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 9 8945H

2023

Why buy it

✅+9.4% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅Draws 8W instead of 205W, a 197W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP7/FP7r2/FP8 with DDR5 support instead of LGA3647 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon 780M, while Xeon Gold 6246R needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Gold 6246R across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 36 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Gold 6246R, which brings 16 cores / 32 threads and 48 PCIe lanes.

Xeon Gold 6246R

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+123.4% larger total L3 cache (36 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 16 cores / 32 threads, plus 48 PCIe lanes vs 20.
✅140% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (16,000 vs 17,500).
❌2462.5% higher power demand at 205W vs 8W.
❌Older platform position on LGA3647 with DDR4, while Ryzen 9 8945H moves to FP7/FP7r2/FP8 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 9 8945H can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen 9 8945H

2023

Xeon Gold 6246R

2020

Why buy it

✅+9.4% higher Cinebench R23 multi-core.
✅Draws 8W instead of 205W, a 197W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP7/FP7r2/FP8 with DDR5 support instead of LGA3647 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon 780M, while Xeon Gold 6246R needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +7.0% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+123.4% larger total L3 cache (36 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 16 cores / 32 threads, plus 48 PCIe lanes vs 20.
✅140% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 20) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Xeon Gold 6246R across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 36 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Gold 6246R, which brings 16 cores / 32 threads and 48 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (16,000 vs 17,500).
❌2462.5% higher power demand at 205W vs 8W.
❌Older platform position on LGA3647 with DDR4, while Ryzen 9 8945H moves to FP7/FP7r2/FP8 and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen 9 8945H can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen 9 8945H better than Xeon Gold 6246R?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon Gold 6246R makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Ryzen 9 8945H 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, Ryzen 9 8945H is the better fit. You are getting 9.4% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Ryzen 9 8945H still looks like the safer overall buy. Ryzen 9 8945H is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you 9.4% better Cinebench R23 multi-core.

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

Ryzen 9 8945H is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2020), a healthier platform with FP7/FP7r2/FP8 and DDR5 instead of LGA3647, and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 16/32. 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 9 8945H Benchmark Check

Xeon Gold 6246R Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen 9 8945H	Xeon Gold 6246R
1080p
low	269 FPS	198 FPS
medium	243 FPS	156 FPS
high	204 FPS	126 FPS
ultra	176 FPS	98 FPS
1440p
low	236 FPS	162 FPS
medium	193 FPS	124 FPS
high	157 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	139 FPS	76 FPS
4K
low	164 FPS	74 FPS
medium	136 FPS	60 FPS
high	105 FPS	47 FPS
ultra	92 FPS	38 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 8945H Open Xeon Gold 6246R

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen 9 8945H	Xeon Gold 6246R
1080p
low	513 FPS	505 FPS
medium	421 FPS	442 FPS
high	363 FPS	366 FPS
ultra	323 FPS	326 FPS
1440p
low	448 FPS	446 FPS
medium	388 FPS	391 FPS
high	334 FPS	328 FPS
ultra	285 FPS	275 FPS
4K
low	295 FPS	282 FPS
medium	267 FPS	248 FPS
high	253 FPS	226 FPS
ultra	217 FPS	201 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 8945H Open Xeon Gold 6246R

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen 9 8945H	Xeon Gold 6246R
1080p
low	756 FPS	762 FPS
medium	756 FPS	762 FPS
high	647 FPS	762 FPS
ultra	546 FPS	762 FPS
1440p
low	756 FPS	762 FPS
medium	637 FPS	720 FPS
high	541 FPS	665 FPS
ultra	464 FPS	596 FPS
4K
low	541 FPS	516 FPS
medium	473 FPS	423 FPS
high	419 FPS	372 FPS
ultra	355 FPS	306 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 8945H Open Xeon Gold 6246R

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen 9 8945H	Xeon Gold 6246R
1080p
low	756 FPS	762 FPS
medium	756 FPS	762 FPS
high	756 FPS	762 FPS
ultra	754 FPS	739 FPS
1440p
low	756 FPS	762 FPS
medium	756 FPS	762 FPS
high	660 FPS	673 FPS
ultra	573 FPS	568 FPS
4K
low	572 FPS	677 FPS
medium	511 FPS	592 FPS
high	457 FPS	511 FPS
ultra	394 FPS	428 FPS

Open Ryzen 9 8945H Open Xeon Gold 6246R

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen 9 8945H and Xeon Gold 6246R

Ryzen 9 8945H

The Ryzen 9 8945H is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 December 2023 (1 year ago). It is based on the Hawk Point-HS (Zen 4) (2023−2024) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 4 GHz, with boost up to 5.2 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB. L2 cache: 8 MB. Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP7/FP7r2/FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 8 MB + 16 MB. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 30,240 points. Launch price was $499.

Xeon Gold 6246R

The Xeon Gold 6246R is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 24 February 2020 (5 years ago). It is based on the Cascade Lake (2019−2020) architecture. It features 16 cores and 32 threads. Base frequency is 3.4 GHz, with boost up to 4.1 GHz. L3 cache: 35.75 MB. L2 cache: 16 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 205 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 30,468 points. Launch price was $3,286.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen 9 8945H packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Xeon Gold 6246R offers 16 cores / 32 threads — the Xeon Gold 6246R has 8 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.2 GHz on the Ryzen 9 8945H versus 4.1 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6246R — a 23.7% clock advantage for the Ryzen 9 8945H (base: 4 GHz vs 3.4 GHz). The Ryzen 9 8945H uses the Hawk Point-HS (Zen 4) (2023−2024) architecture (4 nm), while the Xeon Gold 6246R uses Cascade Lake (2019−2020) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen 9 8945H scores 30,240 against the Xeon Gold 6246R's 30,468 — a 0.8% lead for the Xeon Gold 6246R. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 17,500 vs 16,000 (9% advantage for the Ryzen 9 8945H). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,617 vs 1,293, a 67.7% lead for the Ryzen 9 8945H that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 12,662 vs 9,848 (25% advantage for the Ryzen 9 8945H). L3 cache: 16 MB on the Ryzen 9 8945H vs 35.75 MB on the Xeon Gold 6246R.

Feature	Ryzen 9 8945H	Xeon Gold 6246R
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	16 / 32+100%
Boost Clock	5.2 GHz+27%	4.1 GHz
Base Clock	4 GHz+18%	3.4 GHz
L3 Cache	16 MB	35.75 MB+123%
L2 Cache	8 MB	16 MB+100%
Process	4 nm-71%	14 nm
Architecture	Hawk Point-HS (Zen 4) (2023−2024)	Cascade Lake (2019−2020)
PassMark	30,240	30,468
Cinebench R23 Multi	17,500+9%	16,000
Geekbench 6 Single	2,617+102%	1,293
Geekbench 6 Multi	12,662+29%	9,848

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen 9 8945H uses the FP7/FP7r2/FP8 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon Gold 6246R uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches DDR5-5600 on the Ryzen 9 8945H versus DDR4-2933 on the Xeon Gold 6246R — the Ryzen 9 8945H supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon Gold 6246R supports up to 1024 GB of RAM compared to 256 GB — 120% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 2 (Ryzen 9 8945H) vs 6 (Xeon Gold 6246R). PCIe lanes: 20 (Ryzen 9 8945H) vs 48 (Xeon Gold 6246R) — the Xeon Gold 6246R offers 28 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: FP7,FP7r2,FP8 (Ryzen 9 8945H) and Lewisburg (Xeon Gold 6246R).

Feature	Ryzen 9 8945H	Xeon Gold 6246R
Socket	FP7/FP7r2/FP8	LGA3647
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+33%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	DDR5-5600+25%	DDR4-2933
Max RAM Capacity	256 GB	1024 GB+300%
RAM Channels	2	6+200%
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	48+140%

🔧

Advanced Features

Neither processor supports overclocking. Both support AVX-512 instructions, benefiting scientific computing, AI inference, and encryption workloads. Virtualization support: AMD-V (Ryzen 9 8945H) vs VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Xeon Gold 6246R). The Ryzen 9 8945H includes integrated graphics (Radeon 780M), while the Xeon Gold 6246R requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen 9 8945H targets Gaming, Xeon Gold 6246R targets High-frequency Server / Financial. Direct competitor: Ryzen 9 8945H rivals Core i9-13900H; Xeon Gold 6246R rivals EPYC 7302.

Feature	Ryzen 9 8945H	Xeon Gold 6246R
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	Radeon 780M	—
Unlocked	No	No
AVX-512	Yes	Yes
Virtualization	AMD-V	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	Gaming	High-frequency Server / Financial