AMD Ryzen 5 3500X vs Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)

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CPU comparison with benchmarks


AMD Ryzen 5 3500X CPU1 vs CPU2 Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 3500X Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)

CPU comparison

In this CPU comparison, we compare the AMD Ryzen 5 3500X and the Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) and use benchmarks to check which processor is faster.

We compare the AMD Ryzen 5 3500X 6 core processor released in Q4/2019 with the Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) which has 12 CPU cores and was introduced in Q1/2023.
AMD Ryzen 5 (86) Family Apple M series (25)
AMD Ryzen 3000 (15) CPU group Apple M2 (8)
3 Generation 2
Matisse (Zen 2) Architecture M2
Desktop / Server Segment Mobile
-- Predecessor Apple M1 Max (32-GPU)
-- Successor --

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The AMD Ryzen 5 3500X is a 6 core processor with a clock frequency of 3.60 GHz (4.10 GHz). The processor can compute 6 threads at the same time. The Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) clocks with 0.66 GHz (3.50 GHz), has 12 CPU cores and can calculate 12 threads in parallel.

AMD Ryzen 5 3500X Characteristic Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
6 Cores 12
6 Threads 12
normal Core architecture hybrid (big.LITTLE)
No Hyperthreading No
Yes Overclocking ? No
3.60 GHz (4.10 GHz) A-Core 0.66 GHz (3.50 GHz)
8x Avalanche
-- B-Core 0.60 GHz (2.42 GHz)
4x Blizzard

NPU AI performance

The performance values of the processor's AI unit. The isolated NPU performance is specified here, the total AI performance (NPU+CPU+iGPU) can be higher. Processors with support for artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can process many calculations, especially audio, image and video processing, much faster than classic processors.

AMD Ryzen 5 3500X Characteristic Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
-- AI hardware Apple Neural Engine
-- AI specifications 16 Neural cores @ 15.8 TOPS
-- NPU + CPU + iGPU --

Integrated graphics (iGPU)

Graphics (iGPU) integrated into the processor not only enable image output without having to rely on a dedicated graphics solution, but can also efficiently accelerate video playback.

no iGPU GPU Apple M2 Max (38 Core)
GPU frequency 0.45 GHz
-- GPU (Turbo) 1.40 GHz
-- GPU Generation 2
Technology 5 nm
Max. displays 5
-- Compute units 608
-- Shader 4864
No Hardware Raytracing No
No Frame Generation No
-- Max. GPU Memory 96 GB
-- DirectX Version --

Hardware codec support

A photo or video codec that is accelerated in hardware can greatly accelerate the working speed of a processor and extend the battery life of notebooks or smartphones when playing videos.

no iGPU GPU Apple M2 Max (38 Core)
No Codec h265 / HEVC (8 bit) Decode / Encode
No Codec h265 / HEVC (10 bit) Decode / Encode
No Codec h264 Decode / Encode
No Codec VP9 Decode / Encode
No Codec VP8 Decode
No Codec AV1 No
No Codec AVC Decode
No Codec VC-1 Decode
No Codec JPEG Decode / Encode

Memory & PCIe

Up to 64 GB of memory in a maximum of 2 memory channels is supported by the AMD Ryzen 5 3500X, while the Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) supports a maximum of 96 GB of memory with a maximum memory bandwidth of 409.6 GB/s enabled.

AMD Ryzen 5 3500X Characteristic Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
DDR4-3200 Memory LPDDR5-6400
64 GB Max. Memory 96 GB
2 (Dual Channel) Memory channels 4 (Quad Channel)
51.2 GB/s Max. Bandwidth 409.6 GB/s
Yes ECC No
-- L2 Cache 36.00 MB
32.00 MB L3 Cache --
4.0 PCIe version 4.0
20 PCIe lanes 32
39.4 GB/s PCIe Bandwidth 63.0 GB/s

Thermal Management

The AMD Ryzen 5 3500X has a TDP of 65 W. The TDP of the Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) is 40 W. System integrators use the TDP of the processor as a guide when dimensioning the cooling solution.

AMD Ryzen 5 3500X Characteristic Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
65 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 40 W
-- TDP (PL2) --
-- TDP up --
-- TDP down --
95 °C Tjunction max. 100 °C

Technical details

The AMD Ryzen 5 3500X has 32.00 MB cache and is manufactured in 7 nm. The cache of Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) is at 36.00 MB. The processor is manufactured in 5 nm.

AMD Ryzen 5 3500X Characteristic Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
7 nm Technology 5 nm
Chiplet Chip design Chiplet
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) Armv8.5-A (64 bit)
SSE4a, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, FMA3 ISA extensions Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation
AM4 (PGA 1331) Socket --
AMD-V, SVM Virtualization Apple Virtualization Framework
Yes AES-NI Yes
Windows 10, Windows 11, Linux Operating systems macOS, iPadOS
Q4/2019 Release date Q1/2023
130 $ Release price --
show more data show more data


Rate these processors

Here you can rate the AMD Ryzen 5 3500X to help other visitors make their purchasing decisions. The average rating is 3.5 stars (4 ratings). Rate now:
Here you can rate the Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) to help other visitors make their purchasing decisions. The average rating is 4.9 stars (56 ratings). Rate now:


Average performance in benchmarks

⌀ Single core performance in 2 CPU benchmarks
AMD Ryzen 5 3500X (62%)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) (100%)
⌀ Multi core performance in 3 CPU benchmarks
AMD Ryzen 5 3500X (42%)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) (100%)

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core)

Geekbench 5 is a cross plattform benchmark that heavily uses the systems memory. A fast memory will push the result a lot. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.
AMD Ryzen 5 3500X AMD Ryzen 5 3500X
6C 6T @ 4.10 GHz
1169 (62%)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
1874 (100%)

Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core)

Geekbench 5 is a cross plattform benchmark that heavily uses the systems memory. A fast memory will push the result a lot. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.
AMD Ryzen 5 3500X AMD Ryzen 5 3500X
6C 6T @ 4.00 GHz
5311 (34%)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
15506 (100%)

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Geekbench 6 is a benchmark for modern computers, notebooks and smartphones. What is new is an optimized utilization of newer CPU architectures, e.g. based on the big.LITTLE concept and combining CPU cores of different sizes. The single-core benchmark only evaluates the performance of the fastest CPU core, the number of CPU cores in a processor is irrelevant here.
AMD Ryzen 5 3500X AMD Ryzen 5 3500X
6C 6T @ 4.10 GHz
1637 (61%)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
2689 (100%)

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

Geekbench 6 is a benchmark for modern computers, notebooks and smartphones. What is new is an optimized utilization of newer CPU architectures, e.g. based on the big.LITTLE concept and combining CPU cores of different sizes. The multi-core benchmark evaluates the performance of all of the processor's CPU cores. Virtual thread improvements such as AMD SMT or Intel's Hyper-Threading have a positive impact on the benchmark result.
AMD Ryzen 5 3500X AMD Ryzen 5 3500X
6C 6T @ 4.00 GHz
5967 (42%)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
14207 (100%)

Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark

Some of the CPUs listed below have been benchmarked by CPU-monkey. However the majority of CPUs have not been tested and the results have been estimated by a CPU-monkey’s secret proprietary formula. As such they do not accurately reflect the actual Passmark CPU mark values and are not endorsed by PassMark Software Pty Ltd.
AMD Ryzen 5 3500X AMD Ryzen 5 3500X
6C 6T @ 4.00 GHz
13245 (50%)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
26310 (100%)

Cinebench 2024 (Single-Core)

The Cinebench 2024 benchmark is based on the Redshift rendering engine, which is also used in Maxon's 3D program Cinema 4D. The benchmark runs are each 10 minutes long to test whether the processor is limited by its heat generation.
AMD Ryzen 5 3500X AMD Ryzen 5 3500X
6C 6T @ 4.10 GHz
0 (0%)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
121 (100%)

Cinebench 2024 (Multi-Core)

The Multi-Core test of the Cinebench 2024 benchmark uses all cpu cores to render using the Redshift rendering engine, which is also used in Maxons Cinema 4D. The benchmark run is 10 minutes long to test whether the processor is limited by its heat generation.
AMD Ryzen 5 3500X AMD Ryzen 5 3500X
6C 6T @ 4.10 GHz
0 (0%)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
1025 (100%)

Cinebench R23 (Single-Core)

Cinebench R23 is the successor of Cinebench R20 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.
AMD Ryzen 5 3500X AMD Ryzen 5 3500X
6C 6T @ 4.10 GHz
0 (0%)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
1695 (100%)

Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core)

Cinebench R23 is the successor of Cinebench R20 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.
AMD Ryzen 5 3500X AMD Ryzen 5 3500X
6C 6T @ 4.00 GHz
0 (0%)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
14855 (100%)

Cinebench R20 (Single-Core)

Cinebench R20 is the successor of Cinebench R15 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.
AMD Ryzen 5 3500X AMD Ryzen 5 3500X
6C 6T @ 4.10 GHz
464 (100%)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
0 (0%)

Cinebench R20 (Multi-Core)

Cinebench R20 is the successor of Cinebench R15 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.
AMD Ryzen 5 3500X AMD Ryzen 5 3500X
6C 6T @ 4.00 GHz
2652 (100%)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
0 (0%)

iGPU - FP32 Performance (Single-precision GFLOPS)

The theoretical computing performance of the internal graphics unit of the processor with simple accuracy (32 bit) in GFLOPS. GFLOPS indicates how many billion floating point operations the iGPU can perform per second.
AMD Ryzen 5 3500X AMD Ryzen 5 3500X
@ 0.00 GHz
0 (0%)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
Apple M2 Max (38 Core) @ 1.40 GHz
13490 (100%)

Blender 3.1 Benchmark

In the Blender Benchmark 3.1, the scenes "monster", "junkshop" and "classroom" are rendered and the time required by the system is measured. In our benchmark we test the CPU and not the graphics card. Blender 3.1 was presented as a standalone version in March 2022.
AMD Ryzen 5 3500X AMD Ryzen 5 3500X
6C 6T @ 4.00 GHz
94 (100%)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
0 (0%)

CPU-Z Benchmark 17 (Single-Core)

The CPU-Z benchmark measures a processor's performance by measuring the time it takes the system to complete all benchmark calculations. The faster the benchmark is completed, the higher the score.
AMD Ryzen 5 3500X AMD Ryzen 5 3500X
6C 6T @ 4.10 GHz
486 (100%)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
0 (0%)

CPU-Z Benchmark 17 (Multi-Core)

The CPU-Z benchmark measures a processor's performance by measuring the time it takes the system to complete all benchmark calculations. The faster the benchmark is completed, the higher the score.
AMD Ryzen 5 3500X AMD Ryzen 5 3500X
6C 6T @ 3.60 GHz
2811 (100%)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
12C 12T @ 0.66 GHz
0 (0%)

Cinebench R15 (Single-Core)

Cinebench R15 is the successor of Cinebench 11.5 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The single-core test only uses one CPU core, the amount of cores or hyperthreading ability doesn't count.
AMD Ryzen 5 3500X AMD Ryzen 5 3500X
6C 6T @ 4.10 GHz
188 (100%)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
0 (0%)

Cinebench R15 (Multi-Core)

Cinebench R15 is the successor of Cinebench 11.5 and is also based on the Cinema 4 Suite. Cinema 4 is a worldwide used software to create 3D forms. The multi-core test involves all CPU cores and taks a big advantage of hyperthreading.
AMD Ryzen 5 3500X AMD Ryzen 5 3500X
6C 6T @ 4.00 GHz
1129 (100%)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz
0 (0%)

CPU performance per watt (efficiency)

Efficiency of the processor under full load in the Cinebench R23 (multi-core) benchmark. The benchmark result is divided by the average energy required (CPU package power in watts). The higher the value, the more efficient the CPU is under full load.
AMD Ryzen 5 3500X AMD Ryzen 5 3500X
3.60 GHz
0 (0%)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
14,855 CB R23 MC @ 40 W
371 (100%)

AI performance (NPU)

The performance values of the processor's AI unit. The isolated NPU performance is given here, the total AI performance (NPU+CPU+iGPU) can be higher.

Processors with the support of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can process many calculations, especially audio, image and video processing, much faster than classic processors. The performance is given in the number (trillions) of arithmetic operations per second (TOPS).
AMD Ryzen 5 3500X AMD Ryzen 5 3500X
6C 6T @ 3.60 GHz
0 (0%)
Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
12C 12T @ 0.66 GHz
15.8 (100%)

Devices using this processor

AMD Ryzen 5 3500X Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
Unknown Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023)

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