Xeon Platinum 8280

The Xeon Platinum 8280 is a 28-core / 56-thread processor based on the Cascade Lake-SP (2018) architecture, manufactured on a 14 nm process node. It reaches a maximum boost clock of 4 GHz from a base frequency of 2.7 GHz— higher boost clocks directly translate to better single-threaded performance and responsiveness in gaming. It carries 38.5 MB (total) of L3 cache, plus 1 MB (per core) of L2 cache and 64 kB (per core) of L1 cache per core. In the PassMark benchmark (a comprehensive multi-threaded test), it scores 36,830, placing it in the High-End performance tier as a Legacy generation product.

The Xeon Platinum 8280 fits into the LGA3647 socket and supports PCIe 3.0 with 48 total PCIe lanes for expansion cards and storage. It supports DDR4-2933 memory at speeds up to 2933 (faster RAM improves bandwidth-sensitive workloads), with a maximum capacity of 1536 across 6 channels (dual-channel doubles bandwidth). It supports ECC memory, providing error-correcting capabilities — essential for mission-critical workloads and servers. Integrated graphics: None — allows display output without a dedicated GPU, useful for troubleshooting and light tasks.

It supports AVX-512 instructions — specialized SIMD operations that significantly accelerate AI inference, scientific computing, and video encoding workloads. Virtualization: VT-x, VT-d — enables running virtual machines efficiently (important for development and server workloads). Its primary market competitor is the EPYC 7702.

The Xeon Platinum 8280 has a rated TDP (Thermal Design Power) of 205 Watt — this indicates the amount of heat generated under sustained load and determines what cooling solution is needed. No stock cooler is included — you will need to purchase an aftermarket cooler separately. Recommended cooling: LGA3647 Server Grade.

At an average price of $2,940 (MSRP: $10009), the Xeon Platinum 8280 delivers 13 PassMark points per dollar. Performance ranking position: #323 out of all indexed processors.