Apple M2 vs Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M

Processor comparisons   20-10-2022
   Let's say you are thinking about choosing a processor, you will be able to make a choice by looking at the Apple M2 vs Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M tests and see which is better for games or normal use for machine learning, programming, video editing, streaming, rendering. Here is all information from real video editing and streaming tests or several benchmarks. A careful review of all the specifications, to make it easier to read, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in synthetic type tests like 7zip, Handbrake, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Dolphin Emulator, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Furmark, MATLAB, SuperPi, Blender, AIDA64, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Gears 5, Prime95, VeraCrypt, Blender, PassMark, PCMark 10, RealBench, 3DMark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), WPrime, UserBenchmark.
   Gaming performance of CPUs in:

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

After reading the results of all benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which CPU is better to buy for gaming Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M or Apple M2.

Summary benchmark results

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

59%

Xeon Platinum 8260M

60%

This shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Xeon Platinum 8260M is 1% better than M2. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

55%

Xeon Platinum 8260M

69%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. And it is clear that this is a server processor, on which no one will play games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a small game result, 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: DOTA 2A, Metro Exodus, Horizon Zero Dawn, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Hitman 3, Ghostrunner, Half-Life: Alyx, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Control, Battlefield V, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, League of Legends (LOL), Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Forza Horizon 4, NBA 2K20, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Monster Hunter World, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	97.4	121.9
Valorant	110.7	138.5
Cyberpunk 2077	62.0	77.6
Apex Legends	104.1	130.2
Call of Duty Warzone	83.0	103.9
Overwatch	89.7	112.2
Red Dead Redemption 2	76.4	95.6
DOOM Eternal	55.4	69.3
Warzone	86.4	108.1
Assassin's Creed	93.0	116.4
Valheim	91.9	115.0

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: 4K, 2K or FullHD. So 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 compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

535%

Xeon Platinum 8260M

21%

To make a final decision on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. The newer the processor generation, the better its performance in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the M2 is more energy efficient than the Xeon Platinum 8260M as it consumes less power: 12W vs. 165W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful to know its TDP. It is necessary to count so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

Let's say you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, video rendering or video editing, programming, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum efficiency, the CPU includes 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. Because there are still many programs that can use only one core to work, and all the advantages of multi-core mode are unused.
Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Apple M2	Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M
Cinbench 15 Single-core	298	211
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1586	5808
Cinbench 20 Single-core	558	366
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2699	14048
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2057	1239
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	10520	35899

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

	Apple M2	Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M
Single-Core	4095	2291
Multi-Core	29665	34071

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

	Apple M2	Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M
Single-Core	1929	1071
Multi-Core	9243	33238

Comparison of specifications

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

	Apple M2	Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M
Announcement date	October 18, 2022	October 01, 2020
Type	Laptop	Server
Socket	M2	LGA3647
Core name	4 x Avalanche and 4 x Blizzard	Cascade Lake
Architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)	x86
Generation	2	2
Turbo Frequency		3.9 MHz
Frequency	3.49 MHz	2.3 MHz
Cores	8	24
Threads	8	48
Bus rate
Bit	64	64
Lithography	5 nm	14 nm
Transistors count	20000 millions	7510 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	12 W	165 W
Memory type	LPDDR5 - Up to 6400MHz	DDR4-2933
Max. Memory		1 Gb
Memory Frequency	2400
Memory bandwidth
L1 cache	2MB
L2 cache	12MB
L3 cache	16MB	35.75 MB
Overclocking	No	Yes
Supports ECC	No	Yes
Part number

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here M2 is 34% better than Xeon Platinum 8260M in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Xeon Platinum 8260M has 16 more core than M2. 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 M2 is better: 13
The number of parameters for which Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M is better: 23
However, it should be understood that all the data that you have looked at here do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of real owners of Apple M2 and Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M before making a decision which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

Apple M2 - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Apple M2 specs and review.

• Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M specs and review.