Xeon Gold 6148 vs Core i9-9980XE

Xeon Gold 6148

20 Cores40 Thrd150 WWMax: 3.7 GHz2017

Core i9-9980XE

18 Cores36 Thrd165 WWMax: 4.5 GHz2018

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Xeon Gold 6148

20 / 40

29,021

0.0%

29,127

+0.4%

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 6148

#482

Xeon 6724P

MSRP: $3622|Avg: $3622

111%

#483

EPYC 9634

MSRP: $10304|Avg: $3949

111%

#484

EPYC 7773X

MSRP: $8800|Avg: $8800

110%

#485

Xeon Gold 6258R

MSRP: $3950|Avg: $1400

108%

#486

EPYC 9175F

MSRP: $4256|Avg: $3703

108%

#488

EPYC 9534

MSRP: $8803|Avg: $2999

107%

#489

EPYC 9654

MSRP: $11805|Avg: $5345

107%

#490

EPYC 7H12

MSRP: $6950|Avg: $1340

106%

#491

EPYC 7742

MSRP: $6950|Avg: $800

106%

#492

Xeon Platinum 8352M

MSRP: $4471|Avg: $4471

105%

#493

Xeon Platinum 8570

MSRP: $9595|Avg: $9595

103%

#494

EPYC 9184X

MSRP: $4928|Avg: $3750

102%

#495

Xeon Platinum 8470

MSRP: $9359|Avg: $9359

102%

#496

Xeon E7-8857 v2

MSRP: $3838|Avg: $2995

100%

#497

Xeon Gold 6148

MSRP: $3072|Avg: $290

100%

#498

Xeon E5-1681 V3

MSRP: $1589|Avg: $200

99%

#499

Xeon W-3275

MSRP: $4449|Avg: $1550

98%

#500

Xeon Gold 6138

MSRP: $2612|Avg: $300

98%

#501

Xeon E5-2690 v4

MSRP: $2090|Avg: $389

97%

#502

Xeon Platinum 8362

MSRP: $6236|Avg: $5740

96%

#503

Xeon W-3275M

MSRP: $4449|Avg: $4449

96%

#504

Xeon E5-2660 v3

MSRP: $1445|Avg: $150

95%

#505

Xeon E5-2679 v4

MSRP: $2702|Avg: $500

94%

#506

Xeon E5-2680 v3

MSRP: $1745|Avg: $212

90%

#507

Xeon Platinum 8562Y+

MSRP: $5945|Avg: $7000

89%

#508

Xeon E7-8895 v2

MSRP: $6841|Avg: $65

88%

#509

EPYC 9754

MSRP: $11900|Avg: $10631

88%

#509

EPYC 9684X

MSRP: $14756|Avg: $14756

88%

#511

Xeon D-1587

MSRP: $1652|Avg: $1443

87%

#512

Xeon E5-2687W v4

MSRP: $2141|Avg: $1138

87%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i9-9980XE

#330

Core i9-9900K

MSRP: $488|Avg: $331

111%

#331

Ryzen Threadripper 2950X

MSRP: $899|Avg: $540

111%

#332

Celeron G4930T

MSRP: $42|Avg: $42

111%

#333

Core i9-9920X

MSRP: $1189|Avg: $464

110%

#334

Core i3-9100

MSRP: $122|Avg: $125

107%

#335

Core i9-10900X

MSRP: $590|Avg: $425

107%

#336

Core i7-8700T

MSRP: $303|Avg: $196

106%

#337

Ryzen 5 3600XT

MSRP: $249|Avg: $357

106%

#338

Core i9-10980XE

MSRP: $979|Avg: $620

106%

#339

Core i5-8500T

MSRP: $192|Avg: $149

106%

#340

Core i9-9900KF

MSRP: $488|Avg: $350

105%

#341

Ryzen Embedded V2748

MSRP: $309|Avg: $359

105%

#342

Core i3-9350K

MSRP: $184|Avg: $150

103%

#343

Athlon Gold PRO 3150G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $150

101%

#344

Core i9-9900

MSRP: $423|Avg: $330

100%

#345

Core i9-9980XE

MSRP: $1979|Avg: $593

100%

#346

Core i7-10700K

MSRP: $387|Avg: $380

99%

#347

Celeron G5905T

MSRP: $50|Avg: $50

96%

#348

Athlon PRO 200GE

MSRP: $55|Avg: $81

96%

#349

Core i5-9600

MSRP: $224|Avg: $219

96%

#350

Core i3-8300

MSRP: $138|Avg: $136

95%

#351

Core i5-8500B

MSRP: $192|Avg: $192

94%

#352

Core i7-13700TE

MSRP: $390|Avg: $476

94%

#353

Core i9-11900T

MSRP: $439|Avg: $413

92%

#354

Ryzen Threadripper 7970X

MSRP: $2499|Avg: $2200

92%

#355

Core i9-10900

MSRP: $483|Avg: $426

92%

#356

Ryzen Embedded V1605B

MSRP: $150|Avg: $150

91%

#357

Core i9-10900K

MSRP: $499|Avg: $500

91%

#358

Celeron G4930

MSRP: $42|Avg: $57

91%

#359

Ryzen 7 2700E

MSRP: $329|Avg: $329

91%

#360

Ryzen Embedded V2516

MSRP: $300|Avg: $300

90%

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 ($290) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon Gold 6148 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Xeon Gold 6148	Core i9-9980XE
Gaming	❌ Lower gaming performance	✅ Superior gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($290)	⚠️ Higher cost ($593)
Longevity	✨ Modern (Skylake (server) (2017−2018) / 14 nm)	✨ Modern (Skylake (server) (2017−2018) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i9-9980XE ($593), 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 ($303 less, 104% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Xeon Gold 6148	Core i9-9980XE
Cost Efficiency	✅ Better overall value (+104%)	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($290)	⚠️ Higher cost ($593)

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.

Xeon Gold 6148 Benchmark Check

Core i9-9980XE Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon Gold 6148 and Core i9-9980XE

Xeon Gold 6148

The Xeon Gold 6148 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 25 April 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 20 cores and 40 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.7 GHz. L3 cache: 27.5 MB. L2 cache: 20 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 150 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 29,021 points. Launch price was $3,072.

Core i9-9980XE

The Core i9-9980XE is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 19 October 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 18 cores and 36 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 4.5 GHz. L3 cache: 24.75 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2066. Thermal design power (TDP): 165 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 29,127 points. Launch price was $1,979.

⚡

Processing Power

The Xeon Gold 6148 packs 20 cores / 40 threads, while the Core i9-9980XE offers 18 cores / 36 threads — the Xeon Gold 6148 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.7 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6148 versus 4.5 GHz on the Core i9-9980XE — a 19.5% clock advantage for the Core i9-9980XE (base: 2.4 GHz vs 3 GHz). Both are built on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture using a 14 nm process. In PassMark, the Xeon Gold 6148 scores 29,021 against the Core i9-9980XE's 29,127 — a 0.4% lead for the Core i9-9980XE. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 18,500 vs 22,000 (17.3% advantage for the Core i9-9980XE). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,254 vs 1,459, a 15.1% lead for the Core i9-9980XE that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 9,445 vs 12,177 (25.3% advantage for the Core i9-9980XE). L3 cache: 27.5 MB on the Xeon Gold 6148 vs 24.75 MB (total) on the Core i9-9980XE.

Feature	Xeon Gold 6148	Core i9-9980XE
Cores / Threads	20 / 40+11%	18 / 36
Boost Clock	3.7 GHz	4.5 GHz+22%
Base Clock	2.4 GHz	3 GHz+25%
L3 Cache	27.5 MB+11%	24.75 MB (total)
L2 Cache	20 MB+1900%	1 MB (per core)
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)
PassMark	29,021	29,127
Cinebench R23 Multi	18,500	22,000+19%
Geekbench 6 Single	1,254	1,459+16%
Geekbench 6 Multi	9,445	12,177+29%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon Gold 6148 uses the LGA3647 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i9-9980XE uses LGA2066 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2666 memory speed. The Xeon Gold 6148 supports up to 768 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB — 142.9% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 6 (Xeon Gold 6148) vs 4 (Core i9-9980XE). PCIe lanes: 48 (Xeon Gold 6148) vs 44 (Core i9-9980XE) — the Xeon Gold 6148 offers 4 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: C620 (Xeon Gold 6148) and X299 (Core i9-9980XE).

Feature	Xeon Gold 6148	Core i9-9980XE
Socket	LGA3647	LGA2066
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2666	DDR4-2666
Max RAM Capacity	768 GB+500%	128 GB
RAM Channels	6+50%	4
ECC Support	✅	❌
PCIe Lanes	48+9%	44

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Core i9-9980XE has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Both support AVX-512 instructions, benefiting scientific computing, AI inference, and encryption workloads. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Xeon Gold 6148) vs VT-x, VT-d (Core i9-9980XE). Primary use case: Xeon Gold 6148 targets Legacy Enterprise Workloads, Core i9-9980XE targets HEDT / Workstation / Content Creation. Direct competitor: Xeon Gold 6148 rivals EPYC 7401; Core i9-9980XE rivals Ryzen Threadripper 2950X.

Feature	Xeon Gold 6148	Core i9-9980XE
Integrated GPU	No	No
Unlocked	No	Yes
AVX-512	Yes	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, EPT	VT-x, VT-d
Target Use	Legacy Enterprise Workloads	HEDT / Workstation / Content Creation

💰

Value Analysis

The Xeon Gold 6148 launched at $3072 MSRP, while the Core i9-9980XE debuted at $1979. At current prices ($290 vs $593), the Xeon Gold 6148 is $303 cheaper. In terms of value (PassMark points per dollar), the Xeon Gold 6148 delivers 100.1 pts/$ vs 49.1 pts/$ for the Core i9-9980XE — making the Xeon Gold 6148 the 68.3% better value option.