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 8840HX

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +52.7% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 48 MB).
✅Draws 55W instead of 185W, a 130W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FL1 with DDR5 support instead of LGA4189 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with AMD Radeon 780M, while Xeon Gold 6338N needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Gold 6338N, which brings 32 cores / 64 threads and 64 PCIe lanes.

Xeon Gold 6338N

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 32 cores / 64 threads, plus 64 PCIe lanes vs 28.
✅128.6% more PCIe lanes (64 vs 28) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 8840HX across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (42,086 vs 42,275).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (48 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $3,200 MSRP, while Ryzen 7 8840HX mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌236.4% higher power demand at 185W vs 55W.

Ryzen 7 8840HX

2025

Xeon Gold 6338N

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +52.7% higher average FPS across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 48 MB).
✅Draws 55W instead of 185W, a 130W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FL1 with DDR5 support instead of LGA4189 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with AMD Radeon 780M, while Xeon Gold 6338N needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 32 cores / 64 threads, plus 64 PCIe lanes vs 28.
✅128.6% more PCIe lanes (64 vs 28) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Gold 6338N, which brings 32 cores / 64 threads and 64 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 8840HX across 2 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (42,086 vs 42,275).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (48 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $3,200 MSRP, while Ryzen 7 8840HX mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌236.4% higher power demand at 185W vs 55W.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 7 8840HX better than Xeon Gold 6338N?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon Gold 6338N makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Ryzen 7 8840HX is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen 7 8840HX is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 52.7% more average FPS across 2 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen 7 8840HX is the better fit. You are getting 0.4% better PassMark, backed by 12 cores and 24 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 48 MB).

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

Ryzen 7 8840HX is still the faster CPU overall, but Xeon Gold 6338N makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen 7 8840HX is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $3,200 MSRP, and it gives you a 52.7% average FPS lead across 2 shared CPU game tests in our data. Xeon Gold 6338N is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (13.2 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

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

Ryzen 7 8840HX is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2021), a healthier platform with FL1 and DDR5 instead of LGA4189, 33.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 48 MB), and more multi-core headroom with 12 cores / 24 threads instead of 32/64. That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

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 8840HX Benchmark Check

Xeon Gold 6338N Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 7 8840HX	Xeon Gold 6338N
1080p
low	267 FPS	185 FPS
medium	244 FPS	149 FPS
high	207 FPS	120 FPS
ultra	180 FPS	94 FPS
1440p
low	252 FPS	154 FPS
medium	206 FPS	120 FPS
high	162 FPS	93 FPS
ultra	146 FPS	74 FPS
4K
low	175 FPS	72 FPS
medium	143 FPS	60 FPS
high	107 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	38 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 8840HX Open Xeon Gold 6338N

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 7 8840HX	Xeon Gold 6338N
1080p
low	654 FPS	232 FPS
medium	566 FPS	208 FPS
high	427 FPS	172 FPS
ultra	367 FPS	139 FPS
1440p
low	554 FPS	199 FPS
medium	494 FPS	180 FPS
high	384 FPS	154 FPS
ultra	303 FPS	119 FPS
4K
low	312 FPS	124 FPS
medium	283 FPS	114 FPS
high	250 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	212 FPS	81 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 8840HX Open Xeon Gold 6338N

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 7 8840HX	Xeon Gold 6338N
1080p
low	847 FPS	945 FPS
medium	677 FPS	826 FPS
high	599 FPS	781 FPS
ultra	514 FPS	692 FPS
1440p
low	676 FPS	747 FPS
medium	541 FPS	644 FPS
high	468 FPS	609 FPS
ultra	397 FPS	540 FPS
4K
low	483 FPS	479 FPS
medium	400 FPS	379 FPS
high	360 FPS	337 FPS
ultra	302 FPS	275 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 8840HX Open Xeon Gold 6338N

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 7 8840HX	Xeon Gold 6338N
1080p
low	1057 FPS	893 FPS
medium	966 FPS	811 FPS
high	843 FPS	697 FPS
ultra	760 FPS	599 FPS
1440p
low	842 FPS	701 FPS
medium	747 FPS	615 FPS
high	652 FPS	526 FPS
ultra	566 FPS	450 FPS
4K
low	619 FPS	505 FPS
medium	553 FPS	452 FPS
high	487 FPS	396 FPS
ultra	421 FPS	344 FPS

Open Ryzen 7 8840HX Open Xeon Gold 6338N

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 7 8840HX and Xeon Gold 6338N

Ryzen 7 8840HX

The Ryzen 7 8840HX is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 23 April 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Dragon Range (2025) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: FL1. Thermal design power (TDP): 55 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 42,275 points. Launch price was $499.

Xeon Gold 6338N

The Xeon Gold 6338N is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Ice Lake-SP (2021) architecture. It features 32 cores and 64 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 48 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4189. Thermal design power (TDP): 185 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2667. Passmark benchmark score: 42,086 points. Launch price was $800.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen 7 8840HX packs 12 cores / 24 threads, while the Xeon Gold 6338N offers 32 cores / 64 threads — the Xeon Gold 6338N has 20 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.1 GHz on the Ryzen 7 8840HX versus 3.5 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6338N — a 37.2% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 8840HX (base: 2.9 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Ryzen 7 8840HX uses the Dragon Range (2025) architecture (5 nm), while the Xeon Gold 6338N uses Ice Lake-SP (2021) (10 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 7 8840HX scores 42,275 against the Xeon Gold 6338N's 42,086 — a 0.4% lead for the Ryzen 7 8840HX. L3 cache: 64 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 8840HX vs 48 MB (total) on the Xeon Gold 6338N.

Feature	Ryzen 7 8840HX	Xeon Gold 6338N
Cores / Threads	12 / 24	32 / 64+167%
Boost Clock	5.1 GHz+46%	3.5 GHz
Base Clock	2.9 GHz+32%	2.2 GHz
L3 Cache	64 MB (total)+33%	48 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)	1 MB (per core)
Process	5 nm-50%	10 nm
Architecture	Dragon Range (2025)	Ice Lake-SP (2021)
PassMark	42,275	42,086

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Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 7 8840HX uses the FL1 socket (PCIe 5.0), while the Xeon Gold 6338N uses LGA4189 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches 5600 on the Ryzen 7 8840HX versus 2667 on the Xeon Gold 6338N — the Ryzen 7 8840HX supports 71% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon Gold 6338N supports up to 6144 of RAM compared to 64 — 195.9% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Ryzen 7 8840HX) vs 8 (Xeon Gold 6338N). PCIe lanes: 28 (Ryzen 7 8840HX) vs 64 (Xeon Gold 6338N) — the Xeon Gold 6338N offers 36 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: FP8,FP7 (Ryzen 7 8840HX) and LGA4189 (Xeon Gold 6338N).

Feature	Ryzen 7 8840HX	Xeon Gold 6338N
Socket	FL1	LGA4189
PCIe Generation	PCIe 5.0+25%	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	5600+110%	2667
Max RAM Capacity	64	6144+9500%
RAM Channels	2	8+300%
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	28	64+129%

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Both support AVX-512 instructions, benefiting scientific computing, AI inference, and encryption workloads. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, AMD-V (Ryzen 7 8840HX) vs VT-x, VT-d (Xeon Gold 6338N). The Ryzen 7 8840HX includes integrated graphics (AMD Radeon 780M), while the Xeon Gold 6338N requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Ryzen 7 8840HX rivals Core i7-13700H; Xeon Gold 6338N rivals EPYC 7513.