Apple M1 vs AMD Ryzen 9 5950X

Last updated:

CPU comparison with benchmarks


Apple M1 CPU1 vs CPU2 AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
Apple M1 AMD Ryzen 9 5950X

CPU comparison

Apple M1 or AMD Ryzen 9 5950X - 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 Apple M1 has 8 cores with 8 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 3.20 GHz. Up to 16 GB of memory is supported in 2 memory channels. The Apple M1 was released in Q4/2020.

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X has 16 cores with 32 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 4.90 GHz. The CPU supports up to 128 GB of memory in 2 memory channels. The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X was released in Q4/2020.
Apple M series Family AMD Ryzen 9
Apple M1 CPU group AMD Ryzen 5000
1 Generation 4
M1 Architecture Vermeer (Zen 3)
Mobile Segment Desktop / Server
-- Predecessor AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
Apple M2 Successor AMD Ryzen 9 7950X

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Apple M1 has 8 CPU cores and can calculate 8 threads in parallel. The clock frequency of the Apple M1 is 3.20 GHz while the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X has 16 CPU cores and 32 threads can calculate simultaneously. The clock frequency of the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X is at 2.06 GHz.

8 Cores 16
8 Threads 32
hybrid (big.LITTLE) Core architecture normal
No Hyperthreading Yes
No Overclocking ? Yes
3.20 GHz
4x Firestorm
A-Core 3.40 GHz (4.90 GHz)
2.06 GHz
4x Icestorm
B-Core --
-- C-Core --

Internal Graphics

The Apple M1 or AMD Ryzen 9 5950X has integrated graphics, called iGPU for short. The iGPU uses the system's main memory as graphics memory and sits on the processor's die.

Apple M1 (8 Core) GPU no iGPU
1.30 GHz GPU frequency
GPU (Turbo)
1 GPU Generation
5 nm Technology
2 Max. displays
128 Execution units
1024 Shader
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.

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

The Apple M1 can use up to 16 GB of memory in 2 memory channels. The maximum memory bandwidth is 68.2 GB/s. The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X supports up to 128 GB of memory in 2 memory channels and achieves a memory bandwidth of up to 51.2 GB/s.

LPDDR4X-4266 Memory DDR4-3200
16 GB Max. Memory 128 GB
2 (Dual Channel) Memory channels 2 (Dual Channel)
68.2 GB/s Bandwidth 51.2 GB/s
No ECC Yes
16.00 MB L2 Cache 8.00 MB
L3 Cache 64.00 MB
4.0 PCIe version 4.0
PCIe lanes 20

Thermal Management

The thermal design power (TDP for short) of the Apple M1 is 15 W, while the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X has a TDP of 105 W. The TDP specifies the necessary cooling solution that is required to cool the processor sufficiently.

15 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 105 W
-- TDP (PL2) 142 W
20 W TDP up --
10 W TDP down --
-- Tjunction max. 95 °C

Technical details

The Apple M1 is manufactured in 5 nm and has 16.00 MB cache. The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X is manufactured in 7 nm and has a 16.00 MB cache.

5 nm Technology 7 nm
Chiplet Chip design Chiplet
ARMv8-A64 (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation ISA extensions SSE4a, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX2, FMA3
-- Socket AM4 (LGA 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 799 $
show more data show more data



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 (91%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
16C 32T @ 4.90 GHz
1644 (100%)
Show all Cinebench R23 (Single-Core) results



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 (27%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
16C 32T @ 4.20 GHz
28577 (100%)
Show all Cinebench R23 (Multi-Core) results



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 9 5950X AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
16C 32T @ 4.90 GHz
647 (100%)
Show all Cinebench R20 (Single-Core) results



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 9 5950X AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
16C 32T @ 4.20 GHz
10428 (100%)
Show all Cinebench R20 (Multi-Core) results



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 9 5950X AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
16C 32T @ 4.90 GHz
2176 (92%)
Show all Geekbench 6 (Single-Core) results



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 (67%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
16C 32T @ 4.20 GHz
12869 (100%)
Show all Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core) results



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 (99%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
16C 32T @ 4.90 GHz
1759 (100%)
Show all Geekbench 5, 64bit (Single-Core) results



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 (46%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
16C 32T @ 4.20 GHz
16606 (100%)
Show all Geekbench 5, 64bit (Multi-Core) results



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 9 5950X AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
@ 0.00 GHz
0 (0%)
Show all iGPU - FP32 Performance (Single-precision GFLOPS) results



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 (25%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
16C 32T @ 4.20 GHz
461 (100%)
Show all Blender 3.1 Benchmark results



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 (31%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
16C 32T @ 4.20 GHz
46021 (100%)
Show all Estimated results for PassMark CPU Mark results



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 9 5950X AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
16C 32T @ 4.20 GHz
0 (0%)
Show all Blender 2.81 (bmw27) results



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 9 5950X AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
16C 32T @ 4.20 GHz
671 (100%)
Show all CPU-Z Benchmark 17 (Single-Core) results



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 @ 3.20 GHz
0 (0%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
16C 32T @ 3.40 GHz
12265 (100%)
Show all CPU-Z Benchmark 17 (Multi-Core) results



Monero Hashrate kH/s

The crypto currency Monero has been using the RandomX algorithm since November 2019. This PoW (proof of work) algorithm can only efficiently be calculated using a processor (CPU) or a graphics card (GPU). The CryptoNight algorithm was used for Monero until November 2019, but it could be calculated using ASICs. RandomX benefits from a high number of CPU cores, cache and a fast connection of the memory via as many memory channels as possible. Tested with XMRig v6.x under the operation system HiveOS.

To trade Monero you can register with the crypto broker Kraken.com. We've been customers there for a few years now and have been very satisfied so far.

Apple M1 Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.20 GHz
0 (0%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
16C 32T @ 3.40 GHz
20.5 (100%)
Show all Monero Hashrate kH/s results



V-Ray CPU-Render Benchmark

V-Ray is a 3D rendering software from the manufacturer Chaos for designers and artists. Unlike many other render engines, V-Ray is capable of so-called hybrid rendering, in which the CPU and GPU work together at the same time.

However, the CPU benchmark we used (CPU Render Mode) only uses the system's processor. The working memory used plays a major role in the V-Ray benchmark. For our benchmarks we use the fastest RAM standard approved by the manufacturer (without overclocking).

Due to the high compatibility of V-Ray (including Autodesk 3ds Max, Maya, Cinema 4D, SketchUp, Unreal Engine and Blender), it is a frequently used software. With V-Ray, for example, photorealistic images can be rendered that laypeople cannot distinguish from normal photos.

Apple M1 Apple M1
8C 8T @ 3.20 GHz
4935 (23%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
16C 32T @ 3.40 GHz
21425 (100%)
Show all V-Ray CPU-Render Benchmark results



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 9 5950X AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
16C 32T @ 4.90 GHz
277 (100%)
Show all Cinebench R15 (Single-Core) results



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 9 5950X AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
16C 32T @ 4.20 GHz
4569 (100%)
Show all Cinebench R15 (Multi-Core) results



Devices using this processor

Apple M1 AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
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 9 5950X

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
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.
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.
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X and AMD Ryzen 7 7800X are coming in September
Posted by Stefan on 2022-06-20
After we published a performance assessment of the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X last week, the well-known AMD leaker Greymon55 has now posted more informations via Twitter.

He predicts the first four models of the new Zen 4 desktop generation, which AMD would like to present at the end of 2022. There is also an alleged release date of September 15, 2022.
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X - Cinebench R23 Benchmark projection
Posted by Stefan on 2022-06-10
We give you a preview of AMD's new Zen 4 desktop processors and calculate the performance of the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X top model for the new AM5 socket. The performance data and other technical details come directly from the press kit that AMD released as part of its Financial Analyst Day on June 9, 2022.

Up to 15 percent more single-core performance and 35 percent more multi-core performance of the 16-core model are realistic !

VS Description of the processor

The CPU comparison between the Apple M1 and the AMD Ryzen 9 5950x, of course, does not take place in a performance class. So the Apple M1 processor is designed with a TDP of 15 watts for notebooks, while the AMD Ryzen 9 5950x is a 16-core desktop processor with a TDP of 105 watts. Accordingly, the Apple M1 Mobilprocessor naturally also has no chance against the AMD Ryzen 9 5950x.

Although: In einkern-load scenarios, the Apple M1 is still very good against the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X. There is a tender. Much greater is the difference in multi-core load scenarios. Here the AMD Ryzen reaches 9 5950x about a 4x as high performance as Apple's M1 processor.

Apple's M1 relies on a hybrid (Big.Little) core design, which has 4 performance cores and 4 efficiency nuclei. By this arrangement, the mobile processor is very energy saving, which also underpin the battery life of the MacBook Air (about 18 hours) as well as the MacBook Pro 13 (about 20 hours).

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X is the most fastest AMD desktop processor for the socket AM4. He has 16 CPU cores and support simultaneous multi threading, which allows him to work up to 32 threads simultaneously. That makes him an absolute computing monster, which, of course, also play for professional applications, e.g. predestined in video editing or photo editing.

In addition, the AMD Ryzen 9 5950x can even not be overclocked because the processor has an open multiplier. But then a good to very good CPU cooling is required.

AMD is currently producing its processors in 7 nm, which is still significantly better compared to Intel. Apple, however, was able to secure the new 5 Nm technology of the chip manufacturer TSMC exclusively for its Apple A14 Bionic or Apple M1 processors. This makes them more efficient and more powerful.

Leaderboards

In our leaderboards, we have clearly compiled the best processors for specific categories for you. The leaderboards are always up to date and are regularly updated by us. The best processors are selected according to popularity and speed in benchmarks as well as the price-performance ratio.


Popular comparisons containing this CPUs

1. Apple M1Intel Core i9-9900K Apple M1 vs Intel Core i9-9900K
2. Apple M1Apple A14 Bionic Apple M1 vs Apple A14 Bionic
3. Apple M1Intel Core i7-10875H Apple M1 vs Intel Core i7-10875H
4. Apple M1Intel Core i5-1038NG7 Apple M1 vs Intel Core i5-1038NG7
5. Apple M1Apple A12Z Bionic Apple M1 vs Apple A12Z Bionic
6. Apple A15 Bionic (5-GPU)Apple M1 Apple A15 Bionic (5-GPU) vs Apple M1
7. Apple M1Intel Core i7-1185G7 Apple M1 vs Intel Core i7-1185G7
8. Apple M2Apple M1 Apple M2 vs Apple M1
9. Intel Core i9-12900KAMD Ryzen 9 5950X Intel Core i9-12900K vs AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
10. Apple M1AMD Ryzen 5 5600X Apple M1 vs AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
11. AMD Ryzen 9 5950XIntel Core i9-10900K AMD Ryzen 9 5950X vs Intel Core i9-10900K
12. AMD Ryzen 9 5950XAMD Ryzen 9 5900X AMD Ryzen 9 5950X vs AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
13. AMD Ryzen 9 5950XAMD Ryzen 9 3950X AMD Ryzen 9 5950X vs AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
14. Intel Core i7-1165G7Apple M1 Intel Core i7-1165G7 vs Apple M1
15. Apple M1AMD Ryzen 7 4800H Apple M1 vs AMD Ryzen 7 4800H


back to index