Apple M1 Ultra (64-GPU) vs AMD Ryzen 9 5950X

Last updated:

CPU comparison with benchmarks


Apple M1 Ultra (64-GPU) CPU1 vs CPU2 AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
Apple M1 Ultra (64-GPU) AMD Ryzen 9 5950X

CPU comparison

Apple M1 Ultra (64-GPU) 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 Ultra (64-GPU) has 20 cores with 20 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 3.20 GHz. Up to 128 GB of memory is supported in 8 memory channels. The Apple M1 Ultra (64-GPU) was released in Q1/2022.

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 (25) Family AMD Ryzen 9 (41)
Apple M1 (9) CPU group AMD Ryzen 5000 (14)
1 Generation 4
M1 Architecture Vermeer (Zen 3)
Notebook Segment Desktop
-- Predecessor AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
Apple M2 Ultra (76-GPU) Successor AMD Ryzen 9 7950X

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Apple M1 Ultra (64-GPU) has 20 CPU cores and can calculate 20 threads in parallel. The clock frequency of the Apple M1 Ultra (64-GPU) is 0.60 GHz (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 3.40 GHz (4.90 GHz).

Apple M1 Ultra (64-GPU) Characteristic AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
20 Cores 16
20 Threads 32
hybrid (big.LITTLE) Core architecture normal
No Hyperthreading Yes
No Overclocking ? Yes
0.60 GHz (3.20 GHz)
16x Firestorm
A-Core 3.40 GHz (4.90 GHz)
0.60 GHz (2.06 GHz)
4x Icestorm
B-Core --

NPU AI performance

The performance values of the processor's AI unit. The isolated NPU performance is specified here, the total AI performance (NPU+CPU+iGPU) can be higher. Processors with support for artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) can process many calculations, especially audio, image and video processing, much faster than classic processors.

Apple M1 Ultra (64-GPU) Characteristic AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
Apple Neural Engine AI hardware --
32 Neural cores @ 22 TOPS AI specifications --
-- NPU + CPU + iGPU --

Integrated graphics (iGPU)

The Apple M1 Ultra (64-GPU) 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 Ultra (64 Core) GPU no iGPU
0.39 GHz GPU frequency --
1.30 GHz GPU (Turbo) --
1 GPU Generation --
5 nm Technology
5 Max. displays
1024 Compute units --
8192 Shader --
No Hardware Raytracing No
No Frame Generation No
64 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 Ultra (64 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

The Apple M1 Ultra (64-GPU) can use up to 128 GB of memory in 8 memory channels. The maximum memory bandwidth is 819.2 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.

Apple M1 Ultra (64-GPU) Characteristic AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
LPDDR5-6400 Memory DDR4-3200
128 GB Max. Memory 128 GB
8 (Octa Channel) Memory channels 2 (Dual Channel)
819.2 GB/s Max. Bandwidth 51.2 GB/s
No ECC Yes
52.00 MB L2 Cache 8.00 MB
-- L3 Cache 64.00 MB
4.0 PCIe version 4.0
-- PCIe lanes 20
-- PCIe Bandwidth 39.4 GB/s

Thermal Management

The thermal design power (TDP for short) of the Apple M1 Ultra (64-GPU) is 60 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.

Apple M1 Ultra (64-GPU) Characteristic AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
60 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 105 W
-- TDP (PL2) 142 W
120 W TDP up --
-- TDP down --
-- Tjunction max. 95 °C

Technical details

The Apple M1 Ultra (64-GPU) is manufactured in 5 nm and has 52.00 MB cache. The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X is manufactured in 7 nm and has a 72.00 MB cache.

Apple M1 Ultra (64-GPU) Characteristic AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
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
Q1/2022 Release date Q4/2020
-- Release price 799 $
show more data show more data


Rate these processors

Here you can rate the Apple M1 Ultra (64-GPU) to help other visitors make their purchasing decisions. The average rating is 3.1 stars (7 ratings). Rate now:
Here you can rate the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X to help other visitors make their purchasing decisions. The average rating is 4.7 stars (88 ratings). Rate now:

Average performance in benchmarks

Single core performance in 4 CPU benchmarks
Apple M1 Ultra (64-GPU) (98%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X (95%)
Multi core performance in 6 CPU benchmarks
Apple M1 Ultra (64-GPU) (93%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X (86%)

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 Ultra (64-GPU) Apple M1 Ultra (64-GPU)
20C 20T @ 3.20 GHz
114 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
16C 32T @ 4.90 GHz
99 (87%)

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 Ultra (64-GPU) Apple M1 Ultra (64-GPU)
20C 20T @ 3.20 GHz
1624 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
16C 32T @ 4.90 GHz
1494 (92%)

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 Ultra (64-GPU) Apple M1 Ultra (64-GPU)
20C 20T @ 3.20 GHz
1534 (93%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
16C 32T @ 4.90 GHz
1644 (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 Ultra (64-GPU) Apple M1 Ultra (64-GPU)
20C 20T @ 3.20 GHz
24189 (85%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
16C 32T @ 4.20 GHz
28577 (100%)

Geekbench 6 (Single-Core)

Geekbench 6 is a partial load benchmark for modern computers, notebooks and smartphones. In the single-core test, only the fastest CPU core is measured. The test run simulates the performance in practice.
Apple M1 Ultra (64-GPU) Apple M1 Ultra (64-GPU)
20C 20T @ 3.20 GHz
2397 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
16C 32T @ 4.90 GHz
2225 (93%)

Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core)

The practical Geekbench 6 multi-core benchmark tests the system's performance under partial load. The processor's maximum power consumption is far from being used up.
Apple M1 Ultra (64-GPU) Apple M1 Ultra (64-GPU)
20C 20T @ 3.20 GHz
23970 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
16C 32T @ 4.20 GHz
13325 (56%)

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 Ultra (64-GPU) Apple M1 Ultra (64-GPU)
20C 20T @ 3.20 GHz
1793 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
16C 32T @ 4.90 GHz
1759 (98%)

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 Ultra (64-GPU) Apple M1 Ultra (64-GPU)
20C 20T @ 3.20 GHz
24055 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
16C 32T @ 4.20 GHz
16606 (69%)

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 Ultra (64-GPU) Apple M1 Ultra (64-GPU)
20C 20T @ 3.20 GHz
379 (82%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
16C 32T @ 4.20 GHz
461 (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 Ultra (64-GPU) Apple M1 Ultra (64-GPU)
20C 20T @ 3.20 GHz
41059 (89%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
16C 32T @ 4.20 GHz
45910 (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.
Apple M1 Ultra (64-GPU) Apple M1 Ultra (64-GPU)
20C 20T @ 3.20 GHz
0 (0%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
16C 32T @ 4.90 GHz
647 (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 Ultra (64-GPU) Apple M1 Ultra (64-GPU)
20C 20T @ 3.20 GHz
0 (0%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
16C 32T @ 4.20 GHz
10428 (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 Ultra (64-GPU) Apple M1 Ultra (64-GPU)
Apple M1 Ultra (64 Core) @ 1.30 GHz
21200 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
@ 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 Ultra (64-GPU) Apple M1 Ultra (64-GPU)
20C 20T @ 3.20 GHz
0 (0%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
16C 32T @ 4.90 GHz
671 (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 Ultra (64-GPU) Apple M1 Ultra (64-GPU)
20C 20T @ 0.60 GHz
0 (0%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
16C 32T @ 3.40 GHz
12265 (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 Ultra (64-GPU) Apple M1 Ultra (64-GPU)
20C 20T @ 3.20 GHz
0 (0%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
16C 32T @ 4.90 GHz
277 (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 Ultra (64-GPU) Apple M1 Ultra (64-GPU)
20C 20T @ 3.20 GHz
0 (0%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
16C 32T @ 4.20 GHz
4569 (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 Ultra (64-GPU) Apple M1 Ultra (64-GPU)
0.60 GHz
0 (0%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
28,577 CB R23 MC @ 153 W
186 (100%)

AI performance (NPU)

The performance values of the processor's AI unit. The isolated NPU performance is given here, the total AI performance (NPU+CPU+iGPU) can be higher.

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 Ultra (64-GPU) Apple M1 Ultra (64-GPU)
20C 20T @ 0.60 GHz
22 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 9 5950X AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
16C 32T @ 3.40 GHz
0 (0%)

Devices using this processor

Apple M1 Ultra (64-GPU) AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
Apple Mac Studio (2022) Unknown

News and articles for the Apple M1 Ultra (64-GPU) and the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X

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.
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.
AMD Ryzen 5 7600X and AMD Ryzen 7 7800X are coming in September
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
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 !

Popular comparisons containing this CPUs

1. Intel Core i9-12900KAMD Ryzen 9 5950X Intel Core i9-12900K vs AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
2. AMD Ryzen 9 5950XAMD Ryzen 9 5900X AMD Ryzen 9 5950X vs AMD Ryzen 9 5900X
3. AMD Ryzen 9 5950XAMD Ryzen 9 3950X AMD Ryzen 9 5950X vs AMD Ryzen 9 3950X
4. AMD Ryzen 9 5950XIntel Core i9-10900K AMD Ryzen 9 5950X vs Intel Core i9-10900K
5. Apple M1AMD Ryzen 9 5950X Apple M1 vs AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
6. AMD Ryzen 9 5950XIntel Core i9-11900K AMD Ryzen 9 5950X vs Intel Core i9-11900K
7. AMD Ryzen 9 5950XAMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D AMD Ryzen 9 5950X vs AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D
8. AMD Ryzen 9 7950XAMD Ryzen 9 5950X AMD Ryzen 9 7950X vs AMD Ryzen 9 5950X
9. AMD Ryzen 9 5950XAMD Ryzen 9 3900X AMD Ryzen 9 5950X vs AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
10. AMD Ryzen 9 5950XAMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X AMD Ryzen 9 5950X vs AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3990X


back to index