Apple M1 vs Intel Xeon W-3175X

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   Let's say you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a choice after reading the comprehensive tests Apple M1 vs Intel Xeon W-3175X and understand which is better for games or normal use for programming, video editing, streaming, rendering, machine learning. Here is all information from different benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A step-by-step analysis of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to read, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in special testing software such as 3DMark, PassMark, VeraCrypt, Blender, 7zip, DaVinci Resolve Studio, AIDA64, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Blender, SuperPi, PCMark 10, Dolphin Emulator, Prime95, WPrime, Handbrake, Furmark, UserBenchmark, Gears 5, MATLAB, GeekBench 6, 5.2, RealBench.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

Overwatch
Rainbow Six Siege
Valheim
Fortnite
Cyberpunk 2077
Halo Infinite
Valorant
Grand Theft Auto V
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
DOOM: Eternal
Borderlands 3
Death Stranding
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Red Dead Redemption 2
Call of Duty: Warzone and Modern Warfare
Watch Dogs Legion
Last Man Standing
Fallout 76
Apex Legends

After reading the results of parallel benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Xeon W-3175X or Apple M1.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

56%

Xeon W-3175X

59%

This shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Xeon W-3175X is 5% better than M1. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

54%

Xeon W-3175X

65%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor at the moment. And it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will run games. Because the cost of this processor reaches several tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a low game result, just look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Forza Horizon 4, Metro Exodus, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, NBA 2K20, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Battlefield V, DOTA 2A, Ghostrunner, Control, League of Legends (LOL), PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Half-Life: Alyx, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Hitman 3, Monster Hunter World, Horizon Zero Dawn.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	95.8	116.1
Valorant	108.9	131.9
Cyberpunk 2077	61.0	73.9
Apex Legends	102.4	124.0
Call of Duty Warzone	81.7	98.9
Overwatch	88.2	106.9
Red Dead Redemption 2	75.1	91.0
DOOM Eternal	54.5	66.0
Warzone	84.9	102.9
Assassin's Creed	91.5	110.8
Valheim	90.4	109.5

The numbers in this table indicate the maximum FPS that was received on the device with the corresponding processor. Depending on the configuration of the computer (RAM size and Video Card) and graphics quality settings (Ultra, Medium, Normal), the results may differ quite significantly. We recommend that you better study the results of the Cinebench, GeekBench and Passmark becnmarks.
The computers participating in the comparing not only were the equipped with different video cards and different amounts of RAM. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: FullHD, 2K or 4K. Therefore, the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. You will get more accurate information about how powerful the processor will be in games, if you get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

388%

Xeon W-3175X

17%

To make a final decision on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. It is clear that the newer the generation, the better the performance of the processor in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the M1 is more energy efficient than the Xeon W-3175X as it consumes less power: 15W vs. 255W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. It is necessary to calculate so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

If you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, programming, video editing or video rendering, machine learning, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum performance, the CPU uses all threads and cores that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the program you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to run, and all the advantages of multi-core mode turns out to be unnecessary.

Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Apple M1	Intel Xeon W-3175X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	209	188
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1163	5514
Cinbench 20 Single-core	402	417
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	1987	12975
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1512	1112
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	7782	31350

Passmark
This popular benchmark displays Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Apple M1	Intel Xeon W-3175X
Single-Core	3413	2147
Multi-Core	22028	31909

GeekBench 6, 5.2
This benchmark shows Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	Apple M1	Intel Xeon W-3175X
Single-Core	1746	1351
Multi-Core	7683	27550

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most useful. The later the processor is released, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in the newest games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	Apple M1	Intel Xeon W-3175X
Announcement date	October 01, 2020	January 01, 2019
Type	Laptop	Desktop
Socket	M1	FCLGA3647
Core name	4x Firestorm;4x Icestorm	Skylake
Architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)	x86
Generation	1	2
Turbo Frequency		3.8 MHz
Frequency	3.2 MHz	3.1 MHz
Cores	8	28
Threads	16	56
Bus rate		8 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	5 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	16000 millions	7510 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	15 W	255 W
Memory type	LPDDR4 - Up to 4266MHz	DDR4-2666
Max. Memory		512 Gb
Memory Frequency	4266
Memory bandwidth
L1 cache	2MB
L2 cache	16MB
L3 cache		38.5 MB
Overclocking	No	Yes
Supports ECC	No	Yes
Part number	APL1102

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here M1 is 3% better than Xeon W-3175X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Xeon W-3175X has 20 more core than M1. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which Apple M1 is better: 12
The number of parameters for which Intel Xeon W-3175X is better: 26
However, it should be realized that all the figures in the table above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch the testing video and read the opinion of of people who bought Apple M1 and Intel Xeon W-3175X before making a choice which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

• Apple M1 specs and review.

• Intel Xeon W-3175X specs and review.