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.

Ryzen AI Max 390

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +13.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 48 MB).
✅Draws 55W instead of 185W, a 130W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP11 with DDR5 support instead of LGA4189 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with AMD Radeon 8050S, while Xeon Gold 6338N needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (41,834 vs 42,086).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Gold 6338N, which brings 32 cores / 64 threads and 64 PCIe lanes.

Xeon Gold 6338N

2021

Why buy it

✅+0.6% higher PassMark.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 32 cores / 64 threads, plus 64 PCIe lanes vs 28.
✅128.6% more PCIe lanes (64 vs 28) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen AI Max 390 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (48 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $3,200 MSRP, while Ryzen AI Max 390 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌236.4% higher power demand at 185W vs 55W.
❌Older platform position on LGA4189 with DDR4, while Ryzen AI Max 390 moves to FP11 and DDR5.

Ryzen AI Max 390

2025

Xeon Gold 6338N

2021

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +13.1% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 48 MB).
✅Draws 55W instead of 185W, a 130W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP11 with DDR5 support instead of LGA4189 and DDR4.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with AMD Radeon 8050S, while Xeon Gold 6338N needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

✅+0.6% higher PassMark.
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 32 cores / 64 threads, plus 64 PCIe lanes vs 28.
✅128.6% more PCIe lanes (64 vs 28) for storage and expansion-heavy builds.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (41,834 vs 42,086).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon Gold 6338N, which brings 32 cores / 64 threads and 64 PCIe lanes.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen AI Max 390 across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Smaller total L3 cache (48 MB vs 64 MB).
❌Launch MSRP is still $3,200 MSRP, while Ryzen AI Max 390 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌236.4% higher power demand at 185W vs 55W.
❌Older platform position on LGA4189 with DDR4, while Ryzen AI Max 390 moves to FP11 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen AI Max 390 better than Xeon Gold 6338N?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon Gold 6338N makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Ryzen AI Max 390 is the better mainstream desktop choice for gaming, platform cost, and day-to-day practicality.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Xeon Gold 6338N is the better fit. You are getting 0.6% better PassMark, backed by 32 cores and 64 threads.

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

Ryzen AI Max 390 is still the faster CPU overall, but Xeon Gold 6338N makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen AI Max 390 is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $3,200 MSRP, and it gives you a 13.1% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Xeon Gold 6338N is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 0.6% better PassMark. Xeon Gold 6338N is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (13.2 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), which is why it is easier to justify for price-conscious builds on paper.

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

Ryzen AI Max 390 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2021), a healthier platform with FP11 and DDR5 instead of LGA4189, and 33.3% larger total L3 cache (64 MB vs 48 MB). 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.

Ryzen AI Max 390 Benchmark Check

Xeon Gold 6338N Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen AI Max 390	Xeon Gold 6338N
1080p
low	265 FPS	185 FPS
medium	241 FPS	149 FPS
high	205 FPS	120 FPS
ultra	178 FPS	94 FPS
1440p
low	252 FPS	154 FPS
medium	206 FPS	120 FPS
high	162 FPS	93 FPS
ultra	146 FPS	74 FPS
4K
low	175 FPS	72 FPS
medium	143 FPS	60 FPS
high	107 FPS	46 FPS
ultra	96 FPS	38 FPS

Open Ryzen AI Max 390 Open Xeon Gold 6338N

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen AI Max 390	Xeon Gold 6338N
1080p
low	671 FPS	232 FPS
medium	578 FPS	208 FPS
high	435 FPS	172 FPS
ultra	376 FPS	139 FPS
1440p
low	564 FPS	199 FPS
medium	503 FPS	180 FPS
high	392 FPS	154 FPS
ultra	312 FPS	119 FPS
4K
low	318 FPS	124 FPS
medium	288 FPS	114 FPS
high	255 FPS	101 FPS
ultra	219 FPS	81 FPS

Open Ryzen AI Max 390 Open Xeon Gold 6338N

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen AI Max 390	Xeon Gold 6338N
1080p
low	769 FPS	945 FPS
medium	602 FPS	826 FPS
high	526 FPS	781 FPS
ultra	442 FPS	692 FPS
1440p
low	668 FPS	747 FPS
medium	527 FPS	644 FPS
high	457 FPS	609 FPS
ultra	387 FPS	540 FPS
4K
low	478 FPS	479 FPS
medium	395 FPS	379 FPS
high	351 FPS	337 FPS
ultra	292 FPS	275 FPS

Open Ryzen AI Max 390 Open Xeon Gold 6338N

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen AI Max 390	Xeon Gold 6338N
1080p
low	1046 FPS	893 FPS
medium	953 FPS	811 FPS
high	833 FPS	697 FPS
ultra	751 FPS	599 FPS
1440p
low	838 FPS	701 FPS
medium	746 FPS	615 FPS
high	652 FPS	526 FPS
ultra	566 FPS	450 FPS
4K
low	616 FPS	505 FPS
medium	552 FPS	452 FPS
high	487 FPS	396 FPS
ultra	422 FPS	344 FPS

Open Ryzen AI Max 390 Open Xeon Gold 6338N

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen AI Max 390 and Xeon Gold 6338N

Ryzen AI Max 390

The Ryzen AI Max 390 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in 6 January 2025 (less than a year ago). It is based on the Strix Halo (2025) architecture. It features 12 cores and 24 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 64 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP11. Thermal design power (TDP): 55 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 41,834 points. Launch price was $499.

Xeon Gold 6338N

The Xeon Gold 6338N is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Ice Lake-SP (2021) architecture. It features 32 cores and 64 threads. Base frequency is 2.2 GHz, with boost up to 3.5 GHz. L3 cache: 48 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 10 nm process technology. Socket: LGA4189. Thermal design power (TDP): 185 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2667. Passmark benchmark score: 42,086 points. Launch price was $800.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen AI Max 390 packs 12 cores / 24 threads, while the Xeon Gold 6338N offers 32 cores / 64 threads — the Xeon Gold 6338N has 20 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Ryzen AI Max 390 versus 3.5 GHz on the Xeon Gold 6338N — a 35.3% clock advantage for the Ryzen AI Max 390 (base: 3.2 GHz vs 2.2 GHz). The Ryzen AI Max 390 uses the Strix Halo (2025) architecture (4 nm), while the Xeon Gold 6338N uses Ice Lake-SP (2021) (10 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen AI Max 390 scores 41,834 against the Xeon Gold 6338N's 42,086 — a 0.6% lead for the Xeon Gold 6338N. L3 cache: 64 MB (total) on the Ryzen AI Max 390 vs 48 MB (total) on the Xeon Gold 6338N.

Feature	Ryzen AI Max 390	Xeon Gold 6338N
Cores / Threads	12 / 24	32 / 64+167%
Boost Clock	5 GHz+43%	3.5 GHz
Base Clock	3.2 GHz+45%	2.2 GHz
L3 Cache	64 MB (total)+33%	48 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)	1 MB (per core)
Process	4 nm-60%	10 nm
Architecture	Strix Halo (2025)	Ice Lake-SP (2021)
PassMark	41,834	42,086

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen AI Max 390 uses the FP11 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon Gold 6338N uses LGA4189 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Maximum memory speed reaches 8000 on the Ryzen AI Max 390 versus 2667 on the Xeon Gold 6338N — the Ryzen AI Max 390 supports 100% faster memory, which can translate to measurable gains in memory-sensitive workloads. The Xeon Gold 6338N supports up to 6144 of RAM compared to 128 — 191.8% more capacity for professional workloads. Memory channels: 4 (Ryzen AI Max 390) vs 8 (Xeon Gold 6338N). PCIe lanes: 28 (Ryzen AI Max 390) vs 64 (Xeon Gold 6338N) — the Xeon Gold 6338N offers 36 more lanes for additional GPUs or NVMe drives. Chipset compatibility: Strix Halo (Ryzen AI Max 390) and LGA4189 (Xeon Gold 6338N).

Feature	Ryzen AI Max 390	Xeon Gold 6338N
Socket	FP11	LGA4189
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 4.0
Max RAM Speed	8000+200%	2667
Max RAM Capacity	128	6144+4700%
RAM Channels	4	8+100%
ECC Support	Yes	Yes
PCIe Lanes	28	64+129%

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen AI Max 390 has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Both support AVX-512 instructions, benefiting scientific computing, AI inference, and encryption workloads. Virtualization support: VT-x, VT-d, AMD-V (Ryzen AI Max 390) vs VT-x, VT-d (Xeon Gold 6338N). The Ryzen AI Max 390 includes integrated graphics (AMD Radeon 8050S), while the Xeon Gold 6338N requires a dedicated GPU. Direct competitor: Ryzen AI Max 390 rivals Apple M4 Max; Xeon Gold 6338N rivals EPYC 7513.

Feature	Ryzen AI Max 390	Xeon Gold 6338N
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	AMD Radeon 8050S	None
Unlocked	Yes	No
AVX-512	Yes	Yes
Virtualization	VT-x, VT-d, AMD-V	VT-x, VT-d

💰

Value Analysis

The Ryzen AI Max 390 launched at $0 MSRP, while the Xeon Gold 6338N debuted at $3200. On MSRP ($0 vs $3200), the Ryzen AI Max 390 is $3200 cheaper.