Xeon Gold 6240
VS
Core i9-11900K

Xeon Gold 6240 vs Core i9-11900K

Intel

Xeon Gold 6240

18 Cores36 Thrd150 WWMax: 3.9 GHz2019
VS
Intel

Core i9-11900K

8 Cores16 Thrd125 WWMax: 5.2 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 6240

#1
Xeon Platinum 8454H
MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A
609%
#1
Core i9-9990XE
MSRP: $2000|Avg: N/A
4%
#2
Xeon W-11855M
MSRP: $450|Avg: $200
11%
#3
Xeon W-11955M
MSRP: $623|Avg: $450
10%
#4
Xeon W-11865MLE
MSRP: $467|Avg: $350
10%
#5
Xeon W-11865MRE
MSRP: $600|Avg: $600
10%
#6
Xeon Gold 6240R
MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A
115%
#10
Xeon 6337P
MSRP: $60|Avg: $5
102%
#11
Xeon Gold 6240
MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A
100%
#15
EPYC 9174F
MSRP: $194|Avg: $30
79%
#16
EPYC 7302
MSRP: $978|Avg: $109
79%
#21
Xeon Platinum 8260M
MSRP: $7705|Avg: N/A
72%
#22
Xeon Platinum 8268
MSRP: $6302|Avg: N/A
71%
#24
Xeon Gold 6130H
MSRP: $1894|Avg: N/A
69%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i9-11900K

#308
Core i9-11900F
MSRP: N/A|Avg: $358.87
107%
#309
Core i9-9900T
MSRP: $423|Avg: $215
107%
#310
Core i5-9500T
MSRP: $192|Avg: $132
107%
#311
Ryzen 7 PRO 5750GE
MSRP: $349|Avg: $349
105%
#312
Core i9-10940X
MSRP: $784|Avg: $460
105%
#313
Core i9-10920X
MSRP: $689|Avg: $430
105%
#314
Core i7-10700
MSRP: $365|Avg: $268
104%
#315
Core i5-9600K
MSRP: $263|Avg: $178
104%
#316
Ryzen Threadripper 7960X
MSRP: $1499|Avg: $1400
104%
#317
Ryzen 7 PRO 4750GE
MSRP: $309|Avg: $309
104%
#318
Core i3-10305T
MSRP: $143|Avg: $143
104%
#319
Ryzen Embedded V1202B
MSRP: $100|Avg: $60
102%
#320
Core i3-10100
MSRP: $122|Avg: $146
102%
#321
Ryzen 5 PRO 5650GE
MSRP: $311|Avg: $311
102%
#322
Celeron G6900
MSRP: $52|Avg: $77
101%
#323
Core i9-11900K
MSRP: $539|Avg: $435
100%
#324
Core i7-12700TE
MSRP: $378|Avg: $350
98%
#325
Core i9-12900E
MSRP: $500|Avg: $500
98%
#326
Celeron G4900T
MSRP: $42|Avg: $40
97%
#327
Ryzen Threadripper 2920X
MSRP: $649|Avg: $452
97%
#328
Core i9-9900KS
MSRP: $513|Avg: $350
96%
#329
Core i5-11600T
MSRP: $262|Avg: $262
96%
#330
Core i9-9900K
MSRP: $488|Avg: $331
95%
#331
Ryzen Threadripper 2950X
MSRP: $899|Avg: $540
95%
#332
Celeron G4930T
MSRP: $42|Avg: $42
95%
#333
Core i9-9920X
MSRP: $1189|Avg: $464
94%
#334
Core i3-9100
MSRP: $122|Avg: $125
92%
#335
Core i9-10900X
MSRP: $590|Avg: $425
92%
#336
Core i7-8700T
MSRP: $303|Avg: $196
91%
#337
Ryzen 5 3600XT
MSRP: $249|Avg: $357
90%
#338
Core i9-10980XE
MSRP: $979|Avg: $620
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 ($0) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon Gold 6240 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.
InsightXeon Gold 6240Core i9-11900K
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Better multi-core power
Price
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($435)
Longevity
✨ Modern (Cascade Lake (2019−2020) / 14 nm)
✨ Modern (Rocket Lake (2021) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i9-11900K ($435), 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 ($435 less, Infinity% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.
InsightXeon Gold 6240Core i9-11900K
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
More affordable ($0)
⚠️ Higher cost ($435)

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 6240 and Core i9-11900K

Intel

Xeon Gold 6240

The Xeon Gold 6240 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 April 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Cascade Lake (2019−2020) architecture. It features 18 cores and 36 threads. Base frequency is 2.6 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 24.75 MB. L2 cache: 18 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 150 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 24,918 points. Launch price was $2,445.

Intel

Core i9-11900K

The Core i9-11900K is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 16 March 2021 (4 years ago). It is based on the Rocket Lake (2021) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 5.2 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 24,990 points. Launch price was $539.

Processing Power

The Xeon Gold 6240 packs 18 cores / 36 threads, while the Core i9-11900K offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Xeon Gold 6240 has 10 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.9 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6240 versus 5.2 GHz on the Core i9-11900K — a 28.6% clock advantage for the Core i9-11900K (base: 2.6 GHz vs 3.5 GHz). The Xeon Gold 6240 uses the Cascade Lake (2019−2020) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i9-11900K uses Rocket Lake (2021) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon Gold 6240 scores 24,918 against the Core i9-11900K's 24,990 — a 0.3% lead for the Core i9-11900K. L3 cache: 24.75 MB on the Xeon Gold 6240 vs 16 MB (total) on the Core i9-11900K.

FeatureXeon Gold 6240Core i9-11900K
Cores / Threads
18 / 36+125%
8 / 16
Boost Clock
3.9 GHz
5.2 GHz+33%
Base Clock
2.6 GHz
3.5 GHz+35%
L3 Cache
24.75 MB+55%
16 MB (total)
L2 Cache
18 MB+3500%
512 kB (per core)
Process
14 nm
14 nm
Architecture
Cascade Lake (2019−2020)
Rocket Lake (2021)
PassMark
24,918
24,990
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon Gold 6240 uses the LGA3647 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i9-11900K uses LGA1200 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

FeatureXeon Gold 6240Core i9-11900K
Socket
LGA3647
LGA1200
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0
PCIe 4.0+33%