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.

Xeon E7-4890 v2

2014

Why buy it

✅Draws 155W instead of 205W, a 50W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Gold 6246R across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (6,500 vs 16,000).
❌No AVX-512 support for niche heavy compute workloads where it can matter.

Xeon Gold 6246R

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +17.7% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅50% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 32) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅AVX-512 support for select workstation, AI, and scientific workloads.

Trade-offs

❌32.3% higher power demand at 205W vs 155W.

Xeon E7-4890 v2

2014

Xeon Gold 6246R

2020

Why buy it

✅Draws 155W instead of 205W, a 50W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +17.7% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅50% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 32) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅AVX-512 support for select workstation, AI, and scientific workloads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Gold 6246R across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (6,500 vs 16,000).
❌No AVX-512 support for niche heavy compute workloads where it can matter.

Trade-offs

❌32.3% higher power demand at 205W vs 155W.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon Gold 6246R better than Xeon E7-4890 v2?

Yes. Xeon Gold 6246R is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 17.7% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data, 146.2% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, and the stronger long-term platform, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Xeon Gold 6246R is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 17.7% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Gold 6246R is the better fit. You are getting 146.2% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 16 cores and 32 threads.

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

Xeon Gold 6246R still looks like the safer overall buy. Xeon Gold 6246R is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 17.7% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data.

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

Xeon Gold 6246R is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2020 vs 2014), more multi-core headroom with 16 cores / 32 threads instead of 15/30, and AVX-512 support for heavier modern compute workloads. 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.

Xeon E7-4890 v2 Benchmark Check

Xeon Gold 6246R Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Xeon E7-4890 v2	Xeon Gold 6246R
1080p
low	186 FPS	198 FPS
medium	148 FPS	156 FPS
high	118 FPS	126 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	98 FPS
1440p
low	153 FPS	162 FPS
medium	119 FPS	124 FPS
high	92 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	73 FPS	76 FPS
4K
low	72 FPS	74 FPS
medium	59 FPS	60 FPS
high	46 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	38 FPS	38 FPS

Open Xeon E7-4890 v2 Open Xeon Gold 6246R

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Xeon E7-4890 v2	Xeon Gold 6246R
1080p
low	368 FPS	505 FPS
medium	324 FPS	442 FPS
high	270 FPS	366 FPS
ultra	216 FPS	326 FPS
1440p
low	318 FPS	446 FPS
medium	282 FPS	391 FPS
high	238 FPS	328 FPS
ultra	184 FPS	275 FPS
4K
low	199 FPS	282 FPS
medium	178 FPS	248 FPS
high	152 FPS	226 FPS
ultra	121 FPS	201 FPS

Open Xeon E7-4890 v2 Open Xeon Gold 6246R

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Xeon E7-4890 v2	Xeon Gold 6246R
1080p
low	774 FPS	762 FPS
medium	774 FPS	762 FPS
high	763 FPS	762 FPS
ultra	679 FPS	762 FPS
1440p
low	744 FPS	762 FPS
medium	638 FPS	720 FPS
high	605 FPS	665 FPS
ultra	537 FPS	596 FPS
4K
low	479 FPS	516 FPS
medium	376 FPS	423 FPS
high	335 FPS	372 FPS
ultra	274 FPS	306 FPS

Open Xeon E7-4890 v2 Open Xeon Gold 6246R

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Xeon E7-4890 v2	Xeon Gold 6246R
1080p
low	774 FPS	762 FPS
medium	774 FPS	762 FPS
high	765 FPS	762 FPS
ultra	648 FPS	739 FPS
1440p
low	774 FPS	762 FPS
medium	686 FPS	762 FPS
high	586 FPS	673 FPS
ultra	493 FPS	568 FPS
4K
low	581 FPS	677 FPS
medium	506 FPS	592 FPS
high	442 FPS	511 FPS
ultra	377 FPS	428 FPS

Open Xeon E7-4890 v2 Open Xeon Gold 6246R

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E7-4890 v2 and Xeon Gold 6246R

Xeon E7-4890 v2

The Xeon E7-4890 v2 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It features 15 cores and 30 threads. Base frequency is 2.8 GHz, with boost up to 3.4 GHz. L3 cache: 37.5 MB. Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011. Thermal design power (TDP): 155 Watt. Memory support: DDR3-1066, DDR3-1333, DDR3-1600. Passmark benchmark score: 30,946 points. Launch price was $800.

Xeon Gold 6246R

The Xeon Gold 6246R is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 24 February 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Cascade Lake (2019−2020) architecture. It features 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 4.1 GHz. L3 cache: 35.75 MB. L2 cache: 16 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 205 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 30,468 points. Launch price was $3,286.

⚡

Processing Power

The Xeon E7-4890 v2 packs 15 cores / 30 threads, while the Xeon Gold 6246R offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the Xeon Gold 6246R has 1 more core. Boost clocks reach 3.4 GHz on the Xeon E7-4890 v2 versus 4.1 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6246R — a 18.7% clock advantage for the Xeon Gold 6246R (base: 2.8 GHz vs 3.4 GHz). The Xeon Gold 6246R is built on the Cascade Lake (2019−2020) architecture. In PassMark, the Xeon E7-4890 v2 scores 30,946 against the Xeon Gold 6246R's 30,468 — a 1.6% lead for the Xeon E7-4890 v2. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 6,500 vs 16,000 (84.4% advantage for the Xeon Gold 6246R). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 730 vs 1,293, a 55.7% lead for the Xeon Gold 6246R that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 5,500 vs 9,848 (56.7% advantage for the Xeon Gold 6246R). L3 cache: 37.5 MB on the Xeon E7-4890 v2 vs 35.75 MB on the Xeon Gold 6246R.

Feature	Xeon E7-4890 v2	Xeon Gold 6246R
Cores / Threads	15 / 30	16 / 32+7%
Boost Clock	3.4 GHz	4.1 GHz+21%
Base Clock	2.8 GHz	3.4 GHz+21%
L3 Cache	37.5 MB+5%	35.75 MB
L2 Cache	—	16 MB
Process	22 nm	14 nm-36%
Architecture	—	Cascade Lake (2019−2020)
PassMark	30,946+2%	30,468
Cinebench R23 Multi	6,500	16,000+146%
Geekbench 6 Single	730	1,293+77%
Geekbench 6 Multi	5,500	9,848+79%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon E7-4890 v2 uses the LGA2011 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon Gold 6246R uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR3-1600 on the Xeon E7-4890 v2 versus DDR4-2933 on the Xeon Gold 6246R — the Xeon Gold 6246R supports 28.6% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon E7-4890 v2 supports up to 1536 GB of RAM compared to 1024 GB — 40% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 4 (Xeon E7-4890 v2) vs 6 (Xeon Gold 6246R). PCIe lanes: 32 (Xeon E7-4890 v2) vs 48 (Xeon Gold 6246R) — the Xeon Gold 6246R offers 16 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: C602 (Xeon E7-4890 v2) and Lewisburg (Xeon Gold 6246R).

Feature	Xeon E7-4890 v2	Xeon Gold 6246R
Socket	LGA2011	LGA3647
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR3-1600	DDR4-2933+33%
Max RAM Capacity	1536 GB+50%	1024 GB
RAM Channels	4	6+50%
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	32	48+50%

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Only the Xeon Gold 6246R supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Both support VT-x, VT-d, EPT virtualization. Primary use case: Xeon E7-4890 v2 targets Enterprise Server (Legacy), Xeon Gold 6246R targets High-frequency Server / Financial. Direct competitor: Xeon E7-4890 v2 rivals Xeon E5-2697 v2; Xeon Gold 6246R rivals EPYC 7302.

Feature	Xeon E7-4890 v2	Xeon Gold 6246R
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	No	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	Enterprise Server (Legacy)	High-frequency Server / Financial