M2 vs Xeon E5-1681 V3
M2
Xeon E5-1681 V3
Performance Spectrum - CPU
About PassMark
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.
Value Upgrade Path
This is the official ChipVERSUS Value Rating, comparing raw performance (PassMark) per dollar. Components placed above yours deliver better value for money.
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.
Performance Per Dollar M2
Performance Per Dollar Xeon E5-1681 V3
Performance Comparison
About PassMark🏆 Chipversus Verdict
🚀 Performance Leadership
| Insight | M2 | Xeon E5-1681 V3 |
|---|---|---|
| Gaming | ❌ Lower gaming performance | ✅ Superior gaming performance |
| Workstation | ✅ Better multi-core power | ❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks |
| Price | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($200) |
| Longevity | ✨ Modern (Legacy / 5 nm) | 🛑 Legacy (Haswell-EP (2014−2015) / 22 nm) |
💎 Value Proposition
| Insight | M2 | Xeon E5-1681 V3 |
|---|---|---|
| Cost Efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency | ❌ Lower cost efficiency |
| Upfront Cost | ✅ More affordable ($0) | ⚠️ Higher cost ($200) |
Performance Check
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.
Technical Specifications
Side-by-side comparison of M2 and Xeon E5-1681 V3
M2
The M2 is manufactured by Apple. It was released in 10 June 2022 (3 years ago). It features 8 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.424 GHz, with boost up to 3.48 GHz. L2 cache: 20 MB. Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: none. Thermal design power (TDP): 20 Watt. Memory support: LPDDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 14,933 points. Launch price was $149.
Xeon E5-1681 V3
The Xeon E5-1681 V3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture. It features 10 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 2.9 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 25 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011-3. Thermal design power (TDP): 135 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2133. Passmark benchmark score: 14,820 points. Launch price was $800.
Processing Power
The M2 packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Xeon E5-1681 V3 offers 10 cores / 20 threads — the Xeon E5-1681 V3 has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.48 GHz on the M2 versus 3.5 GHz on the Xeon E5-1681 V3 — a 0.6% clock advantage for the Xeon E5-1681 V3 (base: 2.424 GHz vs 2.9 GHz). The Xeon E5-1681 V3 is built on the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture. In PassMark, the M2 scores 14,933 against the Xeon E5-1681 V3's 14,820 — a 0.8% lead for the M2.
| Feature | M2 | Xeon E5-1681 V3 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores / Threads | 8 / 8 | 10 / 20+25% |
| Boost Clock | 3.48 GHz | 3.5 GHz |
| Base Clock | 2.424 GHz | 2.9 GHz+20% |
| L3 Cache | — | 25 MB (total) |
| L2 Cache | 20 MB+7900% | 256K (per core) |
| Process | 5 nm-77% | 22 nm |
| Architecture | — | Haswell-EP (2014−2015) |
| PassMark | 14,933 | 14,820 |
| Geekbench 6 Single | — | 1,050 |
| Geekbench 6 Multi | — | 9,000 |
Memory & Platform
The M2 uses the none socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon E5-1681 V3 uses LGA2011-3 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.
| Feature | M2 | Xeon E5-1681 V3 |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | none | LGA2011-3 |
| PCIe Generation | PCIe 4.0+33% | PCIe 3.0 |
| Max RAM Speed | — | DDR4-2133 |
| Max RAM Capacity | — | 768 GB |
| RAM Channels | — | 4 |
| ECC Support | — | ✅ |
| PCIe Lanes | — | 40 |
Advanced Features
Virtualization: not specified (M2) / Yes (Xeon E5-1681 V3).
| Feature | M2 | Xeon E5-1681 V3 |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated GPU | — | No |
| AVX-512 | — | No |
| Virtualization | — | Yes |
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