Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M vs Apple M1X

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   Let's say there are difficulties with the choice of a CPU, you will solve them by reading the full tests Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M vs Apple M1X and see which is better for games or normal use for video editing, rendering, streaming, machine learning, programming. Here is all information from real streaming and video editing tests or many benchmarks. A careful review of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in special testing software like GeekBench 6, 5.2, WPrime, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Prime95, AIDA64, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), PCMark 10, VeraCrypt, RealBench, PassMark, Blender, Blender, 3DMark, Dolphin Emulator, 7zip, UserBenchmark, MATLAB, Furmark, Handbrake, SuperPi, Gears 5.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After reading the results of joint benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming Apple M1X or Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M.

Summary benchmark results

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

Xeon Platinum 8260M

60%

M1X

58%

This shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Xeon Platinum 8260M is 3% better than M1X. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Xeon Platinum 8260M

69%

M1X

55%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. And of course, this is a server processor, on which no one will play 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, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of less popular games in which processors were compared: DOTA 2A, Hitman 3, Monster Hunter World, Forza Horizon 4, Horizon Zero Dawn, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Microsoft Flight Simulator, NBA 2K20, Ghostrunner, Half-Life: Alyx, Control, League of Legends (LOL), Metro Exodus, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Battlefield V, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO).

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	121.9	97.6
Valorant	138.5	110.9
Cyberpunk 2077	77.6	62.1
Apex Legends	130.2	104.2
Call of Duty Warzone	103.9	83.2
Overwatch	112.2	89.8
Red Dead Redemption 2	95.6	76.5
DOOM Eternal	69.3	55.4
Warzone	108.1	86.5
Assassin's Creed	116.4	93.1
Valheim	115.0	92.0

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 comparisons not only were the equipped with different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, FullHD 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 get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Xeon Platinum 8260M

21%

M1X

161%

To make a finishing choice 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 M1X is more energy efficient than the Xeon Platinum 8260M as it consumes less power: 165W vs. 35W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. You need to buy a cooler that has the TDP data specified in the specification was greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

If you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, programming, video rendering or video editing, streaming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum performance, the CPU includes all cores and threads that it has. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the software you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that use only one core to work, and all the benefit of multi-core mode are unused.

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

	Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M	Apple M1X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	211	270
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	5808	2615
Cinbench 20 Single-core	366	629
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	14048	5732
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1239	1628
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	35899	14587

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

	Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M	Apple M1X
Single-Core	2291	3485
Multi-Core	34071	28843

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

	Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M	Apple M1X
Single-Core	1071	1695
Multi-Core	33238	9389

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most helpful 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 in the future. The same benefits from the presence of overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in the newest games. It turns out that there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M	Apple M1X
Announcement date	October 01, 2020	February 12, 2021
Type	Server	Laptop;Desktop
Socket	LGA3647	M1X
Core name	Cascade Lake	8x Firestorm;4x Icestorm
Architecture	x86	hybrid (big.LITTLE)
Generation	2	1
Turbo Frequency	3.9 MHz
Frequency	2.3 MHz	3.2 MHz
Cores	24	12
Threads	48	12
Bus rate
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	5 nm
Transistors count	7510 millions	24000 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	165 W	35 W
Memory type	DDR4-2933	LPDDR4 - Up to 4266MHz
Max. Memory	1 Gb
Memory Frequency		4266
Memory bandwidth
L1 cache		12MB
L2 cache		28MB
L3 cache	35.75 MB	64MB
Overclocking	Yes	No
Supports ECC	Yes	No
Part number

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here M1X is 28% better than Xeon Platinum 8260M in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Xeon Platinum 8260M has 12 more core than M1X. 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 Platinum 8260M is better: 23
The number of parameters for which Apple M1X is better: 14
However, it should be realized that all the figures in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should totally trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Be sure to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of real owners of Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M and Apple M1X before making a choice which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

• Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M specs and review.

• Apple M1X specs and review.