Intel Xeon Gold 6248 20-core LGA 4189

The Xeon Gold 6248 delivers a 28,897 PassMark multi-core score, good for the 84th percentile, at a used price around 99 USD. That's 20 cores and 40 threads of server-grade parallel performance for pocket change. But the 2,224 single-core score and 25.8 gaming rating mean it's a terrible choice for anything that doesn't scale across cores.

The multi-core PassMark score of 28,897 is the headline here. That's enough to put it in the 84th percentile for multi-threaded performance, which means it outruns the vast majority of CPUs in our database when the work actually spreads across all 20 cores and 40 threads. The 28MB of L3 cache helps keep those cores fed during heavy virtualization, rendering, or database work. And the 3.9GHz boost gives it a decent kick when a few cores need to sprint.

But single-threaded performance is where the 6248 shows its age. The 2,224 single-core PassMark score lands at the 63rd percentile, which is fine but not exciting. The 2.5GHz base clock means any workload that doesn't parallelize well will feel sluggish compared to modern desktop chips. The 150W TDP is reasonable for a 20-core server part, and the efficiency score sits at the 76th percentile, so it's not a power hog by Xeon standards. Just don't expect it to feel snappy in single-threaded tasks.

Against something like the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, the 6248 wins on raw core count but loses badly on single-threaded speed and gaming. The 7800X3D is a gaming monster with a much higher single-core score, while the 6248's gaming score of 25.8 out of 100 tells you everything you need to know about its non-server ambitions. The Dell Xeon E5-2637 V2 is an older, lower-core-count Xeon that doesn't come close on multi-threaded throughput. And the ADVB3 Phenom II X6 is a completely different era of hardware, no real comparison there. The 6248's real competition is other used server chips, and in that space, 20 cores at 99 USD is a strong argument.

At around 99 USD on the used market, the Xeon Gold 6248 is a lot of multi-threaded horsepower for the money. The affordability score sits at the 69th percentile, which is decent but not spectacular, and the price varies wildly depending on where you're shopping. The CAD listing at 194 CAD and the BRL listing at 1,091 BRL suggest regional availability is inconsistent. If you can find one near the 99 USD mark and you have a compatible LGA 4189 board, the price-per-core ratio is hard to beat. Just remember that the platform cost, server motherboard, ECC memory, and cooling, can eat into those savings fast.

The Xeon Gold 6248 posts a 28,897 PassMark multi-core score, which lands it in the 84th percentile for multi-threaded work. That's a serious number for a chip you can find for around 99 USD on the used market. But the single-core story is a different one. At 2,224 on PassMark, it sits at the 63rd percentile, which means everyday desktop tasks feel more like a mid-range CPU from a few generations back than a server monster.

This is a 20-core, 40-thread Cascade Lake part with a 2.5GHz base and 3.9GHz boost, 28MB of L3 cache, and a 150W TDP on the LGA 4189 socket. It's built for servers and heavy parallel workloads, not for gaming or snappy single-threaded responsiveness. If your workload scales across cores, this thing is a bargain. If it doesn't, you'll feel the 2.5GHz base clock more than the core count.

Skip this if you're building a gaming rig, a general-purpose desktop, or anything that needs snappy single-threaded performance. The 25.8 gaming score and 63rd percentile single-core PassMark of 2,224 mean it'll feel sluggish in everyday tasks and terrible in games. Also skip it if you don't already have an LGA 4189 board, the platform score of 18th percentile means finding compatible, affordable motherboards is a headache. And with only 2 customer reviews and a 2.7 rating, you're buying with almost no community support or real-world validation.

The Xeon Gold 6248 is a niche buy, but for the right niche it's a steal. If you're building a home lab, a virtualization box, or a render node and you already have or can find an LGA 4189 motherboard, the 28,897 multi-core PassMark score at around 99 USD is hard to argue with. The 84th percentile multi-threaded ranking means it'll chew through parallel workloads that would choke a desktop chip. But if you need single-threaded speed, gaming performance, or a platform with modern features, look elsewhere. The 18th percentile platform score and 25.8 gaming score are dealbreakers for most people.