AMD Ryzen 7 3800X vs Intel Xeon Phi 7210 Comparison

The AMD Ryzen 7 3800X and Intel Xeon Phi 7210 represent two radically different interpretations of processing power, and their benchmark results make the distinction starkly clear. The Ryzen 7 3800X, a desktop part on the AM4 platform, dominates the vast majority of workloads tested, while the Xeon Phi, a server/workstation behemoth with 64 cores, secures narrow victories in a couple of niche, throughput-oriented tasks.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The data shows a landslide victory for the AMD Ryzen 7 3800X, winning 15 of the 17 head-to-head comparisons. The most striking margins come in single-threaded performance, where the Ryzen’s architectural efficiency is overwhelming. In Cinebench R15 single-core, the Ryzen 7 3800X scores 278 versus the Xeon Phi’s 88, a delta of 215.9%. This pattern repeats across every Cinebench iteration: R20 single-core shows a 216.3% advantage (1161 vs 367), and R23 single-core shows a 215.6% lead (2765 vs 876). The PassMark single-thread test tells the same story, with the Ryzen scoring 2712 against the Xeon Phi’s 460, a 489.6% difference.

Multicore performance in Cinebench also favors the Ryzen 7 3800X decisively, despite the Xeon Phi’s 64 cores and 256 threads. The Ryzen scores 1974 in Cinebench R15 multicore versus 625 for the Xeon Phi, a 215.8% lead. In R20, the scores are 8226 vs 2608 (215.4%), and in R23, they are 19588 vs 6210 (215.4%). The PassMark multithread test confirms this trend, with the Ryzen at 23046 and the Xeon Phi at 7306, a 215.4% difference. These results indicate that the Ryzen’s 8 high-performance Zen 2 cores, clocked at 3.90 GHz base and 4.50 GHz boost, produce far more usable throughput than the Xeon Phi’s many slower cores.

The Ryzen 7 3800X also wins decisively in several specialized PassMark tests. Data encryption shows a 459.7% advantage (19337 vs 3455), while the physics test shows a 519.2% lead (1226 vs 198). The find prime numbers test is the most lopsided, with the Ryzen scoring 103 versus the Xeon Phi’s 10, a 930% difference. Random string sorting goes to the Ryzen by 267% (32869 vs 8956), and floating point math favors it by 35.4% (39759 vs 29356). Even extended instructions, where the Xeon Phi’s architecture might be expected to excel, goes to the Ryzen by 9.1% (20037 vs 18359).

The Xeon Phi 7210 manages only two wins, both in PassMark tests that exploit massive parallelism. Data compression goes to the Xeon Phi with a score of 332960 versus the Ryzen’s 304853, an 8.4% margin. Integer math also favors the Xeon Phi, scoring 84874 versus 67725, a 20.2% lead. These wins demonstrate that in highly parallel, integer-heavy workloads, the sheer core count of the Xeon Phi can overcome the per-core speed disadvantage. However, these are isolated victories in an otherwise one-sided contest.

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 3800X has an average benchmark score of 29447, while the Intel Xeon Phi 7210 has an average score of 29245. The Ryzen 7 3800X is 0.7% ahead, according to the deltaPct in the nearestRivals data.

Q: How does the Ryzen 7 3800X compare to the Xeon Phi in single-threaded Cinebench R20?

A: The Ryzen 7 3800X scores 1161, while the Xeon Phi 7210 scores 367. This gives the Ryzen a 216.3% advantage, making it more than three times faster in that specific test.

Q: In what workloads does the Xeon Phi 7210 outperform the Ryzen 7 3800X?

A: The Xeon Phi wins in two PassMark tests: data compression (332960 vs 304853, an 8.4% lead) and integer math (84874 vs 67725, a 20.2% lead). Both are highly parallel, integer-intensive tasks.

Q: What is the biggest performance gap between the two processors?

A: The largest delta is in the PassMark find prime numbers test, where the Ryzen 7 3800X scores 103 versus the Xeon Phi’s 10, representing a 930% advantage for the AMD part.

Q: Do both processors have the same percentile ranking among all CPUs?

A: Yes, both the AMD Ryzen 7 3800X and the Intel Xeon Phi 7210 are listed at the 81st percentile versus all CPUs, according to the percentileVsAllCpus field.

Q: Which processor has a higher PassMark data encryption score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 3800X is significantly faster, scoring 19337 compared to the Xeon Phi’s 3455. This represents a 459.7% advantage for the Ryzen.

The Verdict

The data points to a clear choice for most users: the AMD Ryzen 7 3800X. Its 15 wins out of 17 benchmarks, including every Cinebench test and the PassMark multithread test, make it the better all-around processor. It is not just faster; it is dramatically faster in single-threaded work, with a 489.6% lead in PassMark single-thread and a 215.9% lead in Cinebench R15 single-core. For desktop workloads, gaming, content creation, and general productivity, the Ryzen 7 3800X is the superior option.

The Intel Xeon Phi 7210 is a niche part. Its two wins in data compression and integer math show that it has a purpose in specific, massively parallel server or workstation environments where those workloads dominate. The 64 cores and 256 threads are not a general-purpose advantage in these benchmarks, as the Ryzen’s 8 cores and 16 threads outperform it in most scenarios. The Xeon Phi’s 81st percentile ranking matches the Ryzen’s, but the average score is lower at 29245 versus 29447.

The verdict is straightforward: pick the Ryzen 7 3800X for nearly any task. Pick the Xeon Phi 7210 only if your specific workload is dominated by integer math or data compression, and you can leverage its 256 threads effectively. The Ryzen 7 3800X is the better processor for the vast majority of users, as the benchmark data consistently demonstrates.

Specification Differences

The two processors differ fundamentally in their core and thread counts. The AMD Ryzen 7 3800X has 8 cores and 16 threads, while the Intel Xeon Phi 7210 has 64 cores and 256 threads. Clock speeds are also vastly different: the Ryzen runs at 3.90 GHz base and 4.50 GHz boost, whereas the Xeon Phi runs at 1300.00 MHz base and 1500.00 MHz boost. The Ryzen has a TDP of 105, while the Xeon Phi draws 215.

The platforms are incompatible. The Ryzen 7 3800X uses AMD Socket AM4, while the Xeon Phi 7210 uses Intel Socket 3647. The Ryzen supports DDR4 memory on a dual-channel bus with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth, while the Xeon Phi also supports DDR4 but has no listed memory bus or bandwidth specifications. The Ryzen does not support ECC memory, while the Xeon Phi does. The Ryzen has PCIe Gen 4 with 24 lanes (CPU only), while the Xeon Phi has no listed PCIe support. The Ryzen 7 3800X has an unlocked multiplier, while the Xeon Phi 7210 is locked. The Ryzen’s market segment is Desktop, while the Xeon Phi’s is Server/Workstation.

Architecture Differences

The architectural divide is generational and philosophical. The AMD Ryzen 7 3800X is built on the Zen 2 architecture, codenamed Matisse, and uses a 7 nm process node manufactured by TSMC. It contains 3,800 million transistors on a 74 mm² die. The Intel Xeon Phi 7210 uses the Knights Landing architecture, also codenamed Knights Landing, and is built on a 14 nm process node from Intel. It contains 8,000 million transistors, with no die size listed.

Cache hierarchies differ significantly. The Ryzen 7 3800X has 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 512 KB of L2 cache per core, and a 32 MB L3 cache. The Xeon Phi 7210 has 32 KB of L1 cache per core and 512 KB of L2 cache per core, but no L3 cache is listed. The Ryzen’s larger L1 and shared L3 cache contribute to its strong single-threaded performance, while the Xeon Phi’s lack of L3 cache and lower clock speeds explain its poor showing in latency-sensitive tests.

The Ryzen 7 3800X is a desktop part with an active production status, released on 2019-07-06, and has a launch MSRP of $399. The Xeon Phi 7210 is a server/workstation part with no production status listed, released on 2016-06-19, and has no launch MSRP. The Ryzen’s Zen 2 architecture is designed for high single-thread performance and efficiency, while the Xeon Phi’s Knights Landing architecture is designed for massive parallel throughput, a goal that the benchmark results show is only partially achieved.