Apple M1 vs AMD Ryzen 5 3600

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CPU comparison with benchmarks


Apple M1 CPU1 vs CPU2 AMD Ryzen 5 3600
Apple M1 AMD Ryzen 5 3600

CPU comparison

In this CPU comparison, we compare the Apple M1 and the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 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 3600 which has 6 CPU cores and was introduced in Q3/2019.
Apple M series (23) Family AMD Ryzen 5 (78)
Apple M1 (9) CPU group AMD Ryzen 3000 (15)
1 Generation 3
M1 Architecture Matisse (Zen 2)
Mobile Segment Desktop / Server
-- Predecessor AMD Ryzen 5 2600
Apple M2 Successor --

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 3600 clocks with 3.60 GHz (4.20 GHz), has 6 CPU cores and can calculate 12 threads in parallel.

Apple M1 Characteristic AMD Ryzen 5 3600
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 3.60 GHz (4.20 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 3600
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 3600 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 3600
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 --
-- 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 3600 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 3600
18 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 65 W
-- TDP (PL2) --
20 W TDP up --
10 W TDP down --
-- Tjunction max. 95 °C

Technical details

The Apple M1 has 16.00 MB cache and is manufactured in 5 nm. The cache of AMD Ryzen 5 3600 is at 32.00 MB. The processor is manufactured in 7 nm.

Apple M1 Characteristic AMD Ryzen 5 3600
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 Q3/2019
-- Release price 185 $
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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 3600 to help other visitors make their purchasing decisions. The average rating is 4.0 stars (9 ratings). Rate now:


Average performance in benchmarks

⌀ Single core performance in 4 CPU benchmarks
⌀ Multi core performance in 7 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 3600 AMD Ryzen 5 3600
6C 12T @ 4.20 GHz
75 (67%)

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 (90%)
AMD Ryzen 5 3600 AMD Ryzen 5 3600
6C 12T @ 4.20 GHz
568 (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 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 5 3600 AMD Ryzen 5 3600
6C 12T @ 4.20 GHz
1250 (83%)

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 (85%)
AMD Ryzen 5 3600 AMD Ryzen 5 3600
6C 12T @ 4.00 GHz
9150 (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 3600 AMD Ryzen 5 3600
6C 12T @ 4.20 GHz
1183 (68%)

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 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 5 3600 AMD Ryzen 5 3600
6C 12T @ 4.00 GHz
6821 (89%)

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 3600 AMD Ryzen 5 3600
6C 12T @ 4.20 GHz
1541 (65%)

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 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 5 3600 AMD Ryzen 5 3600
6C 12T @ 4.00 GHz
6784 (79%)

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 (84%)
AMD Ryzen 5 3600 AMD Ryzen 5 3600
6C 12T @ 4.00 GHz
140 (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 (81%)
AMD Ryzen 5 3600 AMD Ryzen 5 3600
6C 12T @ 4.00 GHz
17803 (100%)

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 3600 AMD Ryzen 5 3600
6C 12T @ 4.00 GHz
235.7 (75%)

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 3600 AMD Ryzen 5 3600
9,150 CB R23 MC @ 87 W
105 (24%)

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 3600 AMD Ryzen 5 3600
6C 12T @ 4.20 GHz
472 (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 3600 AMD Ryzen 5 3600
6C 12T @ 4.00 GHz
3570 (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 3600 AMD Ryzen 5 3600
@ 0.00 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 3600 AMD Ryzen 5 3600
6C 12T @ 4.00 GHz
488 (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 3600 AMD Ryzen 5 3600
6C 12T @ 3.60 GHz
3990 (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 3600 AMD Ryzen 5 3600
6C 12T @ 4.20 GHz
197 (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 3600 AMD Ryzen 5 3600
6C 12T @ 4.00 GHz
1578 (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 3600 AMD Ryzen 5 3600
6C 12T @ 3.60 GHz
0 (0%)

Devices using this processor

Apple M1 AMD Ryzen 5 3600
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)
One Gaming PC Ryzen 5 3600
Lenono IdeaCentre T540-15AMA G
HP Pavilion Gaming TG01-0201ng schwarz (9HP03EA#ABD)

News and articles for the Apple M1 and the AMD Ryzen 5 3600

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.
Apple M2 vs Apple M1 - What are the differences?
Apple M2 vs Apple M1 - What are the differences?
Posted by Stefan on 2022-06-09
During WWDC 2022 on June 6th, 2022 Apple surprisingly presented its new Apple M2 processor. This will initially be installed in a completely revised Apple MacBook Air with 13.6 inches, a even thinner form factor and new colors. Apple also updated the already known (old) Apple MacBook Pro 13.3 with touch bar.

Many leakers had counted on Apple not presenting its new second-generation M processor until the fall. But things turned out differently. And there is very likely a reason for that: the improvements in the Apple M2 are limited compared to the predecessor.

Comparison of the two processors

In this comparison between the Apple M1 and the AMD Ryzen 5 3600, two processors from different worlds contact each other. The Apple M1 was developed by Apple, is manufactured in the 5-nanometer procedure and is used exclusively in Apple devices (MacBook and Mac Mini) to the appearance. The AMD Ryzen 5 3600, however, is a desktop processor based on the base AM4-based desktop processor, which is manufactured in the 7-nanometer method and can be installed on each mainboard with just this socket.

Apple M1 is a processor with 8 cores and a big.Little-core architecture. This means in this case that the processor has 4 high-performance cores and 4 power parkers and, depending on the application, use it to provide extremely energy-saving performance. The AMD Ryzen 5 3600, on the other hand, has 6 normal processor cores, which with up to 4.20 Gigahertz clocks and, unlike the Apple processor, support the hyper-threading technology.

The Apple M1 has an extremely powerful internal graphic unit. This has 128 shader units, clocks 3.20 Gigahertz and thus reaches a FP32 computing power of 2600 gigaFlops. The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 has no internal graphics unit and can therefore be operated exclusively with a dedicated graphics card.

Both processors are equipped with PCI Express in version 4.0. About e.g. The fast M.2 hard drives are controlled or in the case of the AMD processor also the dedicated graphics card.

The two processors each have 2 memory channels. The Apple M1 supports (Stand 03/2021) the operation of a maximum of 16 gigabytes of type LPDDR4X-4266 type. With the AMD Ryzen 5 3600, however, with up to 128 gigabytes, significantly more memory can be operated. The AMD processor supports modules from type DDR4-3200.

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