AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX vs Intel Xeon Gold 6338T Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX posts an average benchmark score of 60695, while the Intel Xeon Gold 6338T scores 60572. The Ryzen leads by 0.2%, a margin that places both chips in the 95th percentile of all CPUs.

Q: How do the two chips compare in multi-threaded Cinebench R23 performance?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX scores 45822 in Cinebench R23 multicore, versus 30430 for the Intel Xeon Gold 6338T. That is a 50.6% advantage for the AMD part in this heavily threaded workload.

Q: Which processor wins in single-threaded workloads?

A: The Ryzen 9 7940HX dominates single-thread performance across every tested benchmark. In Cinebench R23 single-core, it scores 6469 against the Xeon's 4296, a 50.6% delta. In PassMark single-thread, the AMD chip scores 3953 versus 2348, a 68.4% lead.

Q: Are there any benchmarks where the Intel Xeon Gold 6338T comes out ahead?

A: No. In the 17 head-to-head benchmarks recorded, the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX wins all 17. The Xeon Gold 6338T does not register a single victory in any tested workload.

Q: How do the memory systems differ?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX uses dual-channel DDR5 with a memory bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s, while the Intel Xeon Gold 6338T employs eight-channel DDR4 with a memory bandwidth of 204.8 GB/s. The Xeon offers 2.5 times the theoretical memory bandwidth, though this does not translate into benchmark wins.

Q: What are the core and thread counts for each processor?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX has 16 cores and 32 threads, whereas the Intel Xeon Gold 6338T has 24 cores and 48 threads. Despite having 50% more cores and threads, the Xeon still trails the Ryzen in all measured benchmarks.

Architecture Differences

The AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX is built on TSMC's 5 nm process using the Zen 4 architecture under the Dragon Range codename. It packs 13,140 million transistors across a dual-die design with a combined die size of 2x 71 mm². The cache hierarchy consists of 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 64 MB of shared L3 cache. This chip targets the mobile segment, fits the AMD Socket FL1, and includes integrated Radeon 610M graphics.

The Intel Xeon Gold 6338T, by contrast, uses Intel's 10 nm process with the Ice Lake architecture under the Ice Lake-SP codename. Its cache layout is identical per core for L1 and L2 (64 KB and 1 MB respectively), but its shared L3 cache is 36 MB — considerably smaller than the AMD part's 64 MB. The Xeon is a server/workstation processor on Intel Socket 4189, and it does not include integrated graphics.

Memory support marks a major architectural split. The Ryzen 9 7940HX supports DDR5 on a dual-channel bus with 83.2 GB/s bandwidth and no ECC. The Xeon Gold 6338T supports DDR4 on an eight-channel bus with 204.8 GB/s bandwidth and full ECC support. PCIe connectivity also differs: the AMD chip provides Gen 5 with 28 lanes, while the Intel chip offers Gen 4 with 64 lanes.

Clock speeds heavily favor the AMD part. The Ryzen 9 7940HX has a base clock of 2.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.20 GHz. The Xeon Gold 6338T sits at 2.10 GHz base and 3.40 GHz boost. Thermal design power tells a different story: the Ryzen is rated at 55 W, while the Xeon draws 165 W — three times the thermal envelope.

The Ryzen 9 7940HX has an unlocked multiplier, making it overclockable, while the Xeon Gold 6338T is locked. The AMD chip was released on 2024-01-16, nearly three years after the Xeon's 2021-04-05 launch. Both processors remain in active production.

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The benchmark data paints a remarkably one-sided picture. Across all 17 recorded tests, the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX wins every single one. The margin varies from a relatively modest 20.6% to a crushing 132.2%.

Starting with the Cinebench suite, the Ryzen 9 7940HX shows consistent 50.6% leads across the board. In Cinebench R15 multicore, it scores 4618 versus 3067. In R15 single-core, the scores are 651 versus 432. The R20 multicore test shows 19245 against 12780, and R20 single-core shows 2716 against 1804. The flagship Cinebench R23 results follow the same pattern: 45822 versus 30430 in multicore and 6469 versus 4296 in single-core.

The PassMark suite reveals even larger gaps in specific workloads. The biggest win for the AMD chip comes in PassMark find prime numbers, where it scores 274 against the Xeon's 118 — a 132.2% advantage. PassMark physics shows a 99.4% lead, with scores of 2313 versus 1160. PassMark data encryption gives the Ryzen a 72.5% edge at 42557 versus 24677.

Single-threaded PassMark tests show a 68.4% gap, with the Ryzen scoring 3953 against the Xeon's 2348 in both passmark_single_thread and passmark_singlethread. Floating point math favors the AMD chip at 122952 versus 90584, a 35.7% lead. Integer math shows 205157 versus 152275, a 34.7% margin.

The smallest recorded deltas still favor AMD decisively. PassMark extended instructions shows 52217 versus 43292, a 20.6% lead. PassMark random string sorting gives the Ryzen a 25% edge at 83100 versus 66495. Data compression shows a 26.6% margin with scores of 706097 versus 557816.

PassMark multithread reflects the overall trend: 53904 for the Ryzen versus 35801 for the Xeon, a 50.6% gap that mirrors the Cinebench multicore results.

The Verdict

The data leaves no ambiguity: the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX is the superior processor in every benchmark recorded. It wins all 17 head-to-head tests, often by margins exceeding 50%. Its 16 cores and 32 threads outperform the Xeon's 24 cores and 48 threads in all measured workloads, despite the Xeon's 50% core-count advantage.

Users prioritizing single-thread performance should choose the Ryzen 9 7940HX without hesitation. The 50.6% lead in Cinebench R23 single-core and 68.4% lead in PassMark single-thread indicate a fundamental architectural advantage in lightly threaded tasks. The higher boost clock of 5.20 GHz versus 3.40 GHz explains much of this gap.

For multi-threaded workloads, the Ryzen still wins, though the margin is more consistent at around 50.6% across Cinebench variants. The Xeon's 24 cores cannot overcome the Ryzen's superior per-core performance and larger 64 MB L3 cache versus 36 MB.

The Xeon Gold 6338T does offer advantages in platform capabilities. Its eight-channel DDR4 memory provides 204.8 GB/s bandwidth versus the Ryzen's 83.2 GB/s. It supports ECC memory, which the Ryzen does not. Its 64 PCIe Gen 4 lanes exceed the Ryzen's 28 Gen 5 lanes. For server deployments requiring massive memory bandwidth and ECC reliability, the Xeon platform retains relevance.

However, the Xeon's 165 W TDP versus the Ryzen's 55 W means it consumes three times the power while losing every benchmark. The Ryzen also offers integrated graphics, an unlocked multiplier, and a newer 5 nm process node.

The verdict is straightforward: for raw compute performance, the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX is the clear winner. The Intel Xeon Gold 6338T only makes sense in server contexts where ECC memory, eight-channel bandwidth, or PCIe lane count take precedence over benchmark scores.

Specification Differences

| Specification | AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX | Intel Xeon Gold 6338T |

|---|---|---|

| Cores | 16 | 24 |

| Threads | 32 | 48 |

| Base Clock | 2.40 GHz | 2.10 GHz |

| Boost Clock | 5.20 GHz | 3.40 GHz |

| TDP | 55 W | 165 W |

| Socket | AMD Socket FL1 | Intel Socket 4189 |

| Architecture | Zen 4 | Ice Lake |

| Codename | Dragon Range | Ice Lake-SP |

| Process Node | 5 nm | 10 nm |

| Foundry | TSMC | Intel |

| L3 Cache | 64 MB (shared) | 36 MB (shared) |

| Memory Support | DDR5 | DDR4 |

| Memory Bus | Dual-channel | Eight-channel |

| Memory Bandwidth | 83.2 GB/s | 204.8 GB/s |

| ECC Memory | No | Yes |

| PCIe | Gen 5, 28 Lanes | Gen 4, 64 Lanes |

| Integrated Graphics | Radeon 610M | None |

| Market Segment | Mobile | Server/Workstation |

| Release Date | 2024-01-16 | 2021-04-05 |

| Multiplier Unlocked | Yes | No |

| Transistors | 13,140 million | N/A |

| Die Size | 2x 71 mm² | N/A |