Ryzen 9 3950X vs Xeon E5-2690

Aggregate performance score

Xeon E5-2690
2012
8 cores / 16 threads, 135 Watt
6.36
Ryzen 9 3950X
2019
16 cores / 32 threads, 105 Watt
25.32
+298%

Ryzen 9 3950X outperforms Xeon E5-2690 by a whopping 298% based on our aggregate benchmark results.

Primary details

Comparing Xeon E5-2690 and Ryzen 9 3950X processor market type (desktop or notebook), architecture, sales start time and price.

Place in the ranking1077203
Place by popularitynot in top-100not in top-100
Cost-effectiveness evaluation3.8517.09
Market segmentServerDesktop processor
Seriesno dataAMD Ryzen 9
Power efficiency4.3021.99
Architecture codenameSandy Bridge-EP (2012)Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020)
Release date6 March 2012 (12 years ago)11 June 2019 (5 years ago)
Launch price (MSRP)$397$799

Cost-effectiveness evaluation

Performance per price, higher is better.

Ryzen 9 3950X has 344% better value for money than Xeon E5-2690.

Detailed specifications

Xeon E5-2690 and Ryzen 9 3950X 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 cores8 (Octa-Core)16 (Hexadeca-Core)
Threads1632
Base clock speed2.9 GHz3.5 GHz
Boost clock speed3.8 GHz4.7 GHz
Bus rate8 GT/sno data
L1 cache64 KB (per core)1 MB
L2 cache256 KB (per core)8 MB
L3 cache20480 KB (shared)64 MB
Chip lithography32 nm7 nm, 12 nm
Die size435 mm22 x 72 mm + 125 mm (IO-Die) mm2
Maximum core temperature72 °Cno data
Number of transistors2,270 million19,200 million
64 bit support++
Windows 11 compatibility-+
Unlocked multiplier-+

Compatibility

Information on Xeon E5-2690 and Ryzen 9 3950X 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 configuration21 (Uniprocessor)
SocketFCLGA2011AM4
Power consumption (TDP)135 Watt105 Watt

Technologies and extensions

Technological solutions and additional instructions supported by Xeon E5-2690 and Ryzen 9 3950X. You'll probably need this information if you require some particular technology.

Instruction set extensionsIntel® AVX86x MMX(+), SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSSE3, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, SSE4A,-64, AMD-V, AES, AVX, AVX2, FMA3, SHA, Precision Boost 2
AES-NI++
AVX++
Enhanced SpeedStep (EIST)+no data
Turbo Boost Technology2.0no data
Hyper-Threading Technology+no data
Idle States+no data
Thermal Monitoring+-
Flex Memory Access-no data
Demand Based Switching+no data
Precision Boost 2no data+

Security technologies

Xeon E5-2690 and Ryzen 9 3950X technologies aimed at improving security, for example, by protecting against hacks.

TXT+no data
EDB+no data

Virtualization technologies

Virtual machine speed-up technologies supported by Xeon E5-2690 and Ryzen 9 3950X are enumerated here.

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

Memory specs

Types, maximum amount and channel quantity of RAM supported by Xeon E5-2690 and Ryzen 9 3950X. Depending on the motherboard, higher memory frequencies may be supported.

Supported memory typesDDR3DDR4 Dual-channel
Maximum memory size384 GB128 GB
Max memory channels4no data
Maximum memory bandwidth51.2 GB/s51.196 GB/s
ECC memory support++

Graphics specifications

General parameters of integrated GPUs, if any.

Integrated graphics cardN/A-

Peripherals

Specifications and connection of peripherals supported by Xeon E5-2690 and Ryzen 9 3950X.

PCIe version3.0no data
PCI Express lanes40no data

Synthetic benchmark performance

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


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 E5-2690 6.36
Ryzen 9 3950X 25.32
+298%

Passmark

Passmark CPU Mark is a widespread benchmark, consisting of 8 different types of workload, including integer and floating point math, extended instructions, compression, encryption and physics calculation. There is also one separate single-threaded scenario measuring single-core performance.

Xeon E5-2690 9737
Ryzen 9 3950X 38750
+298%

GeekBench 5 Single-Core

GeekBench 5 Single-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses only a single CPU core.

Xeon E5-2690 585
Ryzen 9 3950X 1735
+197%

GeekBench 5 Multi-Core

GeekBench 5 Multi-Core is a cross-platform application developed in the form of CPU tests that independently recreate certain real-world tasks with which to accurately measure performance. This version uses all available CPU cores.

Xeon E5-2690 3452
Ryzen 9 3950X 10822
+213%

Gaming performance

Pros & cons summary


Performance score 6.36 25.32
Recency 6 March 2012 11 June 2019
Physical cores 8 16
Threads 16 32
Chip lithography 32 nm 7 nm
Power consumption (TDP) 135 Watt 105 Watt

Ryzen 9 3950X has a 298.1% higher aggregate performance score, an age advantage of 7 years, 100% more physical cores and 100% more threads, a 357.1% more advanced lithography process, and 28.6% lower power consumption.

The Ryzen 9 3950X is our recommended choice as it beats the Xeon E5-2690 in performance tests.

Be aware that Xeon E5-2690 is a server/workstation processor while Ryzen 9 3950X is a desktop one.


Should you still have questions on choice between Xeon E5-2690 and Ryzen 9 3950X, ask them in Comments section, and we shall answer.

Vote for your favorite

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Intel Xeon E5-2690
Xeon E5-2690
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
Ryzen 9 3950X

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Community ratings

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Questions & comments

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