Xeon Gold 6254 vs Core i9-10980XE

Xeon Gold 6254

18 Cores36 Thrd200 WWMax: 4 GHz2019

Core i9-10980XE

18 Cores36 Thrd165 WWMax: 4.8 GHz2019

Performance Spectrum - CPU

Xeon Gold 6254

18 / 36

32,334

+0.5%

32,187

0.0%

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 6254

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

155%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

120%

#16

EPYC 7302

MSRP: $978|Avg: $109

119%

#21

Xeon Platinum 8260M

MSRP: $7705|Avg: N/A

109%

#22

Xeon Platinum 8268

MSRP: $6302|Avg: N/A

109%

#24

Xeon Gold 6130H

MSRP: $1894|Avg: N/A

105%

#25

Xeon Gold 6254

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar Core i9-10980XE

#323

Core i9-11900K

MSRP: $539|Avg: $435

111%

#324

Core i7-12700TE

MSRP: $378|Avg: $350

109%

#325

Core i9-12900E

MSRP: $500|Avg: $500

109%

#326

Celeron G4900T

MSRP: $42|Avg: $40

108%

#327

Ryzen Threadripper 2920X

MSRP: $649|Avg: $452

107%

#328

Core i9-9900KS

MSRP: $513|Avg: $350

107%

#329

Core i5-11600T

MSRP: $262|Avg: $262

106%

#330

Core i9-9900K

MSRP: $488|Avg: $331

105%

#331

Ryzen Threadripper 2950X

MSRP: $899|Avg: $540

105%

#332

Celeron G4930T

MSRP: $42|Avg: $42

105%

#333

Core i9-9920X

MSRP: $1189|Avg: $464

104%

#334

Core i3-9100

MSRP: $122|Avg: $125

102%

#335

Core i9-10900X

MSRP: $590|Avg: $425

101%

#336

Core i7-8700T

MSRP: $303|Avg: $196

100%

#337

Ryzen 5 3600XT

MSRP: $249|Avg: $357

100%

#338

Core i9-10980XE

MSRP: $979|Avg: $620

100%

#339

Core i5-8500T

MSRP: $192|Avg: $149

100%

#340

Core i9-9900KF

MSRP: $488|Avg: $350

99%

#341

Ryzen Embedded V2748

MSRP: $309|Avg: $359

99%

#342

Core i3-9350K

MSRP: $184|Avg: $150

98%

#343

Athlon Gold PRO 3150G

MSRP: $150|Avg: $150

96%

#344

Core i9-9900

MSRP: $423|Avg: $330

95%

#345

Core i9-9980XE

MSRP: $1979|Avg: $593

95%

#346

Core i7-10700K

MSRP: $387|Avg: $380

94%

#347

Celeron G5905T

MSRP: $50|Avg: $50

91%

#348

Athlon PRO 200GE

MSRP: $55|Avg: $81

91%

#349

Core i5-9600

MSRP: $224|Avg: $219

91%

#350

Core i3-8300

MSRP: $138|Avg: $136

90%

#351

Core i5-8500B

MSRP: $192|Avg: $192

89%

#352

Core i7-13700TE

MSRP: $390|Avg: $476

89%

#353

Core i9-11900T

MSRP: $439|Avg: $413

87%

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 6254 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Xeon Gold 6254	Core i9-10980XE
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($620)
Longevity	✨ Modern (Cascade Lake (2019−2020) / 14 nm)	✨ Modern (Cascade Lake-X (2019) / 14 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Core i9-10980XE ($620), 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 ($620 less, Infinity% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Xeon Gold 6254	Core i9-10980XE
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	✅ More affordable ($0)	⚠️ Higher cost ($620)

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 6254 Benchmark Check

Core i9-10980XE Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon Gold 6254 and Core i9-10980XE

Xeon Gold 6254

The Xeon Gold 6254 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 3.1 GHz, with boost up to 4 GHz. L3 cache: 24.75 MB. L2 cache: 18 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 200 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 32,334 points. Launch price was $3,803.

Core i9-10980XE

The Core i9-10980XE is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 19 October 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Cascade Lake-X (2019) architecture. It features 18 cores and 36 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 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: 32,187 points. Launch price was $979.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Xeon Gold 6254 and Core i9-10980XE share an identical 18-core/36-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 4 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6254 versus 4.8 GHz on the Core i9-10980XE — a 18.2% clock advantage for the Core i9-10980XE (base: 3.1 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Xeon Gold 6254 uses the Cascade Lake (2019−2020) architecture (14 nm), while the Core i9-10980XE uses Cascade Lake-X (2019) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon Gold 6254 scores 32,334 against the Core i9-10980XE's 32,187 — a 0.5% lead for the Xeon Gold 6254. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 21,000 vs 24,309 (14.6% advantage for the Core i9-10980XE). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,365 vs 1,242, a 9.4% lead for the Xeon Gold 6254 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 10,950 vs 16,275 (39.1% advantage for the Core i9-10980XE). L3 cache: 24.75 MB on the Xeon Gold 6254 vs 24.75 MB (total) on the Core i9-10980XE.

Feature	Xeon Gold 6254	Core i9-10980XE
Cores / Threads	18 / 36	18 / 36
Boost Clock	4 GHz	4.8 GHz+20%
Base Clock	3.1 GHz+3%	3 GHz
L3 Cache	24.75 MB	24.75 MB (total)
L2 Cache	18 MB+1700%	1 MB (per core)
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Cascade Lake (2019−2020)	Cascade Lake-X (2019)
PassMark	32,334	32,187
Cinebench R23 Multi	21,000	24,309+16%
Geekbench 6 Single	1,365+10%	1,242
Geekbench 6 Multi	10,950	16,275+49%

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon Gold 6254 uses the LGA3647 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Core i9-10980XE uses LGA2066 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2933 memory speed. The Xeon Gold 6254 supports up to 1024 GB of RAM compared to 256 GB — 120% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 6 (Xeon Gold 6254) vs 4 (Core i9-10980XE). Both provide 48 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: C620 (Xeon Gold 6254) and X299 (Core i9-10980XE).

Feature	Xeon Gold 6254	Core i9-10980XE
Socket	LGA3647	LGA2066
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR4-2933	DDR4-2933
Max RAM Capacity	1024 GB+300%	256 GB
RAM Channels	6+50%	4
ECC Support	✅	❌
PCIe Lanes	48	48

🔧

Advanced Features

Both support AVX-512 instructions, benefiting scientific computing, AI inference, and encryption workloads. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Xeon Gold 6254) vs Yes (Core i9-10980XE). Primary use case: Xeon Gold 6254 targets Enterprise Server / Database. Direct competitor: Xeon Gold 6254 rivals EPYC 7302.