Xeon Gold 6146
VS
Core i9-11900KB

Xeon Gold 6146 vs Core i9-11900KB

Intel

Xeon Gold 6146

12 Cores24 Thrd165 WWMax: 4.2 GHz2017
VS
Intel

Core i9-11900KB

8 Cores16 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.9 GHz2021

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.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon Gold 6146

#21
Xeon Platinum 8260M
MSRP: $7705|Avg: N/A
119%
#22
Xeon Platinum 8268
MSRP: $6302|Avg: N/A
119%
#24
Xeon Gold 6130H
MSRP: $1894|Avg: N/A
115%
#33
Xeon Gold 6146
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#41
Xeon W-2195
MSRP: $150|Avg: $5
91%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i9-11900KB

#284
Core i7-14701E
MSRP: $392|Avg: $380
106%
#284
Ryzen Threadripper 1950X
MSRP: $999|Avg: $300
42%
#285
Core i5-10400
MSRP: $182|Avg: $175
106%
#286
Core i3-12100
MSRP: $122|Avg: $180
106%
#287
Core Ultra 9 285T
MSRP: $549|Avg: $549
104%
#288
Ryzen Threadripper 1950
MSRP: $999|Avg: $300
34%
#288
Core i5-12500TE
MSRP: $225|Avg: $225
103%
#289
Athlon Silver PRO 3125GE
MSRP: $108|Avg: $70
102%
#290
Core i9-10900KF
MSRP: $509|Avg: $336
102%
#291
Core i9-14900T
MSRP: $549|Avg: $577
102%
#291
Core i9-7900X
MSRP: $999|Avg: $188
32%
#292
Core i5-13500T
MSRP: $342|Avg: $342
102%
#293
Core i3-10300
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $140.49
102%
#294
Core i9-10900F
MSRP: $464|Avg: $300
102%
#294
Core i9-7920X
MSRP: $1199|Avg: $236
30%
#295
Ryzen 7 5800X3D
MSRP: $449|Avg: $429
102%
#295
Core i9-7940X
MSRP: $1399|Avg: $275
28%
#296
Core i7-9700F
MSRP: $323|Avg: $200
102%
#297
Ryzen Threadripper 9960X
MSRP: $1499|Avg: $1419
101%
#298
Core i9-7960X
MSRP: $1699|Avg: $185
25%
#298
Core i5-9500F
MSRP: $187|Avg: $154
100%
#299
Core i9-7980XE
MSRP: $1999|Avg: $300
23%
#299
Core i9-11900KB
MSRP: $539|Avg: $350
100%
#300
Core i7-10700F
MSRP: $310|Avg: $250
100%
#301
Core i7-10700T
MSRP: $355|Avg: $200
99%
#302
Core i7-6900K
MSRP: $1089|Avg: $1089
21%
#302
Celeron G5920
MSRP: $52|Avg: $40
99%
#303
Core i3-10105T
MSRP: $122|Avg: $122
99%
#303
Core i7-5960X
MSRP: $999|Avg: $83
21%
#304
Core i7-6950X
MSRP: $1723|Avg: $180
16%
#304
Celeron G5900
MSRP: $50|Avg: $42
98%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Use Case Distinction: This is a comparison between a Professional Workstation processor ($0) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon Gold 6146 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.
InsightXeon Gold 6146Core i9-11900KB
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($350)
Longevity
✨ Modern (Skylake (server) (2017−2018) / 14 nm)
✨ Modern (Tiger Lake-H (2021) / 10 nm SuperFin)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i9-11900KB ($350), however, is optimized for mixed workloads and gaming. For most users, it offers superior single-thread performance and responsiveness at a fraction of the cost ($350 less, Infinity% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.
InsightXeon Gold 6146Core i9-11900KB
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($350)

Performance Check

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.

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon Gold 6146 and Core i9-11900KB

Intel

Xeon Gold 6146

The Xeon Gold 6146 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 July 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 24.75 MB. L2 cache: 12 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 165 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 22,595 points. Launch price was $3,286.

Intel

Core i9-11900KB

The Core i9-11900KB is manufactured by Intel. It was released in Maio 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Tiger Lake-H (2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 GHz. L3 cache: 24 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm SuperFin process technology. Socket: FCBGA1787. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 22,693 points. Launch price was $539.

Processing Power

The Xeon Gold 6146 packs 12 cores / 24 threads, while the Core i9-11900KB offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Xeon Gold 6146 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.2 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6146 versus 4.9 GHz on the Core i9-11900KB — a 15.4% clock advantage for the Core i9-11900KB (base: 3.2 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). The Xeon Gold 6146 uses the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i9-11900KB uses Tiger Lake-H (2021) (10 nm SuperFin). In PassMark, the Xeon Gold 6146 scores 22,595 against the Core i9-11900KB's 22,693 — a 0.4% lead for the Core i9-11900KB. L3 cache: 24.75 MB on the Xeon Gold 6146 vs 24 MB (total) on the Core i9-11900KB.

FeatureXeon Gold 6146Core i9-11900KB
Cores / Threads
12 / 24+50%
8 / 16
Boost Clock
4.2 GHz
4.9 GHz+17%
Base Clock
3.2 GHz
3.3 GHz+3%
L3 Cache
24.75 MB+3%
24 MB (total)
L2 Cache
12 MB+860%
1.25 MB (per core)
Process
14 nm
10 nm SuperFin-29%
Architecture
Skylake (server) (2017−2018)
Tiger Lake-H (2021)
PassMark
22,595
22,693
Cinebench R23 Multi
12,264
Geekbench 6 Multi
10,645
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon Gold 6146 uses the LGA3647 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i9-11900KB uses FCBGA1787 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureXeon Gold 6146Core i9-11900KB
Socket
LGA3647
FCBGA1787
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0
PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed
DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity
128 GB
RAM Channels
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
20
🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Xeon Gold 6146) / VT-x, VT-d (Core i9-11900KB). The Core i9-11900KB includes integrated graphics (Intel UHD Graphics), while the Xeon Gold 6146 requires a dedicated GPU.

FeatureXeon Gold 6146Core i9-11900KB
Integrated GPU
Yes
IGPU Model
Intel UHD Graphics
Unlocked
Yes
AVX-512
Yes
Virtualization
VT-x, VT-d