AMD Ryzen 5 3500X vs Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)

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CPU comparison with benchmarks


AMD Ryzen 5 3500X CPU1 vs CPU2 Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
AMD Ryzen 5 3500X Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)

CPU comparison

In this CPU comparison, we compare the AMD Ryzen 5 3500X and the Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-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 M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) which has 12 CPU cores and was introduced in Q4/2023.
AMD Ryzen 5 (85) Family Apple M series (25)
AMD Ryzen 3000 (15) CPU group Apple M3 (6)
3 Generation 3
Matisse (Zen 2) Architecture M3
Desktop / Server Segment Mobile
-- Predecessor Apple M2 Pro (12-CPU 19-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 M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) clocks with 0.70 GHz (4.06 GHz), has 12 CPU cores and can calculate 12 threads in parallel.

AMD Ryzen 5 3500X Characteristic Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-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 0.70 GHz (4.06 GHz)
6x P-Core
-- B-Core 0.74 GHz (2.75 GHz)
6x E-Core

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

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. Algorithms for ML improve their performance the more data they have collected via software. ML tasks can be processed up to 10,000 times faster than with a classic processor.

AMD Ryzen 5 3500X Characteristic Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
-- AI hardware Apple Neural Engine
-- AI specifications 16 Neural cores @ 35 TOPS

Internal Graphics

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 M3 Pro (18 Core)
GPU frequency 0.39 GHz
-- GPU (Turbo) 1.40 GHz
-- GPU Generation --
Technology 3 nm
Max. displays 3
-- Compute units 288
-- Shader 2304
No Hardware Raytracing Yes
No Frame Generation No
-- Max. GPU Memory 36 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 M3 Pro (18 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 Decode
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 M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) supports a maximum of 36 GB of memory with a maximum memory bandwidth of 153.6 GB/s enabled.

AMD Ryzen 5 3500X Characteristic Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
DDR4-3200 Memory LPDDR5-6400
64 GB Max. Memory 36 GB
2 (Dual Channel) Memory channels 2 (Dual Channel)
51.2 GB/s Max. Bandwidth 153.6 GB/s
Yes ECC No
-- L2 Cache 36.00 MB
32.00 MB L3 Cache --
4.0 PCIe version 4.0
20 PCIe lanes --
39.4 GB/s PCIe Bandwidth --

Thermal Management

The AMD Ryzen 5 3500X has a TDP of 65 W. The TDP of the Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) is 35 W. System integrators use the TDP of the processor as a guide when dimensioning the cooling solution.

AMD Ryzen 5 3500X Characteristic Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
65 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 35 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 M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) is at 36.00 MB. The processor is manufactured in 3 nm.

AMD Ryzen 5 3500X Characteristic Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
7 nm Technology 3 nm
Chiplet Chip design Chiplet
x86-64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) Armv8-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 Q4/2023
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 3.0 stars (3 ratings). Rate now:
Here you can rate the Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) to help other visitors make their purchasing decisions. The average rating is 5.0 stars (216 ratings). Rate now:


Average performance in benchmarks

⌀ Single core performance in 2 CPU benchmarks
AMD Ryzen 5 3500X (52%)
Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) (100%)
⌀ Multi core performance in 3 CPU benchmarks
AMD Ryzen 5 3500X (41%)
Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-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 (51%)
Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
12C 12T @ 4.06 GHz
2314 (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 (35%)
Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.80 GHz
15235 (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 (52%)
Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
12C 12T @ 4.06 GHz
3152 (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 (38%)
Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.80 GHz
15619 (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 (49%)
Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.80 GHz
27304 (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 M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
12C 12T @ 4.06 GHz
142 (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 M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
12C 12T @ 4.06 GHz
1059 (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 M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
12C 12T @ 4.06 GHz
1928 (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 M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.80 GHz
15061 (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 M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
12C 12T @ 4.06 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 M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.80 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 M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
Apple M3 Pro (18 Core) @ 1.40 GHz
6390 (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 M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.80 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 @ 4.00 GHz
486 (100%)
Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.80 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 M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
12C 12T @ 0.70 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 M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
12C 12T @ 4.06 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 M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
12C 12T @ 3.80 GHz
0 (0%)

Performance for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML)

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 M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU) Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
12C 12T @ 0.70 GHz
35 (100%)

Devices using this processor

AMD Ryzen 5 3500X Apple M3 Pro (12-CPU 18-GPU)
Unknown Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2023)
Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023)

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