Core i9-8950HK vs Xeon Silver 4110

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.

Core i9-8950HK

2018

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +39.3% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 45W instead of 85W, a 40W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Silver 4110, which brings 8 cores / 16 threads and 48 PCIe lanes.
❌No AVX-512 support for niche heavy compute workloads where it can matter.

Xeon Silver 4110

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 8 cores / 16 threads, plus 48 PCIe lanes vs 0.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅AVX-512 support for select workstation, AI, and scientific workloads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-8950HK across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (10,314 vs 10,373).
❌88.9% higher power demand at 85W vs 45W.

Core i9-8950HK

2018

Xeon Silver 4110

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +39.3% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 45W instead of 85W, a 40W reduction.

Why buy it

✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 8 cores / 16 threads, plus 48 PCIe lanes vs 0.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (48 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅AVX-512 support for select workstation, AI, and scientific workloads.

Trade-offs

❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Silver 4110, which brings 8 cores / 16 threads and 48 PCIe lanes.
❌No AVX-512 support for niche heavy compute workloads where it can matter.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Core i9-8950HK across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (10,314 vs 10,373).
❌88.9% higher power demand at 85W vs 45W.

Quick Answers

So, is Core i9-8950HK better than Xeon Silver 4110?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon Silver 4110 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Core i9-8950HK 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, Core i9-8950HK is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 39.3% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Core i9-8950HK is the better fit. You are getting 0.6% better PassMark, backed by 6 cores and 12 threads.

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

Core i9-8950HK still looks like the safer overall buy. Core i9-8950HK is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 39.3% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data.

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

Core i9-8950HK is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2018 vs 2017) and more multi-core headroom with 6 cores / 12 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.

Core i9-8950HK Benchmark Check

Xeon Silver 4110 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Core i9-8950HK	Xeon Silver 4110
1080p
low	259 FPS	169 FPS
medium	246 FPS	134 FPS
high	206 FPS	108 FPS
ultra	177 FPS	87 FPS
1440p
low	239 FPS	138 FPS
medium	194 FPS	107 FPS
high	158 FPS	85 FPS
ultra	139 FPS	68 FPS
4K
low	167 FPS	65 FPS
medium	138 FPS	54 FPS
high	106 FPS	43 FPS
ultra	93 FPS	34 FPS

Open Core i9-8950HK Open Xeon Silver 4110

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Core i9-8950HK	Xeon Silver 4110
1080p
low	259 FPS	124 FPS
medium	259 FPS	110 FPS
high	259 FPS	103 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	82 FPS
1440p
low	259 FPS	110 FPS
medium	259 FPS	100 FPS
high	259 FPS	93 FPS
ultra	245 FPS	75 FPS
4K
low	259 FPS	91 FPS
medium	259 FPS	84 FPS
high	240 FPS	75 FPS
ultra	200 FPS	58 FPS

Open Core i9-8950HK Open Xeon Silver 4110

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Core i9-8950HK	Xeon Silver 4110
1080p
low	259 FPS	258 FPS
medium	259 FPS	258 FPS
high	259 FPS	258 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	258 FPS
1440p
low	259 FPS	258 FPS
medium	259 FPS	258 FPS
high	259 FPS	258 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	258 FPS
4K
low	259 FPS	258 FPS
medium	259 FPS	258 FPS
high	259 FPS	258 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	258 FPS

Open Core i9-8950HK Open Xeon Silver 4110

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Core i9-8950HK	Xeon Silver 4110
1080p
low	259 FPS	258 FPS
medium	259 FPS	258 FPS
high	259 FPS	258 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	258 FPS
1440p
low	259 FPS	258 FPS
medium	259 FPS	258 FPS
high	259 FPS	258 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	258 FPS
4K
low	259 FPS	258 FPS
medium	259 FPS	258 FPS
high	259 FPS	258 FPS
ultra	259 FPS	258 FPS

Open Core i9-8950HK Open Xeon Silver 4110

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Core i9-8950HK and Xeon Silver 4110

Core i9-8950HK

The Core i9-8950HK is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2 April 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Coffee Lake-H (2018−2019) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.8 GHz. L3 cache: 12 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: BGA1440. Thermal design power (TDP): 45 Watt. Memory support: DDR4. Passmark benchmark score: 10,373 points. Launch price was $583.

Xeon Silver 4110

The Xeon Silver 4110 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 11 July 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 2.1 GHz, with boost up to 3 GHz. L3 cache: 11 MB. L2 cache: 8 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA3647. Thermal design power (TDP): 85 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400. Passmark benchmark score: 10,314 points. Launch price was $501.

⚡

Processing Power

The Core i9-8950HK packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon Silver 4110 offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Xeon Silver 4110 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.8 GHz on the Core i9-8950HK versus 3 GHz on the Xeon Silver 4110 — a 46.2% clock advantage for the Core i9-8950HK (base: 2.9 GHz vs 2.1 GHz). The Core i9-8950HK uses the Coffee Lake-H (2018−2019) architecture (14 nm), while the Xeon Silver 4110 uses Skylake (server) (2017−2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Core i9-8950HK scores 10,373 against the Xeon Silver 4110's 10,314 — a 0.6% lead for the Core i9-8950HK. L3 cache: 12 MB (total) on the Core i9-8950HK vs 11 MB on the Xeon Silver 4110.

Feature	Core i9-8950HK	Xeon Silver 4110
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.8 GHz+60%	3 GHz
Base Clock	2.9 GHz+38%	2.1 GHz
L3 Cache	12 MB (total)+9%	11 MB
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	8 MB+3100%
Process	14 nm	14 nm
Architecture	Coffee Lake-H (2018−2019)	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)
PassMark	10,373	10,314

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Core i9-8950HK uses the BGA1440 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon Silver 4110 uses LGA3647 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.