Ryzen 7 3700X vs Xeon Gold 6246

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.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

Ryzen 7 3700X

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.8% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+29.3% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 25 MB).
✅Draws 65W instead of 165W, a 100W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (22,430 vs 22,571).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Gold 6246, which brings 12 cores / 24 threads.
❌Launch MSRP is still $329 MSRP, while Xeon Gold 6246 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Xeon Gold 6246

2019

Why buy it

✅+0.6% higher PassMark.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 12 cores / 24 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 3700X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (25 MB vs 32 MB).
❌153.8% higher power demand at 165W vs 65W.

Ryzen 7 3700X

2019

Xeon Gold 6246

2019

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +5.8% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+29.3% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 25 MB).
✅Draws 65W instead of 165W, a 100W reduction.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (24 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Why buy it

✅+0.6% higher PassMark.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 12 cores / 24 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (22,430 vs 22,571).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Gold 6246, which brings 12 cores / 24 threads.
❌Launch MSRP is still $329 MSRP, while Xeon Gold 6246 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 3700X across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (25 MB vs 32 MB).
❌153.8% higher power demand at 165W vs 65W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 3700X better than Xeon Gold 6246?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon Gold 6246 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Ryzen 7 3700X is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Gold 6246 is the better fit. You are getting 0.6% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 24 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

Ryzen 7 3700X is the smarter buy today. Ryzen 7 3700X is at an unclear MSRP at $329 MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 5.8% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Xeon Gold 6246 is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 0.6% better PassMark. It is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (68.2 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), so the better CPU is not just faster, it is also the cleaner value play on paper.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

Xeon Gold 6246 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting more multi-core headroom with 12 cores / 24 threads instead of 8/16. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Games Benchmarks

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.

Ryzen 7 3700X Benchmark Check

Xeon Gold 6246 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 7 3700X	Xeon Gold 6246
1080p
low	200 FPS	181 FPS
medium	163 FPS	144 FPS
high	137 FPS	118 FPS
ultra	110 FPS	95 FPS
1440p
low	156 FPS	147 FPS
medium	121 FPS	115 FPS
high	100 FPS	92 FPS
ultra	80 FPS	73 FPS
4K
low	84 FPS	68 FPS
medium	71 FPS	56 FPS
high	56 FPS	44 FPS
ultra	44 FPS	36 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 3700X Open Xeon Gold 6246

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 7 3700X	Xeon Gold 6246
1080p
low	561 FPS	454 FPS
medium	525 FPS	394 FPS
high	428 FPS	335 FPS
ultra	383 FPS	303 FPS
1440p
low	545 FPS	402 FPS
medium	471 FPS	356 FPS
high	394 FPS	305 FPS
ultra	337 FPS	266 FPS
4K
low	350 FPS	264 FPS
medium	304 FPS	233 FPS
high	274 FPS	215 FPS
ultra	242 FPS	190 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 3700X Open Xeon Gold 6246

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 7 3700X	Xeon Gold 6246
1080p
low	561 FPS	564 FPS
medium	561 FPS	564 FPS
high	561 FPS	564 FPS
ultra	561 FPS	564 FPS
1440p
low	561 FPS	564 FPS
medium	561 FPS	564 FPS
high	538 FPS	564 FPS
ultra	470 FPS	564 FPS
4K
low	499 FPS	517 FPS
medium	394 FPS	420 FPS
high	343 FPS	370 FPS
ultra	275 FPS	302 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 3700X Open Xeon Gold 6246

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 7 3700X	Xeon Gold 6246
1080p
low	561 FPS	564 FPS
medium	561 FPS	564 FPS
high	561 FPS	564 FPS
ultra	561 FPS	564 FPS
1440p
low	561 FPS	564 FPS
medium	561 FPS	564 FPS
high	561 FPS	564 FPS
ultra	555 FPS	507 FPS
4K
low	561 FPS	562 FPS
medium	501 FPS	492 FPS
high	447 FPS	437 FPS
ultra	396 FPS	371 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 3700X Open Xeon Gold 6246

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 7 3700X and Xeon Gold 6246

Ryzen 7 3700X

The Ryzen 7 3700X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 7 July 2019 (6 years ago). It is based on the Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.4 GHz. L3 cache: 32 MB. L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 7 nm, 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 65 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 22,430 points. Launch price was $329.

Xeon Gold 6246

The Xeon Gold 6246 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 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 4.2 GHz. L3 cache: 24.75 MB. L2 cache: 12 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 165 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 22,571 points. Launch price was $3,286.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen 7 3700X packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Xeon Gold 6246 offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the Xeon Gold 6246 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.4 GHz on the Ryzen 7 3700X versus 4.2 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6246 — a 4.7% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 3700X (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). The Ryzen 7 3700X uses the Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020) architecture (7 nm, 12 nm), while the Xeon Gold 6246 uses Cascade Lake (2019−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 7 3700X scores 22,430 against the Xeon Gold 6246's 22,571 — a 0.6% lead for the Xeon Gold 6246. L3 cache: 32 MB on the Ryzen 7 3700X vs 24.75 MB on the Xeon Gold 6246.

Feature	Ryzen 7 3700X	Xeon Gold 6246
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	12 / 24+50%
Boost Clock	4.4 GHz+5%	4.2 GHz
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+9%	3.3 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB+29%	24.75 MB
L2 Cache	512K (per core)	12 MB+2300%
Process	7 nm, 12 nm-50%	14 nm
Architecture	Matisse (Zen 2) (2019−2020)	Cascade Lake (2019−2020)
PassMark	22,430	22,571

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Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 7 3700X uses the AM4 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon Gold 6246 uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.