Which is better for gaming?

The Ryzen 7 9850X3D, by a wide margin. Its 4.7 GHz clocks and 96MB L3 cache suit games, while the Xeon's 1.8 GHz clocks and DDR3 memory hold it back badly.

Can I use the Xeon E5-2650L in a normal desktop?

Only with an LGA2011 server or workstation board and DDR3 memory. It will not fit AM5 or any current consumer socket.

Does the Ryzen 7 9850X3D need a graphics card?

No. It has integrated Radeon graphics, so it can drive a display on its own. The Xeon has no integrated graphics and needs a discrete GPU.

Which uses less power?

The Xeon E5-2650L at 70W TDP versus 120W for the Ryzen. The Ryzen still does far more work per watt in most tasks.

Is the Xeon worth it for a budget homelab?

Yes, if you already own an LGA2011 board and DDR3 ECC memory. Otherwise the platform cost and slow clocks make it a poor buy.

The Ryzen. It is a current part on a supported socket with new boards and BIOS updates, while the Xeon's platform has been discontinued for years.

AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D vs Intel Xeon E5-2650L 8-Core Processor

Buy the Ryzen 7 9850X3D for any modern desktop build: it is a current AM5 chip with 96MB of L3 cache, PCIe 5.0, DDR5 and integrated graphics. The Xeon E5-2650L is a 2012-era server part on the dead LGA2011 socket, with 1.8 GHz clocks and DDR3 memory, so it only makes sense for cheap used server boards or homelab tinkering. No prices were given for either, so compare live store prices on Deal.ai before deciding.

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