Xeon Gold 6146
VS
Core i9-12900TE

Xeon Gold 6146 vs Core i9-12900TE

Intel

Xeon Gold 6146

12 Cores24 Thrd165 WWMax: 4.2 GHz2017
VS
Intel

Core i9-12900TE

16 Cores24 Thrd35 WWMax: 4.8 GHz2022

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 i9-12900TE

#363
Celeron G5900T
MSRP: $42|Avg: $50
127%
#364
Celeron G6900TE
MSRP: $53|Avg: $64
126%
#365
Core i5-8600T
MSRP: $213|Avg: $213
125%
#366
Celeron G4950
MSRP: $52|Avg: $63
125%
#367
Core i9-10900E
MSRP: $488|Avg: $450
125%
#368
Core i7-9700KF
MSRP: $374|Avg: $333
124%
#369
Core i5-8400T
MSRP: $182|Avg: $179
120%
#370
Athlon 240GE
MSRP: $75|Avg: $110
120%
#371
Core 5 120UL
MSRP: $277|Avg: $270
113%
#372
Ryzen Embedded V3C14
MSRP: $305|Avg: $305
113%
#373
Core i7-9700T
MSRP: $323|Avg: $276
112%
#374
Core i9-13900TE
MSRP: $554|Avg: $554
108%
#375
Ryzen Embedded V2546
MSRP: $300|Avg: $300
106%
#376
Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7945WX
MSRP: $1399|Avg: $1399
103%
#377
Core i3-9100HL
MSRP: $225|Avg: $100
100%
#378
Core i9-12900TE
MSRP: $494|Avg: $664
100%
#379
Core i9-9940X
MSRP: $1387|Avg: $850
96%
#380
Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7955WX
MSRP: $1899|Avg: $1836
95%
#381
Ryzen Embedded V1756B
MSRP: $250|Avg: $250
94%
#382
Ryzen Embedded R2544
MSRP: $280|Avg: $280
88%
#383
Ryzen Threadripper 9980X
MSRP: $4999|Avg: $4999
82%
#384
Ryzen Threadripper 3990X
MSRP: $3990|Avg: $2850
81%
#385
Celeron G4900
MSRP: $42|Avg: $85
81%
#386
Ryzen Embedded V3C18I
MSRP: $500|Avg: $500
80%
#387
Ryzen Embedded V1807B
MSRP: $300|Avg: $300
78%
#388
Ryzen Embedded R2312
MSRP: $150|Avg: $150
76%
#389
Ryzen Threadripper 7980X
MSRP: $4999|Avg: $5200
76%
#390
Ryzen Threadripper 2990WX
MSRP: $1799|Avg: $1247
74%
#391
Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX
MSRP: $1299|Avg: $1300
69%
#392
Celeron G4920
MSRP: $52|Avg: $115
64%
#393
Core i3-9300T
MSRP: $309|Avg: $309
59%
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 i9-12900TE
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($664)
Longevity
✨ Modern (Skylake (server) (2017−2018) / 14 nm)
✨ Modern (Alder Lake-S (2022) / 10 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i9-12900TE ($664), 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 ($664 less, Infinity% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.
InsightXeon Gold 6146Core i9-12900TE
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($664)

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 i9-12900TE

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 i9-12900TE

The Core i9-12900TE is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 4 January 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Alder Lake-S (2022) architecture. It features 16 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 1.1 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 30 MB (total). L2 cache: 1.25 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4, DDR5 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 22,887 points. Launch price was $299.

Processing Power

The Xeon Gold 6146 packs 12 cores / 24 threads, while the Core i9-12900TE offers 16 cores / 24 threads — the Core i9-12900TE has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.2 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6146 versus 4.8 GHz on the Core i9-12900TE — a 13.3% clock advantage for the Core i9-12900TE (base: 3.2 GHz vs 1.1 GHz). The Xeon Gold 6146 uses the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i9-12900TE uses Alder Lake-S (2022) (10 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon Gold 6146 scores 22,595 against the Core i9-12900TE's 22,887 — a 1.3% lead for the Core i9-12900TE. L3 cache: 24.75 MB on the Xeon Gold 6146 vs 30 MB (total) on the Core i9-12900TE.

FeatureXeon Gold 6146Core i9-12900TE
Cores / Threads
12 / 24
16 / 24+33%
Boost Clock
4.2 GHz
4.8 GHz+14%
Base Clock
3.2 GHz+191%
1.1 GHz
L3 Cache
24.75 MB
30 MB (total)+21%
L2 Cache
12 MB+860%
1.25 MB (per core)
Process
14 nm
10 nm-29%
Architecture
Skylake (server) (2017−2018)
Alder Lake-S (2022)
PassMark
22,595
22,887+1%
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon Gold 6146 uses the LGA3647 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i9-12900TE uses LGA1700 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureXeon Gold 6146Core i9-12900TE
Socket
LGA3647
LGA1700
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0
PCIe 5.0+67%