650 v3 vs 12 MB (total) on the Core i9-8950HK.
| Feature | Xeon E5-1650 v3 | Core i9-8950HK |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 6 / 12 | 6 / 12 |
| Boost Clock | 3.8 GHz | 4.8 GHz+26% |
| Base Clock | 3.5 GHz+21% | 2.9 GHz |
| L3 Cache | 15 MB (total)+25% | 12 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 256K (per core) | 256K (per core) |
| Process | 22 nm | 14 nm-36% |
| Architecture | Haswell-EP (2014−2015) | Coffee Lake-H (2018−2019) |
| PassMark | 10,387 | 10,373 |
Memory & Platform
The Xeon E5-1650 v3 uses the LGA2011 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Core i9-8950HK uses BGA1440 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | Xeon E5-1650 v3 | Core i9-8950HK |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | LGA2011 | BGA1440 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 5.0+67% | PCIe 3.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | DDR4-2133 | — |
| Max RAM Capacity | 768 GB | — |
| RAM Channels | 4 | — |
| ECC Support | ✅ | — |
| PCIe Lanes | 40 | — |
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