M2 vs Xeon E5-2658A V3

CPU

GPU

M2

8 Cores8 Thrd20 WWMax: 3.48 GHz2022

Popular choices:

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Xeon E5-2658A V3

12 Cores24 Thrd105 WWMax: 2.9 GHz2015

Popular choices:

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Performance Spectrum - CPU

8 / 8

14,933

+0.4%

Xeon E5-2658A V3

12 / 24

14,879

0.0%

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.

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.

M2

2022

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 20W instead of 105W, a 85W reduction.
✅Newer platform on none with DDR5 support instead of LGA2011-3 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2658A V3, which brings 12 cores / 24 threads and 40 PCIe lanes.
❌No AVX-512 support for niche heavy compute workloads where it can matter.

Xeon E5-2658A V3

2015

Why buy it

✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 12 cores / 24 threads, plus 40 PCIe lanes vs 0.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅AVX-512 support for select workstation, AI, and scientific workloads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than M2 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,879 vs 14,933).
❌Launch MSRP is still $1,832 MSRP, while M2 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌425% higher power demand at 105W vs 20W.
❌Older platform position on LGA2011-3 with DDR4, while M2 moves to none and DDR5.

M2

2022

Xeon E5-2658A V3

2015

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +4.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 20W instead of 105W, a 85W reduction.
✅Newer platform on none with DDR5 support instead of LGA2011-3 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 12 cores / 24 threads, plus 40 PCIe lanes vs 0.
✅100+% more PCIe lanes (40 vs 0) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.
✅AVX-512 support for select workstation, AI, and scientific workloads.

Trade-offs

❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon E5-2658A V3, which brings 12 cores / 24 threads and 40 PCIe lanes.
❌No AVX-512 support for niche heavy compute workloads where it can matter.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than M2 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (14,879 vs 14,933).
❌Launch MSRP is still $1,832 MSRP, while M2 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌425% higher power demand at 105W vs 20W.
❌Older platform position on LGA2011-3 with DDR4, while M2 moves to none and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is M2 better than Xeon E5-2658A V3?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon E5-2658A V3 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while M2 is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, M2 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 4.9% more average FPS across 4 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, M2 is the better fit. You are getting 0.4% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 8 threads.

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

M2 is still the faster CPU overall, but Xeon E5-2658A V3 makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. M2 is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $1,832 MSRP, and it gives you a 4.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. Xeon E5-2658A V3 is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (8.1 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

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

M2 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2022 vs 2015), a healthier platform with none and DDR5 instead of LGA2011-3, and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 8 threads instead of 12/24. That should give you a better long-term upgrade path for motherboard, RAM, and future CPU swaps.

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.

M2 Benchmark Check

Xeon E5-2658A V3 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	M2	Xeon E5-2658A V3
1080p
low	175 FPS	160 FPS
medium	140 FPS	138 FPS
high	113 FPS	112 FPS
ultra	90 FPS	92 FPS
1440p
low	141 FPS	134 FPS
medium	111 FPS	113 FPS
high	88 FPS	89 FPS
ultra	69 FPS	72 FPS
4K
low	66 FPS	62 FPS
medium	55 FPS	56 FPS
high	44 FPS	44 FPS
ultra	35 FPS	35 FPS

Open M2 Open Xeon E5-2658A V3

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	M2	Xeon E5-2658A V3
1080p
low	288 FPS	193 FPS
medium	246 FPS	175 FPS
high	213 FPS	151 FPS
ultra	166 FPS	125 FPS
1440p
low	248 FPS	167 FPS
medium	220 FPS	153 FPS
high	193 FPS	134 FPS
ultra	150 FPS	109 FPS
4K
low	174 FPS	109 FPS
medium	159 FPS	101 FPS
high	136 FPS	89 FPS
ultra	106 FPS	71 FPS

Open M2 Open Xeon E5-2658A V3

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	M2	Xeon E5-2658A V3
1080p
low	373 FPS	372 FPS
medium	373 FPS	372 FPS
high	373 FPS	372 FPS
ultra	373 FPS	366 FPS
1440p
low	373 FPS	372 FPS
medium	373 FPS	372 FPS
high	373 FPS	372 FPS
ultra	363 FPS	330 FPS
4K
low	373 FPS	372 FPS
medium	314 FPS	316 FPS
high	277 FPS	281 FPS
ultra	221 FPS	232 FPS

Open M2 Open Xeon E5-2658A V3

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	M2	Xeon E5-2658A V3
1080p
low	373 FPS	372 FPS
medium	373 FPS	372 FPS
high	373 FPS	372 FPS
ultra	373 FPS	372 FPS
1440p
low	373 FPS	372 FPS
medium	373 FPS	372 FPS
high	373 FPS	372 FPS
ultra	373 FPS	372 FPS
4K
low	373 FPS	372 FPS
medium	373 FPS	372 FPS
high	373 FPS	372 FPS
ultra	328 FPS	324 FPS

Open M2 Open Xeon E5-2658A V3

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of M2 and Xeon E5-2658A 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 E5-2658A V3

The Xeon E5-2658A V3 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 2.9 GHz. L3 cache: 30 MB (total). L2 cache: 256K (per core). Built on 22 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2011-3. Thermal design power (TDP): 105 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2133. Passmark benchmark score: 14,879 points. Launch price was $800.

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Processing Power

The M2 packs 8 cores / 8 threads, while the Xeon E5-2658A V3 offers 12 cores / 24 threads — the Xeon E5-2658A V3 has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 3.48 GHz on the M2 versus 2.9 GHz on the Xeon E5-2658A V3 — a 18.2% clock advantage for the M2 (base: 2.424 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Xeon E5-2658A V3 is built on the Haswell-EP (2014−2015) architecture. In PassMark, the M2 scores 14,933 against the Xeon E5-2658A V3's 14,879 — a 0.4% lead for the M2.

Feature	M2	Xeon E5-2658A V3
Cores / Threads	8 / 8	12 / 24+50%
Boost Clock	3.48 GHz+20%	2.9 GHz
Base Clock	2.424 GHz+10%	2.2 GHz
L3 Cache	—	30 MB (total)
L2 Cache	20 MB+7900%	256K (per core)
Process	5 nm-77%	22 nm
Architecture	—	Haswell-EP (2014−2015)
PassMark	14,933	14,879

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Memory & Platform

The M2 uses the none socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon E5-2658A V3 uses LGA2011-3 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.

Feature	M2	Xeon E5-2658A V3
Socket	none	LGA2011-3
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 5.0+25%
Max RAM Speed	—	DDR4-2133
Max RAM Capacity	—	768 GB
RAM Channels	—	4
ECC Support	—	Yes
PCIe Lanes	—	40