Xeon Platinum 8260M
VS
Ryzen 9 PRO 5945

Xeon Platinum 8260M vs Ryzen 9 PRO 5945

Intel

Xeon Platinum 8260M

24 Cores48 Thrd165 WWMax: 3.9 GHz2019
VS
AMD

Ryzen 9 PRO 5945

12 Cores24 Thrd65 WWMax: 4.7 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 Platinum 8260M

#6
Xeon Gold 6240R
MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A
160%
#10
Xeon 6337P
MSRP: $60|Avg: $5
142%
#15
EPYC 9174F
MSRP: $194|Avg: $30
110%
#16
EPYC 7302
MSRP: $978|Avg: $109
109%
#21
Xeon Platinum 8260M
MSRP: $7705|Avg: N/A
100%
#22
Xeon Platinum 8268
MSRP: $6302|Avg: N/A
100%
#24
Xeon Gold 6130H
MSRP: $1894|Avg: N/A
96%
Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar

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 ($7,705) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon Platinum 8260M is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.
InsightXeon Platinum 8260MRyzen 9 PRO 5945
Gaming
Lower gaming performance
Superior gaming performance
Workstation
Better multi-core power
Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price
⚠️ Higher cost ($7,705)
More affordable ($0)
Longevity
✨ Modern (Cascade Lake-SP (2018) / 14 nm)
✨ Modern (Vermeer (2020−2025) / 7 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 ($0), 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 ($7,705 less, 100% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.
InsightXeon Platinum 8260MRyzen 9 PRO 5945
Cost Efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost
⚠️ Higher cost ($7,705)
More affordable ($0)

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 Platinum 8260M and Ryzen 9 PRO 5945

Intel

Xeon Platinum 8260M

The Xeon Platinum 8260M is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 December 2018 (6 years ago). It is based on the Cascade Lake-SP (2018) architecture. It features 24 cores and 48 threads. Base frequency is 2.4 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 35.75 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 165 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 33,970 points. Launch price was $7,705.

AMD

Ryzen 9 PRO 5945

The Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 4 April 2022 (3 years ago). It is based on the Vermeer (2020−2025) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 3 GHz, with boost up to 4.7 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB. L2 cache: 512 kB (per core). Built on 7 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 34,549 points. Launch price was $499.

Processing Power

The Xeon Platinum 8260M packs 24 cores / 48 threads, while the Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the Xeon Platinum 8260M has 12 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.9 GHz on the Xeon Platinum 8260M versus 4.7 GHz on the Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 — a 18.6% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 (base: 2.4 GHz vs 3 GHz). The Xeon Platinum 8260M uses the Cascade Lake-SP (2018) architecture (14 nm), while the Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 uses Vermeer (2020−2025) (7 nm). In PassMark, the Xeon Platinum 8260M scores 33,970 against the Ryzen 9 PRO 5945's 34,549 — a 1.7% lead for the Ryzen 9 PRO 5945. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 30,500 vs 23,200 (27.2% advantage for the Xeon Platinum 8260M). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 1,200 vs 2,175, a 57.8% lead for the Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 10,491 vs 12,500 (17.5% advantage for the Ryzen 9 PRO 5945). L3 cache: 35.75 MB (total) on the Xeon Platinum 8260M vs 64 MB on the Ryzen 9 PRO 5945.

FeatureXeon Platinum 8260MRyzen 9 PRO 5945
Cores / Threads
24 / 48+100%
12 / 24
Boost Clock
3.9 GHz
4.7 GHz+21%
Base Clock
2.4 GHz
3 GHz+25%
L3 Cache
35.75 MB (total)
64 MB+79%
L2 Cache
1 MB (per core)+100%
512 kB (per core)
Process
14 nm
7 nm-50%
Architecture
Cascade Lake-SP (2018)
Vermeer (2020−2025)
PassMark
33,970
34,549+2%
Cinebench R23 Multi
30,500+31%
23,200
Geekbench 6 Single
1,200
2,175+81%
Geekbench 6 Multi
10,491
12,500+19%
🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon Platinum 8260M uses the LGA3647 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 uses AM4 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to DDR4-2933 memory speed. The Xeon Platinum 8260M supports up to 2048 GB of RAM compared to 128 GB 176.5% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 6 (Xeon Platinum 8260M) vs 2 (Ryzen 9 PRO 5945). PCIe lanes: 48 (Xeon Platinum 8260M) vs 20 (Ryzen 9 PRO 5945) — the Xeon Platinum 8260M offers 28 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: C621,C622,C624,C627,C628 (Xeon Platinum 8260M) and X570,B550,A520,X470,B450 (Ryzen 9 PRO 5945).

FeatureXeon Platinum 8260MRyzen 9 PRO 5945
Socket
LGA3647
AM4
PCIe Generation
PCIe 3.0
PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed
DDR4-2933
DDR4-3200
Max RAM Capacity
2048 GB+1500%
128 GB
RAM Channels
6+200%
2
ECC Support
PCIe Lanes
48+140%
20
🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Only the Xeon Platinum 8260M supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Xeon Platinum 8260M) vs AMD-V (SVM) (Ryzen 9 PRO 5945). Primary use case: Xeon Platinum 8260M targets Server (Memory Optimized), Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 targets High-end Gaming. Direct competitor: Xeon Platinum 8260M rivals Xeon Platinum 8268; Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 rivals Core i9-12900.

FeatureXeon Platinum 8260MRyzen 9 PRO 5945
Integrated GPU
No
No
Unlocked
No
No
AVX-512
Yes
No
Virtualization
VT-x, VT-d, EPT
AMD-V (SVM)
Target Use
Server (Memory Optimized)
High-end Gaming