Apple M1 vs AMD Ryzen 5 5600X

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CPU comparison with benchmarks


Apple M1 CPU1 vs CPU2 AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
Apple M1 AMD Ryzen 5 5600X

CPU comparison

In this CPU comparison, we compare the Apple M1 and the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X and use benchmarks to check which processor is faster.

We compare the Apple M1 8 core processor released in Q4/2020 with the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X which has 6 CPU cores and was introduced in Q4/2020.
Apple M series (23) Family AMD Ryzen 5 (78)
Apple M1 (9) CPU group AMD Ryzen 5000 (12)
1 Generation 4
M1 Architecture Vermeer (Zen 3)
Mobile Segment Desktop / Server
-- Predecessor AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
Apple M2 Successor AMD Ryzen 5 7600X

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Apple M1 is a 8 core processor with a clock frequency of 0.60 GHz (3.20 GHz). The processor can compute 8 threads at the same time. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X clocks with 3.70 GHz (4.60 GHz), has 6 CPU cores and can calculate 12 threads in parallel.

Apple M1 Characteristic AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
8 Cores 6
8 Threads 12
hybrid (big.LITTLE) Core architecture normal
No Hyperthreading Yes
No Overclocking ? Yes
0.60 GHz (3.20 GHz)
4x Firestorm
A-Core 3.70 GHz (4.60 GHz)
0.60 GHz (2.06 GHz)
4x Icestorm
B-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.

Apple M1 Characteristic AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
Apple Neural Engine AI hardware --
16 Neural cores @ 11 TOPS AI specifications --

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.

Apple M1 (8 Core) GPU no iGPU
0.39 GHz GPU frequency --
1.30 GHz GPU (Turbo) --
1 GPU Generation --
5 nm Technology
2 Max. displays
128 Compute units --
1024 Shader --
No Hardware Raytracing No
No Frame Generation No
8 GB Max. GPU Memory --
-- 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.

Apple M1 (8 Core) GPU no iGPU
Decode / Encode Codec h265 / HEVC (8 bit) No
Decode / Encode Codec h265 / HEVC (10 bit) No
Decode / Encode Codec h264 No
Decode / Encode Codec VP9 No
Decode Codec VP8 No
No Codec AV1 No
Decode Codec AVC No
Decode Codec VC-1 No
Decode / Encode Codec JPEG No

Memory & PCIe

Up to 16 GB of memory in a maximum of 2 memory channels is supported by the Apple M1, while the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X supports a maximum of 128 GB of memory with a maximum memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s enabled.

Apple M1 Characteristic AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
LPDDR4X-4266 Memory DDR4-3200
16 GB Max. Memory 128 GB
2 (Dual Channel) Memory channels 2 (Dual Channel)
68.2 GB/s Max. Bandwidth 51.2 GB/s
No ECC Yes
16.00 MB L2 Cache 3.00 MB
-- L3 Cache 32.00 MB
4.0 PCIe version 4.0
-- PCIe lanes 20
-- PCIe Bandwidth 39.4 GB/s

Thermal Management

The Apple M1 has a TDP of 18 W. The TDP of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X is 65 W. System integrators use the TDP of the processor as a guide when dimensioning the cooling solution.

Apple M1 Characteristic AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
18 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 65 W
-- TDP (PL2) --
20 W TDP up --
10 W TDP down --
-- Tjunction max. 90 °C

Technical details

The Apple M1 has 16.00 MB cache and is manufactured in 5 nm. The cache of AMD Ryzen 5 5600X is at 35.00 MB. The processor is manufactured in 7 nm.

Apple M1 Characteristic AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
5 nm Technology 7 nm
Chiplet Chip design Chiplet
Armv8.5-A (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation ISA extensions SSE4a, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, FMA3
-- Socket AM4 (PGA 1331)
Apple Virtualization Framework Virtualization AMD-V, SVM
Yes AES-NI Yes
macOS Operating systems Windows 10, Windows 11, Linux
Q4/2020 Release date Q4/2020
-- Release price 299 $
show more data show more data


Rate these processors

Here you can rate the Apple M1 to help other visitors make their purchasing decisions. The average rating is 4.3 stars (23 ratings). Rate now:
Here you can rate the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X to help other visitors make their purchasing decisions. The average rating is 4.9 stars (7 ratings). Rate now:


Average performance in benchmarks

⌀ Single core performance in 4 CPU benchmarks
⌀ Multi core performance in 6 CPU benchmarks

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.
Apple M1 Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.20 GHz
112 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
6C 12T @ 4.60 GHz
94 (84%)

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.
Apple M1 Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.20 GHz
509 (80%)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
6C 12T @ 4.60 GHz
639 (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.
Apple M1 Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.20 GHz
1503 (94%)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
6C 12T @ 4.60 GHz
1593 (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.
Apple M1 Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.20 GHz
7759 (71%)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
6C 12T @ 4.30 GHz
10988 (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.
Apple M1 Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.20 GHz
1742 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
6C 12T @ 4.60 GHz
1572 (90%)

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.
Apple M1 Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.20 GHz
7650 (91%)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
6C 12T @ 4.30 GHz
8420 (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.
Apple M1 Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.20 GHz
2369 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
6C 12T @ 4.60 GHz
2113 (89%)

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.
Apple M1 Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.20 GHz
8576 (92%)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
6C 12T @ 4.30 GHz
9279 (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.
Apple M1 Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.20 GHz
117 (75%)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
6C 12T @ 4.30 GHz
157 (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.
Apple M1 Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.20 GHz
14463 (66%)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
6C 12T @ 4.30 GHz
21955 (100%)

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.
Apple M1 Apple M1
7,759 CB R23 MC @ 18 W
431 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
10,988 CB R23 MC @ 76 W
145 (34%)

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.
Apple M1 Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.20 GHz
0 (0%)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
6C 12T @ 4.60 GHz
604 (100%)

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.
Apple M1 Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.20 GHz
0 (0%)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
6C 12T @ 4.30 GHz
4562 (100%)

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.
Apple M1 Apple M1
Apple M1 (8 Core) @ 1.30 GHz
2610 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
@ 0.00 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.
Apple M1 Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.20 GHz
314 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
6C 12T @ 4.30 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.
Apple M1 Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.20 GHz
0 (0%)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
6C 12T @ 4.30 GHz
624 (100%)

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.
Apple M1 Apple M1
8C 8T @ 0.60 GHz
0 (0%)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
6C 12T @ 3.70 GHz
4784 (100%)

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.
Apple M1 Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.20 GHz
0 (0%)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
6C 12T @ 4.60 GHz
258 (100%)

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.
Apple M1 Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.20 GHz
0 (0%)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
6C 12T @ 4.30 GHz
1970 (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).
Apple M1 Apple M1
8C 8T @ 0.60 GHz
11 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
6C 12T @ 3.70 GHz
0 (0%)

Devices using this processor

Apple M1 AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
Apple iMac 24 (2021)
Apple MacBook Pro 13 (L2020)
Apple MacBook Air (2020)
Apple Mac mini (2020)
Apple iPad Pro 11 (2021)
Apple iPad Pro 12.9 (2021)
Apple iPad Air (2022)
Unknown

News and articles for the Apple M1 and the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X

Why the new AMD Ryzen 7000 processors for the AM5 socket are currently not a good deal
Why the new AMD Ryzen 7000 processors for the AM5 socket are currently not a good deal
Posted by Stefan on 2022-10-11
At the end of September 2022, the time had come: AMD presented its latest desktop processors called AMD Ryzen 7000. Initially, 4 processors with 6 to 16 CPU cores were released.

The new socket AM5 (LGA 1718) is used for the first time, which is intended to replace the very durable socket AM4 introduced in 2017 as AMDs mainstream platform. This includes (depending on the chipset) PCIe 5.0 support as well as the exclusive use of DDR5 memory on all AM5 mainboards.

Officially, DDR5-5200 is the maximum, but with AMDs EXPO Technology which is similar to Intel's XMP 3.0, AMD now also has a solution for easy overclocking of the main memory. AMD itself names DDR5-6000 as the sweet spot for the new AMD Ryzen 7000 processors.
The evolution of AMD Ryzen processors
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.
AMD Ryzen 5 5500 - The CPU with the best price-performance ratio
AMD Ryzen 5 5500 - The CPU with the best price-performance ratio
Posted by Stefan on 2022-07-18
The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 (6C 12T) is currently enjoying great popularity and is currently one of the best-selling processors for AMD's Socket AM4 platform.

But why is the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 so cheap and what disadvantages does the buyer have to accept? We clarify that in this article. But first we have to dive a little into the technology of the current Zen 3 processors in order to understand what kind of exotic cpu AMD has actually created with the AMD Ryzen 5 5500.
Most popular processors in the first half of 2022
Most popular processors in the first half of 2022
Posted by Stefan on 2022-07-05
In the past we had repeatedly written about our most popular processors. Since this format was quiet popular, I would like to continue this today and introduce you the most popular processors in the first half of 2022.

With more than 2 million page views per month, CPU-Monkey is one of the biggest comparison sites for processors and is currently available in 16 languages.
Apple M2 Pro with more CPU cores and production in 3 nm ?
Apple M2 Pro with more CPU cores and production in 3 nm ?
Posted by Stefan on 2022-06-28
After Apple surprisingly presented the normal Apple M2 processor as the first successor to the Apple M1 already in June 2022, the Apple M2 Pro and the Apple M2 Max may follow in autumn. The difference in performance compared to the basic version could be even greater this time and range from 25 to 40 percent.

In this article we describe how Apple could realize this and why the price should also go up.

Comparison of the two processors

A comparison between the Apple M1 and the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X is alone difficult because the Apple M1 is an arm processor designed for the mobile area (Apple MacBook Air, Apple MacBook Pro 13, Apple Mac Mini). As a mobile processor, its TDP moves between 15 and 25 watts. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600x, however, is a full 6-core desktop processor with SMT and a TDP of 65 watts.

The Apple M1 is a hybrid from construction. He has 4 large performance cores as well as 4 small cores that possess significantly less power, but very energy-saving work. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X is classic built, its 6 CPU cores are based on Zen 3 design from AMD and are all the same size. Upon request, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600x is overactable, whereby the power consumption then significantly exceeds the TDP of 65 watts.

The "Size Differences" of the processors are also visible in the memory: while the Apple M1 supports a maximum of 16 GB LPDDR4x memory, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600x can respond up to 128 GB DDR4-3200. Both processors support the use of two memory channels (dual channel) to double the theoretical memory bandwidth.

The Apple M1 has one of the most fastest internal graphics units (IGPUs) with the Apple M1 (8 Core). The graphics unit comes to a theoretical computing power of 2.6 tflops with simple accuracy (FP32). It is thus also suitable for photo and video editing for one or the other game. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600x, however, comes without internal graphics unit and therefore necessarily requires a dedicated graphics card for the operation of the system.

Both processors are manufactured in very small structures of 5 or 7 nm at TSMC in Taiwan. The Apple M1 is the first, large-scale, processor of which is manufactured in 5 nm structural width.

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