Intel Xeon E5-2697R v4 vs Apple M1

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   Let's say you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a choice after reading the detailed tests Intel Xeon E5-2697R v4 vs Apple M1 and see which is better for games or normal use for programming, rendering, streaming, machine learning, video editing. Here is useful information from different benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A thorough analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in special test applications such as Blender, Gears 5, 7zip, PassMark, Dolphin Emulator, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Handbrake, 3DMark, MATLAB, VeraCrypt, Blender, DaVinci Resolve Studio, RealBench, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, WPrime, UserBenchmark, Furmark, AIDA64, Prime95, SuperPi, PCMark 10, GeekBench 6, 5.2.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After reading the results of all benchmarks and videos, you already be able to understand which processor is better to buy for gaming Apple M1 or Intel Xeon E5-2697R v4.

Summary benchmark results

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

Xeon E5-2697R v4

55%

56%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, M1 is 1% better than Xeon E5-2697R v4. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Xeon E5-2697R v4

61%

54%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. 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. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a little game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the final table below.
List of other games in which processors were compared: Hitman 3, Metro Exodus, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Battlefield V, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Control, League of Legends (LOL), DOTA 2A, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Ghostrunner, Monster Hunter World, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Forza Horizon 4, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Horizon Zero Dawn, NBA 2K20, Half-Life: Alyx.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	108.6	95.8
Valorant	123.4	108.9
Cyberpunk 2077	69.1	61.0
Apex Legends	116.0	102.4
Call of Duty Warzone	92.6	81.7
Overwatch	100.0	88.2
Red Dead Redemption 2	85.2	75.1
DOOM Eternal	61.7	54.5
Warzone	96.3	84.9
Assassin's Creed	103.7	91.5
Valheim	102.5	90.4

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 tested computers not only did they have different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: FullHD, 2K or 4K. 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

Xeon E5-2697R v4

20%

388%

To make a final resolution 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 M1 is more energy efficient than the Xeon E5-2697R v4 since it has less power consumption: 145W vs. 15W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you need to know its TDP. 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

Let's say you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video editing or video rendering, machine learning, streaming, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum performance, the processor turns on all threads and cores that it has. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to make sure that the software that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that can use only one core to work, and all the benefit 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

	Intel Xeon E5-2697R v4	Apple M1
Cinbench 15 Single-core	108	209
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	3177	1163
Cinbench 20 Single-core	240	402
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	7475	1987
Cinbench 23 Single-core	641	1512
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	18061	7782

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

	Intel Xeon E5-2697R v4	Apple M1
Single-Core	1916	3413
Multi-Core	18383	22028

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

	Intel Xeon E5-2697R v4	Apple M1
Single-Core	910	1746
Multi-Core	20218	7683

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 newer the processor, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS in new games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Intel Xeon E5-2697R v4	Apple M1
Announcement date	January 01, 2021	October 01, 2020
Type	Server	Laptop
Socket	FCLGA2011-3	M1
Core name	Broadwell	4x Firestorm;4x Icestorm
Architecture	x86	hybrid (big.LITTLE)
Generation	4	1
Turbo Frequency	3.6 MHz
Frequency	2.3 MHz	3.2 MHz
Cores	18	8
Threads	36	16
Bus rate	9.6 GT/s
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	5 nm
Transistors count	4130 millions	16000 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	145 W	15 W
Memory type	DDR4 1600/1866/2133/2400	LPDDR4 - Up to 4266MHz
Max. Memory	15 Gb
Memory Frequency		4266
Memory bandwidth	76.8 GB/s
L1 cache		2MB
L2 cache		16MB
L3 cache	45 MB
Overclocking	Yes	No
Supports ECC	Yes	No
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 28% better than Xeon E5-2697R v4 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Xeon E5-2697R v4 has 10 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 Intel Xeon E5-2697R v4 is better: 26
The number of parameters for which Apple M1 is better: 13
The summary data in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should entirely trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch the video tests and read the reviews of of people who bought Intel Xeon E5-2697R v4 and Apple M1 before making a choice which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

• Intel Xeon E5-2697R v4 specs and review.

• Apple M1 specs and review.