Ryzen Z1 Extreme vs Xeon W-2170B

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 Z1 Extreme

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +21.0% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 15W instead of 140W, a 125W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP8 with DDR5 support instead of LGA2066 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 19 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon W-2170B, which brings 14 cores / 28 threads.

Xeon W-2170B

2017

Why buy it

✅+20.3% larger total L3 cache (19 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 14 cores / 28 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Z1 Extreme across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (24,448 vs 24,668).
❌833.3% higher power demand at 140W vs 15W.
❌Older platform position on LGA2066 with DDR4, while Ryzen Z1 Extreme moves to FP8 and DDR5.

Ryzen Z1 Extreme

2023

Xeon W-2170B

2017

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +21.0% higher average FPS across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 15W instead of 140W, a 125W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP8 with DDR5 support instead of LGA2066 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅+20.3% larger total L3 cache (19 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 14 cores / 28 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 19 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon W-2170B, which brings 14 cores / 28 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Z1 Extreme across 50 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Lower PassMark (24,448 vs 24,668).
❌833.3% higher power demand at 140W vs 15W.
❌Older platform position on LGA2066 with DDR4, while Ryzen Z1 Extreme moves to FP8 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen Z1 Extreme better than Xeon W-2170B?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon W-2170B makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Ryzen Z1 Extreme 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 Z1 Extreme is the better pick here. According to our tests, it delivers 21.0% 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 0.9% better PassMark, backed by 8 cores and 16 threads.

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

Ryzen Z1 Extreme still looks like the safer overall buy. Ryzen Z1 Extreme is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus unclear MSRP, and it gives you a 21.0% average FPS lead across 50 shared CPU game tests in our data.

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

Ryzen Z1 Extreme is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2017), a healthier platform with FP8 and DDR5 instead of LGA2066, and more multi-core headroom with 8 cores / 16 threads instead of 14/28. 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 Z1 Extreme Benchmark Check

Xeon W-2170B Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen Z1 Extreme	Xeon W-2170B
1080p
low	256 FPS	167 FPS
medium	236 FPS	147 FPS
high	202 FPS	119 FPS
ultra	172 FPS	97 FPS
1440p
low	225 FPS	139 FPS
medium	188 FPS	118 FPS
high	155 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	135 FPS	79 FPS
4K
low	154 FPS	73 FPS
medium	129 FPS	67 FPS
high	100 FPS	53 FPS
ultra	87 FPS	41 FPS

Open Ryzen Z1 Extreme Open Xeon W-2170B

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen Z1 Extreme	Xeon W-2170B
1080p
low	472 FPS	430 FPS
medium	396 FPS	380 FPS
high	345 FPS	329 FPS
ultra	308 FPS	298 FPS
1440p
low	413 FPS	378 FPS
medium	365 FPS	339 FPS
high	318 FPS	294 FPS
ultra	272 FPS	257 FPS
4K
low	274 FPS	245 FPS
medium	253 FPS	219 FPS
high	241 FPS	204 FPS
ultra	208 FPS	178 FPS

Open Ryzen Z1 Extreme Open Xeon W-2170B

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen Z1 Extreme	Xeon W-2170B
1080p
low	617 FPS	611 FPS
medium	617 FPS	611 FPS
high	617 FPS	611 FPS
ultra	617 FPS	611 FPS
1440p
low	617 FPS	611 FPS
medium	617 FPS	611 FPS
high	533 FPS	611 FPS
ultra	452 FPS	567 FPS
4K
low	518 FPS	511 FPS
medium	448 FPS	426 FPS
high	398 FPS	383 FPS
ultra	336 FPS	317 FPS

Open Ryzen Z1 Extreme Open Xeon W-2170B

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen Z1 Extreme	Xeon W-2170B
1080p
low	617 FPS	611 FPS
medium	617 FPS	611 FPS
high	617 FPS	611 FPS
ultra	617 FPS	611 FPS
1440p
low	617 FPS	611 FPS
medium	617 FPS	611 FPS
high	617 FPS	611 FPS
ultra	597 FPS	557 FPS
4K
low	595 FPS	611 FPS
medium	535 FPS	554 FPS
high	480 FPS	485 FPS
ultra	418 FPS	410 FPS

Open Ryzen Z1 Extreme Open Xeon W-2170B

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen Z1 Extreme and Xeon W-2170B

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.

Xeon W-2170B

The Xeon W-2170B is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It is based on the Skylake (server) (2017−2018) architecture. It features 14 cores and 28 threads. Base frequency is 2.5 GHz, with boost up to 4.3 GHz. L3 cache: 19.25 MB (total). L2 cache: 1 MB (per core). Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA2066. Thermal design power (TDP): 140 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2666. Passmark benchmark score: 24,448 points. Launch price was $800.

⚡

Processing Power

The Ryzen Z1 Extreme packs 8 cores / 16 threads, while the Xeon W-2170B offers 14 cores / 28 threads — the Xeon W-2170B has 6 more cores. Boost clocks reach 5.1 GHz on the Ryzen Z1 Extreme versus 4.3 GHz on the Xeon W-2170B — a 17% clock advantage for the Ryzen Z1 Extreme (base: 3.3 GHz vs 2.5 GHz). The Ryzen Z1 Extreme uses the Phoenix (Zen 4) (2023) architecture (4 nm), while the Xeon W-2170B uses Skylake (server) (2017−2018) (14 nm). In PassMark, the Ryzen Z1 Extreme scores 24,668 against the Xeon W-2170B's 24,448 — a 0.9% lead for the Ryzen Z1 Extreme. L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen Z1 Extreme vs 19.25 MB (total) on the Xeon W-2170B.

Feature	Ryzen Z1 Extreme	Xeon W-2170B
Cores / Threads	8 / 16	14 / 28+75%
Boost Clock	5.1 GHz+19%	4.3 GHz
Base Clock	3.3 GHz+32%	2.5 GHz
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)	19.25 MB (total)+20%
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)	1 MB (per core)
Process	4 nm-71%	14 nm
Architecture	Phoenix (Zen 4) (2023)	Skylake (server) (2017−2018)
PassMark	24,668	24,448

🧠

Memory & Platform

The Ryzen Z1 Extreme uses the FP8 socket (PCIe 4.0), while the Xeon W-2170B uses LGA2066 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.