AMD Ryzen 9 3950X vs Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)

Last updated: 2023-11-14

CPU comparison with benchmarks


AMD Ryzen 9 3950X		Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
CPU comparison AMD Ryzen 9 3950X or Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) - which processor is faster? In this comparison we look at the differences and analyze which of these two CPUs is better. We compare the technical data and benchmark results. The AMD Ryzen 9 3950X has 16 cores with 32 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 4.70 GHz. Up to 128 GB of memory is supported in 2 memory channels. The AMD Ryzen 9 3950X was released in Q3/2019. The Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) has 12 cores with 12 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 3.50 GHz. The CPU supports up to 96 GB of memory in 4 memory channels. The Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) was released in Q1/2023.

AMD Ryzen 9 (35)	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)
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X	Successor	--

CPU Cores and Base Frequency The AMD Ryzen 9 3950X is a 16 core processor with a clock frequency of 3.50 GHz (4.70 GHz). The Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) has 12 CPU cores with a clock frequency of 0.66 GHz (3.50 GHz).
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X	Characteristic	Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
16	Cores	12
32	Threads	12
normal	Core architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)
Yes	Hyperthreading	No
Yes	Overclocking ?	No
3.50 GHz (4.70 GHz)	A-Core	0.66 GHz (3.50 GHz) 8x Avalanche
--	B-Core	0.60 GHz (2.42 GHz) 4x Blizzard
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 9 3950X	Characteristic	Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
--	AI hardware	Apple Neural Engine
--	AI specifications	16 Neural cores @ 15.8 TOPS

Internal Graphics The integrated graphics unit of a processor is not only responsible for the pure image output on the system, but can also significantly increase the efficiency of the system with the support of modern video codecs.
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 The AMD Ryzen 9 3950X supports a maximum of 128 GB of memory in 2 memory channels. The Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) can connect up to 96 GB of memory in 4 memory channels.
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X	Characteristic	Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
DDR4-3200	Memory	LPDDR5-6400
128 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
64.00 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 TDP (Thermal Design Power) of a processor specifies the required cooling solution. The AMD Ryzen 9 3950X has a TDP of 105 W, that of the Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) is 40 W.
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X	Characteristic	Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
105 W	TDP (PL1 / PBP)	40 W
142 W	TDP (PL2)	--
--	TDP up	--
--	TDP down	--
95 °C	Tjunction max.	100 °C
Technical details The AMD Ryzen 9 3950X has a 64.00 MB cache, while the Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) cache has a total of 36.00 MB.
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X	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
Q3/2019	Release date	Q1/2023
650 $	Release price	--

show more data		show more data

AMD Ryzen 9 3950X 16C 32T @ 3.50 GHz (4.70 GHz) buy now on Amazon and save! Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) 12C 12T @ 0.66 GHz (3.50 GHz) buy now on Amazon and save!

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Average performance in benchmarks

⌀ Single core performance in 4 CPU benchmarks

AMD Ryzen 9 3950X (70%)

Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) (100%)

⌀ Multi core performance in 5 CPU benchmarks

AMD Ryzen 9 3950X (95%)

Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) (81%)

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 9 3950X 16C 32T @ 4.70 GHz	74 (61%)
	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 9 3950X 16C 32T @ 4.70 GHz	1325 (100%)
	Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) 12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz	1025 (77%)

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 9 3950X 16C 32T @ 4.70 GHz	1371 (81%)
	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 9 3950X 16C 32T @ 4.00 GHz	24050 (100%)
	Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) 12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz	14855 (62%)

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 9 3950X 16C 32T @ 4.70 GHz	1408 (75%)
	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 9 3950X 16C 32T @ 4.00 GHz	14322 (92%)
	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 9 3950X 16C 32T @ 4.70 GHz	1697 (63%)
	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 9 3950X 16C 32T @ 4.00 GHz	11830 (83%)
	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 9 3950X 16C 32T @ 4.00 GHz	39079 (100%)
	Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) 12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz	26310 (67%)

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 9 3950X 16C 32T @ 4.70 GHz	531 (100%)
	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 9 3950X 16C 32T @ 4.00 GHz	9148 (100%)
	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 9 3950X @ 0.00 GHz	0 (0%)
	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 9 3950X 16C 32T @ 4.00 GHz	384 (100%)
	Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) 12C 12T @ 3.50 GHz	0 (0%)

Blender 2.81 (bmw27)

Blender is a free 3D graphics software for rendering (creating) 3D bodies, which can also be textured and animated in the software. The Blender benchmark creates predefined scenes and measures the time (s) required for the entire scene. The shorter the time required, the better. We selected bmw27 as the benchmark scene.


	AMD Ryzen 9 3950X 16C 32T @ 4.00 GHz	85.4 (100%)
	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 9 3950X 16C 32T @ 4.00 GHz	523 (100%)
	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 9 3950X 16C 32T @ 3.50 GHz	10761 (100%)
	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 9 3950X 16C 32T @ 4.70 GHz	217 (100%)
	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 9 3950X 16C 32T @ 4.00 GHz	3897 (100%)
	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 9 3950X 3.50 GHz	0 (0%)
	Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) 14,855 CB R23 MC @ 40 W	371 (100%)

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 9 3950X 16C 32T @ 3.50 GHz	0 (0%)
	Apple M2 Max (38-GPU) 12C 12T @ 0.66 GHz	15.8 (100%)

Devices using this processor
AMD Ryzen 9 3950X	Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)
Memory PC High End Gaming PC AMD Ryzen 9 3950X Kiebel Gamer-PC Loki [184903]	Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023)

News and articles for the AMD Ryzen 9 3950X and the Apple M2 Max (38-GPU)

The evolution of AMD Ryzen processors

Posted by Stefan on 2022-09-06

The AMD Ryzen processors are designed for the mid to high-end range and are grouped into the Ryzen 3, Ryzen 5, Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 9 classes. AMD follows the market leader Intel, which groups its Core i series (Intel Core i3, Core i5, Core i7 and Core i9) identically.

The AMD Ryzen processors were first introduced by AMD in Q1 2017. They are the successor to the not particularly successful AMD Bulldozer processors. The latter were manufactured using an outdated manufacturing process and could not keep up with the competing products from Intel. AMD lost a large portion of its desktop processor market share during this period.

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