Xeon Gold 6538N vs Core i9-9920X

Primary details

Comparing Core i9-9920X and Xeon Gold 6538N processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in performance ranking	379	143
Place by popularity	not in top-100	not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation	12.32	no data
Market segment	Desktop processor	Server
Series	Intel Core i9	no data
Architecture codename	Skylake (server) (2017−2019)	Emerald Rapids
Release date	8 October 2018 (5 years ago)	14 December 2023 (less than a year ago)
Launch price (MSRP)	$1,189	no data
Current price	$643 (0.5x MSRP)	no data

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Detailed specifications

Core i9-9920X and Xeon Gold 6538N basic parameters such as number of cores, number of threads, base frequency and turbo boost clock, lithography, cache size and multiplier lock state. These parameters indirectly say of CPU speed, though for more precise assessment you have to consider their test results.

Physical cores	12 (Dodeca-Core)	32 (Dotriaconta-Core)
Threads	24	64
Base clock speed	3.5 GHz	2.1 GHz
Boost clock speed	4.5 GHz	4.1 GHz
Bus support	4 × 8 GT/s	no data
L1 cache	768 KB	80 KB (per core)
L2 cache	12 MB	2 MB (per core)
L3 cache	19.25 MB (shared)	60 MB (shared)
Chip lithography	14 nm	Intel 7 nm
Die size	484 mm2	2x 763 mm2
Maximum core temperature	92 °C	85 °C
Maximum case temperature (TCase)	72 °C	85 °C
64 bit support	+	+
Windows 11 compatibility	+	no data
Unlocked multiplier	Yes	No

Compatibility

Information on Core i9-9920X and Xeon Gold 6538N compatibility with other computer components: motherboard (look for socket type), power supply unit (look for power consumption) etc. Useful when planning a future computer configuration or upgrading an existing one. Note that power consumption of some processors can well exceed their nominal TDP, even without overclocking. Some can even double their declared thermals given that the motherboard allows to tune the CPU power parameters.

Number of CPUs in a configuration	1	2
Socket	FCLGA2066	FCLGA4677
Power consumption (TDP)	165 Watt	205 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Core i9-9920X and Xeon Gold 6538N. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensions	Intel® SSE4.1, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX2, Intel® AVX-512	Intel® AMX, Intel® SSE4.2, Intel® AVX, Intel® AVX2, Intel® AVX-512
AES-NI	+	+
AVX	+	+
vPro	no data	+
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)	+	+
Speed Shift	no data	+
Turbo Boost Technology	2.0	2.0
Hyper-Threading Technology	+	+
TSX	+	+
Turbo Boost Max 3.0	+	no data
Status	Discontinued	Launched

Security technologies

Core i9-9920X and Xeon Gold 6538N technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT	no data	+
EDB	+	+
SGX	no data	Yes with Intel® SPS
OS Guard	no data	+

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Core i9-9920X and Xeon Gold 6538N are enumerated here.

VT-d	+	+
VT-x	+	+
EPT	no data	+

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Core i9-9920X and Xeon Gold 6538N. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory types	DDR4-2666	DDR5-5200
Maximum memory size	128 GB	4 TB
Max memory channels	4	8
Maximum memory bandwidth	85 GB/s	no data
ECC memory support	-	+

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics card

N/A

N/A

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Core i9-9920X and Xeon Gold 6538N.

PCIe version	3.0	5.0
PCI Express lanes	44	80

Synthetic benchmark performance

Various benchmark results of the processors in comparison. Overall score is measured in points in 0-100 range, higher is better.

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Combined synthetic benchmark score

This is our combined benchmark performance rating. We are regularly improving our combining algorithms, but if you find some perceived inconsistencies, feel free to speak up in comments section, we usually fix problems quickly.

Xeon Gold 6538N outperforms Core i9-9920X by 78% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

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Pros & cons summary

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Performance score	16.27	29.03
Recency	8 October 2018	14 December 2023
Physical cores	12	32
Threads	24	64
Power consumption (TDP)	165 Watt	205 Watt

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Should you still have questions on choice between Core i9-9920X and Xeon Gold 6538N, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

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