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 385

2025

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +18.1% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 24 MB).
✅Draws 55W instead of 95W, a 40W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon 8050S, while Xeon E-2488 needs a discrete GPU.

Trade-offs

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

Xeon E-2488

2023

Why buy it

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (15,000 vs 16,500).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (24 MB vs 32 MB).
❌72.7% higher power demand at 95W vs 55W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Ryzen AI Max PRO 385

2025

Xeon E-2488

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +18.1% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅+33.3% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 24 MB).
✅Draws 55W instead of 95W, a 40W reduction.
✅Integrated graphics onboard with Radeon 8050S, while Xeon E-2488 needs a discrete GPU.

Why buy it

Trade-offs

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

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower Cinebench R23 multi-core (15,000 vs 16,500).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (24 MB vs 32 MB).
❌72.7% higher power demand at 95W vs 55W.
❌No integrated graphics, while Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 can still boot and troubleshoot without a discrete GPU.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 better than Xeon E-2488?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon E-2488 makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 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, Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 18.1% 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, Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 is the better fit. You are getting 10% better Cinebench R23 multi-core, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 33.3% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 24 MB).

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

Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 still looks like the safer overall buy. Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 18.1% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data.

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

Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2025 vs 2023), 33.3% larger total L3 cache (32 MB vs 24 MB), more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 8/16, and AVX-512 support for heavier modern compute workloads. 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 385 Benchmark Check

Xeon E-2488 Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen AI Max PRO 385	Xeon E-2488
1080p
low	277 FPS	258 FPS
medium	243 FPS	248 FPS
high	209 FPS	206 FPS
ultra	179 FPS	176 FPS
1440p
low	233 FPS	223 FPS
medium	185 FPS	191 FPS
high	153 FPS	152 FPS
ultra	134 FPS	133 FPS
4K
low	162 FPS	154 FPS
medium	129 FPS	131 FPS
high	100 FPS	100 FPS
ultra	86 FPS	88 FPS

Open Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 Open Xeon E-2488

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen AI Max PRO 385	Xeon E-2488
1080p
low	684 FPS	652 FPS
medium	565 FPS	557 FPS
high	460 FPS	468 FPS
ultra	417 FPS	426 FPS
1440p
low	591 FPS	564 FPS
medium	514 FPS	504 FPS
high	422 FPS	427 FPS
ultra	360 FPS	367 FPS
4K
low	352 FPS	329 FPS
medium	311 FPS	301 FPS
high	286 FPS	285 FPS
ultra	251 FPS	251 FPS

Open Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 Open Xeon E-2488

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen AI Max PRO 385	Xeon E-2488
1080p
low	788 FPS	647 FPS
medium	788 FPS	529 FPS
high	706 FPS	466 FPS
ultra	594 FPS	404 FPS
1440p
low	788 FPS	589 FPS
medium	644 FPS	490 FPS
high	559 FPS	426 FPS
ultra	472 FPS	371 FPS
4K
low	562 FPS	427 FPS
medium	459 FPS	376 FPS
high	408 FPS	341 FPS
ultra	338 FPS	288 FPS

Open Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 Open Xeon E-2488

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen AI Max PRO 385	Xeon E-2488
1080p
low	788 FPS	797 FPS
medium	788 FPS	797 FPS
high	788 FPS	737 FPS
ultra	781 FPS	663 FPS
1440p
low	788 FPS	794 FPS
medium	768 FPS	712 FPS
high	673 FPS	618 FPS
ultra	590 FPS	545 FPS
4K
low	609 FPS	544 FPS
medium	541 FPS	496 FPS
high	486 FPS	445 FPS
ultra	426 FPS	389 FPS

Open Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 Open Xeon E-2488

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 and Xeon E-2488

Ryzen AI Max PRO 385

The Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 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 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.6 GHz, with boost up to 5 GHz. L3 cache: 32 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: 31,508 points. Launch price was $499.

Xeon E-2488

The Xeon E-2488 is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 14 December 2023 (1 year ago). It is based on the Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024) architecture. It features 8 cores and 16 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 GHz, with boost up to 5.6 GHz. L3 cache: 24 MB (total). L2 cache: 2 MB (per core). Built on Intel 7 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1700. Thermal design power (TDP): 95 Watt. Memory support: DDR5-4800. Passmark benchmark score: 31,888 points. Launch price was $606.

⚡

Processing Power

Both the Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 and Xeon E-2488 share an identical 8-core/16-thread configuration. Boost clocks reach 5 GHz on the Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 versus 5.6 GHz on the Xeon E-2488 — a 11.3% clock advantage for the Xeon E-2488 (base: 3.6 GHz vs 3.2 GHz). The Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 uses the Strix Halo (2025) architecture (4 nm), while the Xeon E-2488 uses Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024) (Intel 7 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 scores 31,508 against the Xeon E-2488's 31,888 — a 1.2% lead for the Xeon E-2488. Cinebench R23 multi-core: 16,500 vs 15,000 (9.5% advantage for the Ryzen AI Max PRO 385). Geekbench 6 single-core — the metric most relevant to gaming — records 2,886 vs 2,100, a 31.5% lead for the Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 that directly translates to higher frame rates. Multi-core Geekbench: 14,136 vs 12,000 (16.3% advantage for the Ryzen AI Max PRO 385). L3 cache: 32 MB (total) on the Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 vs 24 MB (total) on the Xeon E-2488.

Feature	Ryzen AI Max PRO 385	Xeon E-2488
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	8 / 16
Boost Clock	5 GHz	5.6 GHz+12%
Base Clock	3.6 GHz+12%	3.2 GHz
L3 Cache	32 MB (total)+33%	24 MB (total)
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)	2 MB (per core)+100%
Process	4 nm-43%	Intel 7 nm
Architecture	Strix Halo (2025)	Raptor Lake-S (2023−2024)
PassMark	31,508	31,888+1%
Cinebench R23 Multi	16,500+10%	15,000
Geekbench 6 Single	2,886+37%	2,100
Geekbench 6 Multi	14,136+18%	12,000

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 uses the FP11 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon E-2488 uses LGA1700 (PCIe 5.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard. Both support up to LPDDR5x-8000 memory speed. Both support up to 128 GB of RAM. Memory channels: 8 (Ryzen AI Max PRO 385) vs 2 (Xeon E-2488). Both provide 20 PCIe lanes. Chipset compatibility: Strix Halo platform (Ryzen AI Max PRO 385) and W680 (Xeon E-2488).

Feature	Ryzen AI Max PRO 385	Xeon E-2488
Socket	FP11	LGA1700
PCIe Generation	PCIe 4.0	PCIe 5.0+25%
Max RAM Speed	LPDDR5x-8000	DDR5-4800
Max RAM Capacity	128 GB	128 GB
RAM Channels	8+300%	2
ECC Support	No	Yes
PCIe Lanes	20	20

🔧

Advanced Features

Only the Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 has an unlocked multiplier for overclocking — a significant advantage for enthusiasts seeking extra performance. Only the Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 supports AVX-512 instructions — important for machine learning and scientific applications. Virtualization support: AMD-V (Ryzen AI Max PRO 385) vs VT-x, VT-d, EPT (Xeon E-2488). The Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 includes integrated graphics (Radeon 8050S), while the Xeon E-2488 requires a dedicated GPU. Primary use case: Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 targets Enterprise AI Mobile, Xeon E-2488 targets Entry-level Server / Workstation. Direct competitor: Ryzen AI Max PRO 385 rivals M3 Max; Xeon E-2488 rivals Xeon E-2388G.

Feature	Ryzen AI Max PRO 385	Xeon E-2488
Integrated GPU	Yes	No
IGPU Model	Radeon 8050S	—
Unlocked	Yes	No
AVX-512	Yes	No
Virtualization	AMD-V	VT-x, VT-d, EPT
Target Use	Enterprise AI Mobile	Entry-level Server / Workstation