Xeon W-1290P vs M1 Max

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.

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 W-1290P

#54

EPYC 4465P

MSRP: $399|Avg: $399

135%

#55

Ryzen 5 PRO 7645

MSRP: $229|Avg: $192

129%

#56

Xeon E5-4667 v3

MSRP: $128|Avg: $128

129%

#59

Ryzen 9 PRO 7945

MSRP: $409|Avg: $450

123%

#60

Xeon Platinum 8571N

MSRP: $599|Avg: $418

122%

#61

Xeon Platinum 8270

MSRP: $7405|Avg: N/A

122%

#62

EPYC 4464P

MSRP: $429|Avg: $450

118%

#63

EPYC 4345P

MSRP: $329|Avg: $329

117%

#64

EPYC 4344P

MSRP: $329|Avg: $314

115%

#65

EPYC 4364P

MSRP: $399|Avg: $334

110%

#66

EPYC 4585PX

MSRP: $699|Avg: $826

108%

#67

EPYC 4545P

MSRP: $549|Avg: $595

106%

#69

Xeon W-1290P

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

#71

Ryzen 7 PRO 7745

MSRP: $400|Avg: $343

93%

#73

EPYC 4484PX

MSRP: $599|Avg: $599

91%

Based on actual market prices and performance synthetic scores.

Performance Per Dollar M1 Max

#184

Core Ultra 7 266V

MSRP: $520|Avg: $520

134%

#185

Ryzen 7 5825C

MSRP: $400|Avg: $400

132%

#187

Core Ultra 9 288V

MSRP: $600|Avg: $600

122%

#188

Core i7-10870H

MSRP: $417|Avg: N/A

122%

#199

M1 Max

MSRP: N/A|Avg: N/A

100%

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 W-1290P is engineered for massive parallel workloads (rendering, scientific simulations), offering significantly higher core counts.

Insight	Xeon W-1290P	M1 Max
Gaming	✅ Superior gaming performance	❌ Lower gaming performance
Workstation	✅ Better multi-core power	❌ Weaker in multi-core tasks
Price	Equivalent pricing	Equivalent pricing
Longevity	✨ Modern (Comet Lake (2020−2025) / 14 nm)	✨ Modern (Legacy / 5 nm)

💎 Value Proposition

The M1 Max ($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 W-1290P	M1 Max
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 W-1290P Benchmark Check

M1 Max Benchmark Check

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Xeon W-1290P and M1 Max

Xeon W-1290P

The Xeon W-1290P is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture. It features 10 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 3.7 GHz, with boost up to 5.2 GHz. L3 cache: 20 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 125 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 22,373 points. Launch price was $800.

M1 Max

The M1 Max is manufactured by Apple. It was released in 18 October 2021 (4 years ago). It features 10 cores and 10 threads. Base frequency is 2.06 GHz, with boost up to 3.22 GHz. L3 cache: 48 MB. L2 cache: 28 MB. Built on 5 nm process technology. Socket: none. Thermal design power (TDP): 28 MB + 48 MB. Memory support: LPDDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 22,146 points. Launch price was $299.

⚡

Processing Power

The Xeon W-1290P packs 10 cores / 20 threads, matching the M1 Max's 10 cores. Boost clocks reach 5.2 GHz on the Xeon W-1290P versus 3.22 GHz on the M1 Max — a 47% clock advantage for the Xeon W-1290P (base: 3.7 GHz vs 2.06 GHz). The Xeon W-1290P is built on the Comet Lake (2020−2025) architecture. In PassMark, the Xeon W-1290P scores 22,373 against the M1 Max's 22,146 — a 1% lead for the Xeon W-1290P. L3 cache: 20 MB (total) on the Xeon W-1290P vs 48 MB on the M1 Max.

Feature	Xeon W-1290P	M1 Max
Cores / Threads	10 / 20	10 / 10
Boost Clock	5.2 GHz+61%	3.22 GHz
Base Clock	3.7 GHz+80%	2.06 GHz
L3 Cache	20 MB (total)	48 MB+140%
L2 Cache	256K (per core)	28 MB+11100%
Process	14 nm	5 nm-64%
Architecture	Comet Lake (2020−2025)	—
PassMark	22,373+1%	22,146

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Xeon W-1290P uses the LGA1200 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the M1 Max uses none (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	Xeon W-1290P	M1 Max
Socket	LGA1200	none
PCIe Generation	PCIe 3.0	PCIe 4.0+33%
Max RAM Speed	—	LPDDR5-6400
Max RAM Capacity	—	64 GB
RAM Channels	—	8
ECC Support	—	❌
PCIe Lanes	—	0

🔧

Advanced Features

Virtualization: not specified (Xeon W-1290P) / ARM-V (M1 Max). The M1 Max includes integrated graphics (M1 Max GPU), while the Xeon W-1290P requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: M1 Max targets Mobile Workstation.