Ryzen AI Max PRO 380 vs Ryzen Z1 Extreme

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 PRO 380

2025

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Z1 Extreme across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (24,613 vs 24,668).
❌Launch MSRP is still $400 MSRP, while Ryzen Z1 Extreme mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌266.7% higher power demand at 55W vs 15W.

Ryzen Z1 Extreme

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +20.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 15W instead of 55W, a 40W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Ryzen AI Max PRO 380

2025

Ryzen Z1 Extreme

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +20.2% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 15W instead of 55W, a 40W reduction.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Z1 Extreme across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (24,613 vs 24,668).
❌Launch MSRP is still $400 MSRP, while Ryzen Z1 Extreme mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌266.7% higher power demand at 55W vs 15W.

Trade-offs

❌Fewer obvious downsides in this matchup outside of normal market pricing swings.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen Z1 Extreme better than Ryzen AI Max PRO 380?

Yes. Ryzen Z1 Extreme is the better overall CPU here. You are getting a 20.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data and 0.2% better PassMark, which makes it the stronger all-around choice.

Which one is better for gaming?

If gaming is the priority, Ryzen Z1 Extreme is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 20.2% more average FPS across 50 shared CPU game tests.

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

For streaming, content creation, and heavier multitasking, Ryzen Z1 Extreme is the better fit. You are getting 0.2% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Ryzen Z1 Extreme is the smarter buy by a wide margin for any fresh desktop build. Ryzen Z1 Extreme is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $400 MSRP, and it gives you a 20.2% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data. Ryzen AI Max PRO 380 only looks good on raw value math because it is a cheap legacy laptop CPU, not because it is a serious desktop gaming option. It simply cannot keep up with modern games, especially when the gap is already 20.2% in the shared gaming data.

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

Ryzen AI Max PRO 380 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2023). 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 PRO 380 Benchmark Check

Ryzen Z1 Extreme Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen AI Max PRO 380	Ryzen Z1 Extreme
1080p
low	272 FPS	256 FPS
medium	239 FPS	236 FPS
high	204 FPS	202 FPS
ultra	174 FPS	172 FPS
1440p
low	233 FPS	225 FPS
medium	184 FPS	188 FPS
high	153 FPS	155 FPS
ultra	134 FPS	135 FPS
4K
low	161 FPS	154 FPS
medium	129 FPS	129 FPS
high	99 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	86 FPS	87 FPS

Open Ryzen AI Max PRO 380 Open Ryzen Z1 Extreme

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen AI Max PRO 380	Ryzen Z1 Extreme
1080p
low	402 FPS	472 FPS
medium	327 FPS	396 FPS
high	282 FPS	345 FPS
ultra	244 FPS	308 FPS
1440p
low	341 FPS	413 FPS
medium	287 FPS	365 FPS
high	255 FPS	318 FPS
ultra	216 FPS	272 FPS
4K
low	257 FPS	274 FPS
medium	221 FPS	253 FPS
high	201 FPS	241 FPS
ultra	170 FPS	208 FPS

Open Ryzen AI Max PRO 380 Open Ryzen Z1 Extreme

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen AI Max PRO 380	Ryzen Z1 Extreme
1080p
low	615 FPS	617 FPS
medium	615 FPS	617 FPS
high	615 FPS	617 FPS
ultra	554 FPS	617 FPS
1440p
low	615 FPS	617 FPS
medium	588 FPS	617 FPS
high	507 FPS	533 FPS
ultra	429 FPS	452 FPS
4K
low	509 FPS	518 FPS
medium	416 FPS	448 FPS
high	356 FPS	398 FPS
ultra	289 FPS	336 FPS

Open Ryzen AI Max PRO 380 Open Ryzen Z1 Extreme

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen AI Max PRO 380	Ryzen Z1 Extreme
1080p
low	615 FPS	617 FPS
medium	615 FPS	617 FPS
high	615 FPS	617 FPS
ultra	615 FPS	617 FPS
1440p
low	615 FPS	617 FPS
medium	615 FPS	617 FPS
high	615 FPS	617 FPS
ultra	589 FPS	597 FPS
4K
low	602 FPS	595 FPS
medium	536 FPS	535 FPS
high	480 FPS	480 FPS
ultra	421 FPS	418 FPS

Open Ryzen AI Max PRO 380 Open Ryzen Z1 Extreme

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen AI Max PRO 380 and Ryzen Z1 Extreme

Ryzen AI Max PRO 380

The Ryzen AI Max PRO 380 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 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 4.9 GHz. L3 cache: 16 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: 24,613 points. Launch price was $299.

Ryzen Z1 Extreme

The Ryzen Z1 Extreme is manufactured by AMD. It was released in Maio 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Phoenix (Zen 4) (2023) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.3 GHz, with boost up to 5.1 GHz. L3 cache: 16 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 4 nm process technology. Socket: FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 24,668 points. Launch price was $299.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen AI Max PRO 380 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Ryzen Z1 Extreme offers 8 cores / 16 threads — the Ryzen Z1 Extreme has 2 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Ryzen AI Max PRO 380 versus 5.1 GHz on the Ryzen Z1 Extreme — a 4% clock advantage for the Ryzen Z1 Extreme (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.3 GHz). The Ryzen AI Max PRO 380 uses the Strix Halo (2025) architecture (4 nm), while the Ryzen Z1 Extreme uses Phoenix (Zen 4) (2023) (4 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen AI Max PRO 380 scores 24,613 against the Ryzen Z1 Extreme's 24,668 — a 0.2% lead for the Ryzen Z1 Extreme. Both processors carry 16 MB (total) of L3 cache.

Feature	Ryzen AI Max PRO 380	Ryzen Z1 Extreme
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	8 / 16+33%
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz	5.1 GHz+4%
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+9%	3.3 GHz
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)	16 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)	1 MB (per core)
Process	4 nm	4 nm
Architecture	Strix Halo (2025)	Phoenix (Zen 4) (2023)
PassMark	24,613	24,668

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Memory & Platform

The Ryzen AI Max PRO 380 uses the FP11 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Ryzen Z1 Extreme uses FP8 (PCIe 4.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.