AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1900X vs Intel Xeon W-2140B Comparison

FAQ

Q: Which processor has the higher average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Xeon W-2140B has an average benchmark score of 4272, placing it in the 58th percentile of all CPUs. The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1900X averages 4073, which lands in the 57th percentile.

Q: How do the two processors compare in single-core performance?

A: The Intel Xeon W-2140B wins every recorded single-core test. In Cinebench R23 single-core it scores 2074 versus 2016 for the Threadripper, a 2.9% advantage. In Geekbench single-core the gap widens to 7.8%, with scores of 1299 and 1205.

Q: What is the largest performance gap between the two chips?

A: The biggest delta appears in Geekbench multicore, where the Intel Xeon W-2140B leads by 12%, scoring 7381 against 6588 for the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1900X.

Q: Do both processors support ECC memory?

A: No. The Intel Xeon W-2140B supports ECC memory, while the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1900X does not list ECC support in the database.

Q: Which processor has a higher base clock speed?

A: The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1900X has a base clock of 3.80 GHz, which is higher than the Intel Xeon W-2140B's 3.20 GHz. However, the Intel chip boosts to 4.20 GHz, exceeding the Threadripper's 4.00 GHz boost.

Q: What is the production status of each processor?

A: The Intel Xeon W-2140B is marked as end-of-life, while the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1900X is listed as active production.

Architecture Differences

The two processors come from different architectural lineages, which explains much of their behavioral divergence. The Intel Xeon W-2140B uses the Skylake architecture, specifically the Skylake-W codename, built on a 14 nm process at Intel's own foundry. The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1900X uses the Zen architecture, also on a 14 nm node, but fabricated at GlobalFoundries. Both are 8-core, 16-thread parts, so thread counts are identical, but the underlying designs differ in several meaningful ways.

Cache organization is a clear point of divergence. The Intel chip has 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 11 MB of shared L3 cache. The AMD part has 96 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and a substantially larger 32 MB of L3 cache. That larger L3 pool on the Threadripper does not translate into benchmark wins in the recorded data, which suggests the Intel memory hierarchy is more effective for the tested workloads.

Die size and transistor counts also differ. The Intel Xeon W-2140B has a die size of 484 mm², while the Threadripper uses a dual-die design with two 213 mm² dies, totaling 426 mm². The AMD chip lists 9,600 million transistors, whereas the Intel part does not have a transistor count in the database.

Socket and platform requirements are entirely different. The Intel processor fits Intel Socket 2066, while the AMD chip uses AMD Socket SP3r2. The Threadripper is an unlocked part, meaning the multiplier can be adjusted freely, whereas the Xeon W-2140B has a locked multiplier. The Threadripper belongs to the 1000 series and uses the Zen (Whitehaven) generation, while the Xeon W-2140B is part of the Xeon W (Skylake-W) family.

PCIe lane counts also separate the two. The Intel chip provides Gen 3 with 48 lanes from the CPU, while the AMD part offers Gen 3 with 60 lanes. For workstation or server builds that require many expansion cards or NVMe drives, that difference matters, but it does not show up in the CPU benchmark results themselves.

The market segments are distinct as well. The Intel Xeon W-2140B is categorized as a server or workstation part, while the Threadripper is a desktop processor. ECC memory support exists on the Intel side but is absent from the AMD specifications. Both support DDR4 memory in a quad-channel configuration with identical memory bandwidth of 85.3 GB/s.

Where Each One Wins

The recorded data shows a clean sweep for the Intel Xeon W-2140B across all eight head-to-head benchmarks. The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1900X does not win a single recorded test. That said, the margins are not uniform, and the shape of the advantage is worth examining.

The Intel chip's wins are narrow in the Cinebench suite. In R15, R20, and R23 multicore tests, the deltas sit at 2.8% across the board. Single-core Cinebench tests show slightly larger gaps, around 3% in R15 and R20, and 2.9% in R23. These are modest edges, suggesting that in heavily threaded rendering workloads the two chips are close competitors, with the Intel part holding a consistent but small lead.

The picture changes in Geekbench. The multicore test shows a 12% advantage for the Intel chip, and the single-core test shows a 7.8% lead. These are much larger margins than what appears in Cinebench. That pattern indicates the Intel Xeon W-2140B is particularly strong in workloads that resemble Geekbench's mix of memory access, encryption, and integer or floating-point operations, while the Cinebench rendering tasks are more balanced between the two.

For users focused on pure rendering performance, either chip would deliver similar results, with the Intel part edging ahead by a small margin. For broader system-level performance, especially in tasks that stress memory latency or single-threaded responsiveness, the Intel chip has a clearer advantage. The Threadripper's higher base clock of 3.80 GHz does not compensate for its lower boost clock of 4.00 GHz versus the Intel's 4.20 GHz, and the benchmark data reflects that.

The Threadripper does offer advantages outside of raw CPU scores. It has more PCIe lanes (60 versus 48), a larger L3 cache (32 MB versus 11 MB), and an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. It is also still in active production, while the Intel part is end-of-life. But in terms of the recorded benchmark results, the Intel Xeon W-2140B wins every test.

Specification Differences

The following fields differ between the Intel Xeon W-2140B and the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1900X:

• Base clock: Intel 3.20 GHz, AMD 3.80 GHz
• Boost clock: Intel 4.20 GHz, AMD 4.00 GHz
• TDP: Intel 120 W, AMD 180 W
• Socket: Intel Socket 2066, AMD Socket SP3r2
• Architecture: Intel Skylake, AMD Zen
• Codename: Intel Skylake-W, AMD Zen
• Generation: Intel Xeon W (Skylake-W), AMD Ryzen Threadripper (Zen (Whitehaven))
• Foundry: Intel, GlobalFoundries
• Transistors: Not listed for Intel, 9,600 million for AMD
• Die size: 484 mm² for Intel, 2x 213 mm² for AMD
• L1 cache: 64 KB per core (Intel), 96 KB per core (AMD)
• L2 cache: 1 MB per core (Intel), 512 KB per core (AMD)
• L3 cache: 11 MB shared (Intel), 32 MB (AMD)
• ECC memory: True for Intel, false for AMD
• PCIe: Gen 3, 48 lanes (Intel), Gen 3, 60 lanes (AMD)
• Market segment: Server/Workstation (Intel), Desktop (AMD)
• Production status: End-of-life (Intel), Active (AMD)
• Release date: 2017-12-20 (Intel), 2017-08-30 (AMD)
• Launch MSRP: Not listed for Intel, $549 for AMD
• Multiplier unlocked: False for Intel, true for AMD
• Part number: SR3LK (Intel), YD190XA8AEWOFYD190XA8U8SAE (AMD)

Fields that are identical include core count (8), thread count (16), process node (14 nm), memory support (DDR4), memory bus (quad-channel), memory bandwidth (85.3 GB/s), and integrated graphics (none for either).

Head-to-Head Benchmarks

The Intel Xeon W-2140B wins all eight recorded head-to-head comparisons. The results are consistent but vary in magnitude.

Starting with Cinebench R15, the Intel chip scores 1480 in multicore against 1440 for the Threadripper, a 2.8% lead. In single-core, the Intel part scores 209 versus 203, a 3% advantage. Moving to Cinebench R20, the multicore scores are 6170 and 6000, again a 2.8% delta, while single-core shows 871 versus 846, a 3% lead. Cinebench R23 follows the same pattern: multicore 14692 against 14286 (2.8% advantage), and single-core 2074 versus 2016 (2.9% advantage).

These Cinebench results paint a picture of near-parity in rendering workloads. The Intel chip consistently leads, but the margins are small enough that run-to-run variation could matter in practice. The Threadripper's higher base clock does not help it here, likely because boost behavior and memory latency play larger roles in these sustained workloads.

The Geekbench results tell a different story. In Geekbench multicore, the Intel Xeon W-2140B scores 7381, while the Threadripper scores 6588. That is a 12% gap, the largest in the entire comparison. In Geekbench single-core, the Intel chip scores 1299 versus 1205, a 7.8% lead. These wider margins suggest that the Intel architecture handles Geekbench's diverse workload mix more efficiently, possibly due to its per-core L2 cache size of 1 MB, which is double the Threadripper's 512 KB per core.

The average benchmark scores reinforce the trend. The Intel chip averages 4272, which sits 0.9% above the Intel Xeon E-2378 and 0.6% above the Intel Core i7-1265U, while coming in 0.3% below the Intel Xeon E5-4669 v3. The Threadripper averages 4073, which is 0.5% above the Intel Xeon E-2278G and 1.2% below the AMD Ryzen 9 5980HS. The Intel part also holds a higher percentile ranking at 58 versus 57 for the AMD chip.

The Verdict

Based strictly on the recorded benchmark data, the Intel Xeon W-2140B is the faster processor in every measured test. It wins all eight head-to-head comparisons, with deltas ranging from 2.8% in Cinebench multicore to 12% in Geekbench multicore. Its average benchmark score of 4272 is 4.9% higher than the Threadripper's 4073, and it ranks one percentile point higher overall.

Users whose workloads resemble Cinebench rendering tasks should expect nearly identical performance from either chip, with the Intel part holding a slight edge. The Threadripper's 3.80 GHz base clock does not overcome the Intel's 4.20 GHz boost clock in these sustained multi-threaded tests, and the larger 32 MB L3 cache on the AMD side does not translate into a win.

For workloads that resemble Geekbench, which often includes more varied operations such as compression, encryption, and memory-bound tasks, the Intel Xeon W-2140B is clearly preferable. The 12% multicore and 7.8% single-core advantages are substantial and likely reflect the Intel chip's larger per-core L2 cache and more mature Skylake memory subsystem.

The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1900X is not without merits. It offers an unlocked multiplier for overclocking, 60 PCIe lanes versus 48, and a much larger L3 cache. It is also still in active production and has a listed launch MSRP of $549. But those features do not show up as benchmark wins in the database. The Threadripper is also a desktop part, whereas the Xeon W-2140B targets server and workstation environments with ECC memory support.

The choice comes down to workload priorities. For maximum recorded CPU performance across both Cinebench and Geekbench, the Intel Xeon W-2140B is the pick. For users who value overclocking headroom, more PCIe lanes, or an active production status, the Threadripper remains a viable alternative, but the data shows it loses every head-to-head benchmark to the Intel part.