HP P67080-B21

The Xeon Gold 6526Y posts a 42,195 multi-core PassMark score, putting it in the 91st percentile for server chips. That's the good news. The bad news is a 38.1 efficiency score and a 195W TDP, so it's thirsty. Shop around, because US prices range from $2,080 to $3,939 for the same chip.

The multi-core PassMark of 42,195 is the headline number. That's a top-tier result, landing in the 91st percentile, and it means this chip will chew through rendering, virtualization, and database workloads without breaking a sweat. The 16 cores and 32 threads give it plenty of parallel muscle, and the 37.5MB L3 cache keeps frequently accessed data close to the cores. The 2.8GHz base clock is conservative, but the 3.9GHz turbo gives it a nice kick when a single thread needs to sprint.

Single-core performance is where things get more pedestrian. The 2,972 single-thread PassMark score sits at the 80th percentile, which is fine but not exciting. If your workload is mostly single-threaded, like some legacy enterprise apps, you won't see the same kind of dominance. The DDR5 support with speeds up to 5.2GHz is a plus, and the PCIe 5.0 lanes mean fast storage and accelerators won't be bottlenecked. Just remember there's no integrated graphics, so you'll need a discrete GPU or a headless setup.

Against the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, this Xeon wins on raw multi-core throughput but loses badly on single-thread speed and efficiency. The Ryzen is a consumer gaming chip, so it's not a fair fight, but it shows how different the design goals are. The Intel Core Ultra 9 285K is another consumer part that will feel snappier in day-to-day tasks, though it can't match the Xeon's core count or memory capacity. The CG CHIPS GATE EPYC part is the closest real competitor in the server space, and it's worth a look if you need AMD's platform features. The D&H Core i9 and Lenovo Ryzen 5 are odd inclusions in this list, but they highlight that this Xeon is a specialized tool, not a general-purpose chip. If you need 2TB of ECC DDR5 and 16 cores for virtualization, the Xeon makes sense. If you're building a workstation for mixed use, the consumer chips will feel better in daily driving.

Value is tricky here because the price varies wildly depending on where you look. In the US, we're seeing listings from $2,080 up to $3,939, which is a spread of $1,859 for what should be the same chip. That's a huge gap, and it means you could overpay by nearly double if you don't shop carefully. The lower end of that range feels reasonable for a 16-core Xeon Gold with this kind of multi-core performance, but the high end is hard to justify unless you're in a pinch and need it tomorrow. The EUR 2,004 listing in Germany is a single data point, so treat it as a reference, not a comparison. If you're buying this for a server build, the total cost of ownership includes the 195W power draw, which will add up over time.

The HP Xeon P67080-B21, which is really an Intel Xeon Gold 6526Y in HP packaging, posts a PassMark multi-core score of 42,195. That puts it in the 91st percentile of all server chips in our database, so it's a serious workhorse for parallel workloads. The single-core score of 2,972 is more modest at the 80th percentile, which tells you this chip is built for throughput, not snappy desktop responsiveness. With 16 cores, 32 threads, and a 2.8GHz base clock that boosts to 3.9GHz, it's aimed squarely at servers and heavy productivity rigs.

The 37.5MB of L3 cache and support for up to 2TB of DDR5 ECC memory give it room to breathe on big datasets. But the 195W TDP and the efficiency score of 38.1 out of 100 are the trade-offs. This thing pulls real power, and if you're running it 24/7, your electricity bill will notice. It's a data center part that happens to be sold through Best Buy, which is a little odd, but here we are.

Skip this if you're building a general-purpose desktop or a gaming rig. The single-core score of 2,972 is only at the 80th percentile, and the lack of integrated graphics means you're buying a GPU no matter what. The 195W TDP and 38.1 efficiency score also make it a poor fit for small form factor builds or anyone sensitive to power consumption. If you don't need 16 cores, 32 threads, and up to 2TB of ECC memory, you're paying for capability you'll never use. And if you're not running a server OS or virtualization platform, the platform features will go to waste.

The HP Xeon P67080-B21 is a strong server processor with a clear identity. The 42,195 multi-core PassMark score and 91st percentile ranking mean it will handle heavy parallel workloads without complaint. The 16 cores, 32 threads, and massive memory support make it a solid choice for virtualization, rendering, and database servers. But the efficiency score of 38.1 and the 195W TDP are real drawbacks, especially if you're paying for power or cooling. The single-core performance is fine but not a selling point. If you can find it near the $2,080 end of the price range, it's a good deal for a server build. At $3,939, you're paying too much for what you get.