Xeon Gold 5320T vs Xeon Gold 6246R

Intel

Xeon Gold 5320T

20 Cores40 Thrd150 WWMax: 3.5 GHz2021
Similar parts
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VS
Intel

Xeon Gold 6246R

16 Cores32 Thrd205 WWMax: 4.1 GHz2020
Similar parts
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Xeon Gold 5320T vs Xeon Gold 6246R Performance Spectrum

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.

Xeon Gold 5320T vs Xeon Gold 6246R FPS Benchmarks

Predicted gaming performance across popular games. Tested paired with GeForce RTX 5090 to isolate CPU performance.

Search any supported game below to compare 1080p FPS for both components.

Xeon Gold 5320T vs Xeon Gold 6246R: Pros, Cons & Final Verdict

See where each CPU makes more sense in practice: gaming, heavier work, platform cost, power draw, and upgrade path.

Xeon Gold 5320T

2021

Why buy it

  • +37.5% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
  • Draws 150W instead of 205W, a 55W reduction.
  • 33.3% more PCIe lanes (64 vs 48) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

  • Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Gold 6246R across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
  • Launch MSRP is still $1,977 MSRP, while Xeon Gold 6246R mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Xeon Gold 6246R

2020

Why buy it

  • Better for gaming: +17.0% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.

Trade-offs

  • Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (16,000 vs 22,000).
  • 36.7% higher power demand at 205W vs 150W.

Quick Answers

So, is Xeon Gold 5320T better than Xeon Gold 6246R?
It depends on what you want from the system. For gaming, Xeon Gold 6246R is ahead with a 17.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Gold 5320T pulls ahead with 37.5% better Cinebench R23 multi-core.
Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?
For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Gold 5320T is the stronger fit. You are getting 37.5% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 20 cores and 40 threads.
Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?
Xeon Gold 5320T is the better buy right now. Xeon Gold 5320T comes in at an unclear MSRP at $1,977 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it still gives you 37.5% better Cinebench R23 multi-core. The compromise is that Xeon Gold 6246R is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 17.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (15.3 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so you are getting the faster CPU without taking a value hit on paper.
Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?
Xeon Gold 5320T makes more sense long term for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2020) and more multi-core headroom with 20 cores / 40 threads instead of 16/32. That extra compute headroom is more likely to matter as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Xeon Gold 5320T vs Xeon Gold 6246R Technical Specifications

Side-by-side specs, architecture details, clocks, memory, power, and platform differences.

Intel

Xeon Gold 5320T

The Xeon Gold 5320T is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Ice Lake-SP (2021) architecture. It features 20 cores and 40 threads. Base frequency is 2.3 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 30 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4189. Thermal design power (TDP): 150 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 30,259 points. Launch price was $800.

Intel

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 Gold 5320T packs 20 cores / 40 threads, while the Xeon Gold 6246R offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the Xeon Gold 5320T has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.5 GHz on the Xeon Gold 5320T versus 4.1 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6246R — a 15.8% clock advantage for the Xeon Gold 6246R (base: 2.3 GHz vs 3.4 GHz). The Xeon Gold 5320T uses the Ice Lake-SP (2021) architecture (10 nm), while the Xeon Gold 6246R uses Cascade Lake (2019−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon Gold 5320T scores 30,259 against the Xeon Gold 6246R's 30,468 — a 0.7% lead for the Xeon Gold 6246R. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 22,000 vs 16,000 (31.6% advantage for the Xeon Gold 5320T). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,290 vs 1,293, a 0.2% lead for the Xeon Gold 6246R that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 19,074 vs 9,848 (63.8% advantage for the Xeon Gold 5320T). L3 cache: 30 MB (total) on the Xeon Gold 5320T vs 35.75 MB on the Xeon Gold 6246R.

FeatureXeon Gold 5320TXeon Gold 6246R
Cores / Threads
20 / 40+25%
16 / 32
Boost Clock
3.5 GHz
4.1 GHz+17%
Base Clock
2.3 GHz
3.4 GHz+48%
L3 Cache
30 MB (total)
35.75 MB+19%
L2 Cache
1 MB (per core)
16 MB+1500%
Process
10 nm-29%
14 nm
Architecture
Ice Lake-SP (2021)
Cascade Lake (2019−2020)
PassMark
30,259
30,468
Cinebench R23 Multi
22,000+38%
16,000
Geekbench 6 Single
1,290
1,293
Geekbench 6 Multi
19,074+94%
9,848
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Memory & Platform

The Xeon Gold 5320T uses the LGA4189 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon Gold 6246R uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2933 memory speed. The Xeon Gold 5320T supports up to 6144 GB of RAM compared to 1024 GB 500% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 8 (Xeon Gold 5320T) vs 6 (Xeon Gold 6246R). PCIe lanes: 64 (Xeon Gold 5320T) vs 48 (Xeon Gold 6246R) — the Xeon Gold 5320T offers 16 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: C621A (Xeon Gold 5320T) and Lewisburg (Xeon Gold 6246R).

FeatureXeon Gold 5320TXeon Gold 6246R
Socket
LGA4189
LGA3647
PCIe Generation
PCIe 4.0+33%
PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed
DDR4-2933
DDR4-2933
Max RAM Capacity
6144 GB+500%
1024 GB
RAM Channels
8+33%
6
ECC Support
Yes
Yes
PCIe Lanes
64+33%
48
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Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Both support AVX-512 instructions, benefiting scientific computing, AI inference, and encryption workloads. Both support VT-x, VT-d, EPT virtualization. Primary use case: Xeon Gold 5320T targets High-density Cloud / Virtualization, Xeon Gold 6246R targets High-frequency Server / Financial. Direct competitor: Xeon Gold 5320T rivals EPYC 7413; Xeon Gold 6246R rivals EPYC 7302.

FeatureXeon Gold 5320TXeon Gold 6246R
Integrated GPU
No
No
Unlocked
No
No
AVX-512
Yes
Yes
Virtualization
VT-x, VT-d, EPT
VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use
High-density Cloud / Virtualization
High-frequency Server / Financial