Ryzen Z1 vs Xeon W-1290T

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

2023

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +10.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 15W instead of 35W, a 20W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP8 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (18,406 vs 18,409).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 20 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon W-1290T, which brings 10 cores / 20 threads.

Xeon W-1290T

2020

Why buy it

✅+0% higher PassMark.
✅+25% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 10 cores / 20 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Z1 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $546 MSRP, while Ryzen Z1 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌133.3% higher power demand at 35W vs 15W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Ryzen Z1 moves to FP8 and DDR5.

Ryzen Z1

2023

Xeon W-1290T

2020

Why buy it

✅Better for gaming: +10.9% higher average FPS across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
✅Draws 15W instead of 35W, a 20W reduction.
✅Newer platform on FP8 with DDR5 support instead of LGA1200 and DDR4.

Why buy it

✅+0% higher PassMark.
✅+25% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 16 MB).
✅Better for workstations and heavier parallel workloads: 10 cores / 20 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Lower PassMark (18,406 vs 18,409).
❌Smaller total L3 cache (16 MB vs 20 MB).
❌Less compelling for workstation-style loads than Xeon W-1290T, which brings 10 cores / 20 threads.

Trade-offs

❌Worse for gaming: lower average FPS than Ryzen Z1 across 4 shared CPU benchmark tests.
❌Launch MSRP is still $546 MSRP, while Ryzen Z1 mostly shows up through inconsistent older-market listings.
❌133.3% higher power demand at 35W vs 15W.
❌Older platform position on LGA1200 with DDR4, while Ryzen Z1 moves to FP8 and DDR5.

Quick Answers

So, is Ryzen Z1 better than Xeon W-1290T?

Not in a simple one-size-fits-all way. Xeon W-1290T makes more sense for workstation-style multi-core throughput, while Ryzen Z1 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 W-1290T is the better fit. You are getting 0% better PassMark, backed by 10 cores and 20 threads. It also carries the larger cache pool with 25% larger total L3 cache (20 MB vs 16 MB).

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

Ryzen Z1 is still the faster CPU overall, but Xeon W-1290T makes more sense if price matters more than absolute performance. Ryzen Z1 is at an unclear MSRP at unclear MSRP versus $546 MSRP, and it gives you a 10.9% average FPS lead across 4 shared CPU game tests in our data. The trade-off is that Xeon W-1290T is still stronger for heavier multi-core work with 0% better PassMark. Xeon W-1290T is also 100.0% better value on MSRP (33.7 vs 0.0 PassMark/$), 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 Z1 is the more future-proof choice for 2026 and beyond. You are getting a newer CPU generation (2023 vs 2020) and a healthier platform with FP8 and DDR5 instead of LGA1200. 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 Benchmark Check

Xeon W-1290T Benchmark Check

Path of Exile 2

Preset	Ryzen Z1	Xeon W-1290T
1080p
low	262 FPS	183 FPS
medium	234 FPS	149 FPS
high	195 FPS	122 FPS
ultra	167 FPS	100 FPS
1440p
low	231 FPS	149 FPS
medium	187 FPS	118 FPS
high	152 FPS	96 FPS
ultra	134 FPS	80 FPS
4K
low	162 FPS	83 FPS
medium	133 FPS	72 FPS
high	102 FPS	58 FPS
ultra	89 FPS	45 FPS

Open Ryzen Z1 Open Xeon W-1290T

Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2

Counter-Strike 2

Preset	Ryzen Z1	Xeon W-1290T
1080p
low	429 FPS	287 FPS
medium	339 FPS	242 FPS
high	291 FPS	207 FPS
ultra	250 FPS	186 FPS
1440p
low	356 FPS	247 FPS
medium	295 FPS	215 FPS
high	261 FPS	185 FPS
ultra	219 FPS	159 FPS
4K
low	268 FPS	153 FPS
medium	227 FPS	133 FPS
high	206 FPS	126 FPS
ultra	171 FPS	110 FPS

Open Ryzen Z1 Open Xeon W-1290T

Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike 2

League of Legends

Preset	Ryzen Z1	Xeon W-1290T
1080p
low	460 FPS	460 FPS
medium	460 FPS	460 FPS
high	460 FPS	460 FPS
ultra	460 FPS	460 FPS
1440p
low	460 FPS	460 FPS
medium	460 FPS	460 FPS
high	460 FPS	460 FPS
ultra	441 FPS	454 FPS
4K
low	460 FPS	460 FPS
medium	437 FPS	456 FPS
high	372 FPS	406 FPS
ultra	306 FPS	339 FPS

Open Ryzen Z1 Open Xeon W-1290T

League of Legends

League of Legends

Valorant

Preset	Ryzen Z1	Xeon W-1290T
1080p
low	460 FPS	460 FPS
medium	460 FPS	460 FPS
high	460 FPS	460 FPS
ultra	460 FPS	460 FPS
1440p
low	460 FPS	460 FPS
medium	460 FPS	460 FPS
high	460 FPS	460 FPS
ultra	460 FPS	460 FPS
4K
low	460 FPS	460 FPS
medium	460 FPS	460 FPS
high	434 FPS	460 FPS
ultra	370 FPS	422 FPS

Open Ryzen Z1 Open Xeon W-1290T

Valorant

Valorant

Check FPS for your specific build

Technical Specifications

Side-by-side comparison of Ryzen Z1 and Xeon W-1290T

Ryzen Z1

The Ryzen Z1 is manufactured by AMD. It was released in Maio 2023 (2 years ago). It is based on the Phoenix (Zen4) (2023) architecture. It features 6 cores and 12 threads. Base frequency is 3.2 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: FP8. Thermal design power (TDP): 15 Watt. Memory support: DDR5. Passmark benchmark score: 18,406 points. Launch price was $299.

Xeon W-1290T

The Xeon W-1290T is manufactured by Intel. It was released in 2015-01-01. It features 10 cores and 20 threads. Base frequency is 1.9 GHz, with boost up to 4.7 GHz. L3 cache: 20 MB Intel® Smart Cache. Built on 14 nm process technology. Socket: LGA1200. Thermal design power (TDP): 35 Watt. Memory support: DDR4-2933. Passmark benchmark score: 18,409 points. Launch price was $800.

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Processing Power

The Ryzen Z1 packs 6 cores / 12 threads, while the Xeon W-1290T offers 10 cores / 20 threads — the Xeon W-1290T has 4 more cores. Boost clocks reach 4.9 GHz on the Ryzen Z1 versus 4.7 GHz on the Xeon W-1290T — a 4.2% clock advantage for the Ryzen Z1 (base: 3.2 GHz vs 1.9 GHz). The Ryzen Z1 is built on the Phoenix (Zen4) (2023) architecture. In PassMark, the Ryzen Z1 scores 18,406 against the Xeon W-1290T's 18,409 — a 0% lead for the Xeon W-1290T. L3 cache: 16 MB (total) on the Ryzen Z1 vs 20 MB Intel® Smart Cache on the Xeon W-1290T.

Feature	Ryzen Z1	Xeon W-1290T
Cores / Threads	6 / 12	10 / 20+67%
Boost Clock	4.9 GHz+4%	4.7 GHz
Base Clock	3.2 GHz+68%	1.9 GHz
L3 Cache	16 MB (total)	20 MB Intel® Smart Cache+25%
L2 Cache	1 MB (per core)	—
Process	4 nm-71%	14 nm
Architecture	Phoenix (Zen4) (2023)	—
PassMark	18,406	18,409

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Memory & Platform

The Ryzen Z1 uses the FP8 socket (PCIe 3.0), while the Xeon W-1290T uses LGA1200 (PCIe 3.0) — making them incompatible on the same motherboard.