Intel Xeon Gold 6246R vs Apple M1X

Processor comparisons   17-03-2021
   You may have difficulties with the choice of a processor, you will solve them by reading the comprehensive tests Intel Xeon Gold 6246R vs Apple M1X and understand which is better for games or normal use for video editing, rendering, programming, machine learning, streaming. Here you can find useful information from real video editing and streaming tests or different benchmarks. A step-by-step analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in special testing software like Blender, AIDA64, Furmark, MATLAB, PassMark, Dolphin Emulator, 3DMark, UserBenchmark, Prime95, Blender, RealBench, DaVinci Resolve Studio, WPrime, SuperPi, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), 7zip, Gears 5, GeekBench 6, 5.2, VeraCrypt, Handbrake, PCMark 10, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After reading the results of all benchmarks and videos, you already be able to figure out which CPU is better to buy for gaming Apple M1X or Intel Xeon Gold 6246R.

Summary benchmark results

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

Xeon Gold 6246R

59%

M1X

58%

This shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Xeon Gold 6246R is 1% better than M1X. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Xeon Gold 6246R

62%

M1X

55%

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 less popular games in which processors were compared: Metro Exodus, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Battlefield V, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, DOTA 2A, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Ghostrunner, Monster Hunter World, Hitman 3, Forza Horizon 4, NBA 2K20, Horizon Zero Dawn, Control, Half-Life: Alyx, League of Legends (LOL).

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	109.5	97.6
Valorant	124.5	110.9
Cyberpunk 2077	69.7	62.1
Apex Legends	117.0	104.2
Call of Duty Warzone	93.4	83.2
Overwatch	100.8	89.8
Red Dead Redemption 2	85.9	76.5
DOOM Eternal	62.2	55.4
Warzone	97.1	86.5
Assassin's Creed	104.6	93.1
Valheim	103.3	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 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. 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

Xeon Gold 6246R

16%

M1X

161%

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 M1X is more energy efficient than the Xeon Gold 6246R since it has less power consumption: 205W vs. 35W. 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 programming, streaming, video editing or video rendering, machine learning, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum efficiency, the CPU uses all cores and threads 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 software you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that use only one core to work, 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

	Intel Xeon Gold 6246R	Apple M1X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	179	270
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	5252	2615
Cinbench 20 Single-core	397	629
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	12359	5732
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1059	1628
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	29861	14587

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

	Intel Xeon Gold 6246R	Apple M1X
Single-Core	2365	3485
Multi-Core	30393	28843

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

	Intel Xeon Gold 6246R	Apple M1X
Single-Core	1041	1695
Multi-Core	21110	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 later the processor is released, the longer it will last in your computer. 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 new games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Intel Xeon Gold 6246R	Apple M1X
Announcement date	October 01, 2020	February 12, 2021
Type	Server	Laptop;Desktop
Socket	FCLGA3647	M1X
Core name	Cascade Lake	8x Firestorm;4x Icestorm
Architecture	x86	hybrid (big.LITTLE)
Generation	2	1
Turbo Frequency	4.1 MHz
Frequency	3.4 MHz	3.2 MHz
Cores	16	12
Threads	32	12
Bus rate
Bit	64	64
Lithography	14 nm	5 nm
Transistors count	7510 millions	24000 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	205 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 Xeon Gold 6246R is 5% better than M1X in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Xeon Gold 6246R has 4 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 Gold 6246R is better: 24
The number of parameters for which Apple M1X is better: 13
Although it should be realized that all the figures in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should completely trust a simple comparison of these numbers. Be sure to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of of people who bought Intel Xeon Gold 6246R and Apple M1X before making a selection which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

• Intel Xeon Gold 6246R specs and review.

• Apple M1X specs and review.