PassMark CPU Mark evaluates processor speed through complex mathematical computations. It provides a reliable metric to compare multi-core performance, where higher scores indicate faster processing for multitasking, gaming, and heavy workloads.

Head-to-Head Verdict, Benchmarks, Value & Long-Term Outlook

This comparison brings together gaming FPS, productivity performance, platform differences, power efficiency, pricing context, and upgrade path so you can see which CPU actually makes more sense.

M1 Pro 8-Core

2021

Why buy it

✅+1.5% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 28W instead of 105W, a 77W reduction.
✅Newer platform on none with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Apple M1 Pro GPU (14-core), while Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X.

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X

2018

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +18.9% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Wraith Prism), unlike M1 Pro 8-Core.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (16,959 vs 17,218).
❌Launch MSRP is still $329 MSRP, while M1 Pro 8-Core mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌275% higher power demand at 105W vs 28W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while M1 Pro 8-Core moves to none and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while M1 Pro 8-Core can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

M1 Pro 8-Core

2021

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X

2018

Why buy it

✅+1.5% higher PassMark.
✅Draws 28W instead of 105W, a 77W reduction.
✅Newer platform on none with DDR5 support instead of AM4 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Apple M1 Pro GPU (14-core), while Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +18.9% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (20 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅Includes a boxed cooler (Wraith Prism), unlike M1 Pro 8-Core.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌No boxed cooler included, unlike Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (16,959 vs 17,218).
❌Launch MSRP is still $329 MSRP, while M1 Pro 8-Core mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌275% higher power demand at 105W vs 28W.
❌Older platform position on AM4 with DDR4, while M1 Pro 8-Core moves to none and DDR5.
❌No integrated graphics, while M1 Pro 8-Core can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is M1 Pro 8-Core better than Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X?

It depends on what matters more to you. For gaming, Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X is ahead with a 18.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. For rendering, compiling, streaming, and heavier multitasking, M1 Pro 8-Core pulls ahead with 1.5% better PassMark.

Which one is better for streaming, content creation, and heavy multitasking?

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, M1 Pro 8-Core is the better fit. You are getting 1.5% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 8 threads.

Which one is the smarter buy today, not just the cheaper CPU?

M1 Pro 8-Core is still the faster CPU overall, but Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. M1 Pro 8-Core is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $329 MSRP, and it gives you 1.5% better PassMark. The trade-off is that Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X is still the better pure gaming CPU with a 18.9% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (51.5 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper. That said, if you already own a compatible AM4 + DDR4 setup, Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X can still make sense as a platform-matched option because it avoids a motherboard and RAM swap, but on MSRP alone you would want to find it meaningfully cheaper in real-world listings before that path becomes easy to justify.

Which one is more future-proof for 2026 and beyond?

M1 Pro 8-Core is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2021 vs 2018), a healthier platform with none and DDR5 instead of AM4, and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 8 threads instead of 8/16. That extra compute headroom should age better as games, background tasks, and creator workloads get heavier.

Games Benchmarks

Paired with RTX 4090

To accurately isolate CPU performance, all benchmarks below use an NVIDIA RTX 4090 as the reference GPU. This eliminates GPU-side bottlenecks and highlights pure processing throughput differences between the CPUs.

Note: Real-world results may vary based on your actual GPU. CPU performance impact is more visible in processing-intensive titles and high-refresh-rate gaming scenarios.

M1 Pro 8-Core Benchmark Check

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	M1 Pro 8-Core	Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X
1080p
low	175 FPS	223 FPS
medium	140 FPS	191 FPS
high	113 FPS	156 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	113 FPS
1440p
low	141 FPS	183 FPS
medium	111 FPS	150 FPS
high	88 FPS	119 FPS
ultra	69 FPS	85 FPS
4K
low	66 FPS	71 FPS
medium	55 FPS	63 FPS
high	44 FPS	49 FPS
ultra	35 FPS	38 FPS

Open M1 Pro 8-Core Open Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	M1 Pro 8-Core	Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X
1080p
low	163 FPS	346 FPS
medium	143 FPS	305 FPS
high	126 FPS	270 FPS
ultra	99 FPS	240 FPS
1440p
low	140 FPS	316 FPS
medium	127 FPS	285 FPS
high	114 FPS	250 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	218 FPS
4K
low	99 FPS	232 FPS
medium	93 FPS	213 FPS
high	82 FPS	195 FPS
ultra	64 FPS	170 FPS

Open M1 Pro 8-Core Open Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	M1 Pro 8-Core	Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X
1080p
low	430 FPS	424 FPS
medium	430 FPS	424 FPS
high	430 FPS	424 FPS
ultra	430 FPS	424 FPS
1440p
low	430 FPS	424 FPS
medium	430 FPS	424 FPS
high	391 FPS	405 FPS
ultra	341 FPS	340 FPS
4K
low	398 FPS	391 FPS
medium	309 FPS	323 FPS
high	260 FPS	284 FPS
ultra	208 FPS	228 FPS

Open M1 Pro 8-Core Open Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	M1 Pro 8-Core	Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X
1080p
low	430 FPS	424 FPS
medium	430 FPS	424 FPS
high	430 FPS	424 FPS
ultra	430 FPS	424 FPS
1440p
low	430 FPS	424 FPS
medium	430 FPS	424 FPS
high	430 FPS	424 FPS
ultra	429 FPS	424 FPS
4K
low	430 FPS	424 FPS
medium	407 FPS	424 FPS
high	363 FPS	413 FPS
ultra	315 FPS	359 FPS

Open M1 Pro 8-Core Open Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of M1 Pro 8-Core and Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X

M1 Pro 8-Core

The M1 Pro 8-Core is manufactured by Apple. It was released in 18 October 2021 (4 years ago). It features 8 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.06 GHz, with boost up to 3.22 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB. L2 cache: 28 MB. Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: none. Thermal design power (TDP): 28 MB + 16 MB. Memory support: LPDDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 17,218 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X

The Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 19 September 2018 (7 years ago). It is based on the Zen+ (2018−2019) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.1 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 512K (per core). Built on 12 nm process technology. Socket: AM4. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR4 Dual-channel. Passmark benchmark score: 16,959 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The M1 Pro 8-Core packs 8 cores / 8 threads, matching the Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X's 8 cores. Boost clocks reach 3.22 GHz on the M1 Pro 8-Core versus 4.1 GHz on the Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X — a 24% clock advantage for the Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X (base: 2.06 GHz vs 3.6 GHz). The Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X is built on the Zen+ (2018−2019) architecture. In PassMark, the M1 Pro 8-Core scores 17,218 against the Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X's 16,959 — a 1.5% lead for the M1 Pro 8-Core. L3 cache: 16 MB on the M1 Pro 8-Core vs 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X.

Feature	M1 Pro 8-Core	Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	8 / 16
Boost Clock	3.22 GHz	4.1 GHz+27%
Base Clock	2.06 GHz	3.6 GHz+75%
L3 Cache	16 MB	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	28 MB+5500%	512K (per core)
Process	5 nm-58%	12 nm
Architecture	—	Zen+ (2018−2019)
PassMark	17,218+2%	16,959
Cinebench R23 Multi	—	9,500
Geekbench 6 Single	—	1,255
Geekbench 6 Multi	—	6,243

🧠

Memory & Platform

The M1 Pro 8-Core uses the none socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X uses AM4 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches LPDDR5-6400 on the M1 Pro 8-Core versus DDR4-2933 on the Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X — the M1 Pro 8-Core supports 22.2% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X supports up to 128 GB of RAM compared to 32 GB — 120% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 4 (M1 Pro 8-Core) vs 2 (Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X). PCIe lanes: 0 (M1 Pro 8-Core) vs 20 (Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X) — the Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X offers 20 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives.

Feature	M1 Pro 8-Core	Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X
Socket	none	AM4
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0+33%	PCIe 3.0
Max RAM Speed	LPDDR5-6400+25%	DDR4-2933
Max RAM Capacity	32 GB	128 GB+300%
RAM Channels	4+100%	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	0	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Virtualization support: Virtualization (M1 Pro 8-Core) vs AMD-V (Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X). The M1 Pro 8-Core includes integrated graphics (Apple M1 Pro GPU (14-core)), while the Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: M1 Pro 8-Core targets Mobile, Ryzen 7 PRO 2700X targets Workstation.