Xeon E3-1230 v6 vs M1

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. The Xeon E3-1230 v6 is positioned at rank 363 and the M1 is on rank 1004, so the Xeon E3-1230 v6 offers better cost-efficiency for playing games.

MSRP is the manufacturer's suggested retail price.•
Avg price is the current average price collected from markets across the web.

Performance Per Dollar Xeon E3-1230 v6

#1

Xeon Platinum 8454H

MSRP: $6540|Avg: N/A

5123%

#6

Xeon Gold 6240R

MSRP: $2444|Avg: N/A

967%

#10

Xeon 6337P

MSRP: $60|Avg: $5

859%

#15

EPYC 9174F

MSRP: $194|Avg: $30

664%

#257

Xeon W-1290

MSRP: $498|Avg: $300

100%

#258

EPYC 9124

MSRP: $1083|Avg: $1083

99%

#260

EPYC 4584PX

MSRP: $1517|Avg: $1517

98%

#261

Xeon w3-2435

MSRP: $669|Avg: $790

98%

#363

Xeon E3-1230 v6

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#367

Xeon E5-1410

MSRP: $120|Avg: $55

100%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar M1

#992

Atom x5-Z8300

MSRP: $20|Avg: N/A

2145%

#993

Atom Z3735G

MSRP: $17|Avg: N/A

2113%

#994

Core i5-480M

MSRP: $81|Avg: $77

1940%

#995

Core i5-460M

MSRP: $80|Avg: $129

1931%

#996

Core i5-2540M

MSRP: $266|Avg: $10

1914%

#998

Core i5-450M

MSRP: $32|Avg: $31

1848%

#999

Core i3-380M

MSRP: $49|Avg: $25

1772%

#1000

Core i5-430M

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $33

1769%

#1001

Core 2 Duo T6600

MSRP: N/A|Avg: $4

1721%

#1004

M1

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#1005

Pentium P6000

MSRP: $150|Avg: $90

100%

#1007

Core i7-3630QM

MSRP: $378|Avg: N/A

99%

#1008

Core i7-3610QM

MSRP: $378|Avg: N/A

99%

#1009

Core i3-1115GRE

MSRP: $338|Avg: $480

99%

#1010

Pentium A1020

MSRP: $86|Avg: $86

99%

#1011

Core i7-4702MQ

MSRP: $383|Avg: $50

99%

#1012

Pentium N4200

MSRP: $161|Avg: $30.89

98%

#1013

Pentium J2900

MSRP: $94|Avg: $20

98%

#1014

Celeron T1700

MSRP: $80|Avg: $5

97%

#1015

Celeron T3500

MSRP: $80|Avg: $10

96%

#1016

A12-9720P

MSRP: $200|Avg: $25

96%

#1017

Core i5-4300M

MSRP: $227|Avg: N/A

95%

#1018

Celeron 1005M

MSRP: $86|Avg: N/A

95%

#1019

Athlon 64 X2 TK-42

MSRP: $60|Avg: $10

94%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Comparison

About PassMark

🏆 Chipversus Verdict

🚀 Performance Leadership

Use Case Distinction: This is a comparison between a Professional Workstation processor ($0) and a Consumer Desktop CPU. The Xeon E3-1230 v6 is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Xeon E3-1230 v6	M1
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks	✅ Better multi-core power
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	✨ Modern (Kaby Lake (2016−2019) / 14 nm)	✨ Modern (Legacy / 5 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The M1 ($0), however, is optimized for mixed workloads and gaming. For most users, it offers superior single-thread performance and responsiveness at a fraction of the cost ($0 less, NaN% cheaper), making it the better choice for daily use and gaming.

Insight	Xeon E3-1230 v6	M1
Cost Efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency	❌ Lower cost efficiency
Upfront Cost	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing

Performance Check

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.

Xeon E3-1230 v6 Benchmark Check

M1 Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon E3-1230 v6 and M1

Xeon E3-1230 v6

The Xeon E3-1230 v6 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 28 March 2017 (8 years ago). It is based on the Kaby Lake (2016−2019) architecture. It features 4 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 3.5 GHz, with boost up to 3.9 GHz. L3 cache: 8 MB. L2 cache: 1 MB. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1151. Thermal design power (TDP): 72 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2400, DDR3L-1866. Passmark benchmark score: 8,113 points. Launch price was $250.

M1

The M1 is manufactured by Apple. It was released in 10 November 2020 (5 years ago). It features 8 cores and 8 threads. Base frequency is 2.064 GHz, with boost up to 3.2 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB. L2 cache: 16 MB. Built on 5 nm process technology. Passmark benchmark score: 8,207 points. Launch price was $149.

⚡

Processing Power

The Xeon E3-1230 v6 packs 4 cores / 8 threads, while the M1 offers 8 cores / 8 threads — the M1 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.9 GHz on the Xeon E3-1230 v6 versus 3.2 GHz on the M1 — a 19.7% clock advantage for the Xeon E3-1230 v6 (base: 3.5 GHz vs 2.064 GHz). The Xeon E3-1230 v6 is built on the Kaby Lake (2016−2019) architecture. In PassMark, the Xeon E3-1230 v6 scores 8,113 against the M1's 8,207 — a 1.2% lead for the M1. L3 cache: 8 MB on the Xeon E3-1230 v6 vs 16 MB on the M1.

Feature	Xeon E3-1230 v6	M1
Cores / Threads	4 / 8	8 / 8+100%
Boost Clock	3.9 GHz+22%	3.2 GHz
Base Clock	3.5 GHz+70%	2.064 GHz
L3 Cache	8 MB	16 MB+100%
L2 Cache	1 MB	16 MB+1500%
Process	14 nm	5 nm-64%
Architecture	Kaby Lake (2016−2019)	—
PassMark	8,113	8,207+1%