Apple M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU) vs AMD Ryzen 9 9950X

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CPU comparison with benchmarks


Apple M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU) CPU1 vs CPU2 AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
Apple M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU) AMD Ryzen 9 9950X

CPU comparison

Apple M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU) or AMD Ryzen 9 9950X - 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 M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU) has 28 cores with 28 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 4.06 GHz. Up to 256 GB of memory is supported in 8 memory channels. The Apple M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU) was released in Q1/2025.

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X has 16 cores with 32 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 5.70 GHz. The CPU supports up to 256 GB of memory in 2 memory channels. The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X was released in Q3/2024.
Apple M series (32) Family AMD Ryzen 9 (47)
Apple M3 Ultra (2) CPU group AMD Ryzen 9000 (9)
3 Generation 7
M3 Architecture Granite Ridge (Zen 5)
Desktop Segment Desktop
Apple M2 Ultra (60-GPU) Predecessor AMD Ryzen 9 7950X
-- Successor --

CPU Cores and Base Frequency

The Apple M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU) has 28 CPU cores and can calculate 28 threads in parallel. The clock frequency of the Apple M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU) is 0.70 GHz (4.06 GHz) while the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X has 16 CPU cores and 32 threads can calculate simultaneously. The clock frequency of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X is at 4.30 GHz (5.70 GHz).

Apple M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU) Characteristic AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
28 Cores 16
28 Threads 32
hybrid (big.LITTLE) Core architecture normal
No Hyperthreading Yes
No Overclocking ? Yes
0.70 GHz (4.06 GHz)
20x Palma P-Core
A-Core 4.30 GHz (5.70 GHz)
16x Zen 5
0.74 GHz (2.75 GHz)
8x Palma E-Core
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 M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU) Characteristic AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
Apple Neural Engine AI hardware --
32 Neural cores @ 70 TOPS AI specifications --
-- NPU + CPU + iGPU --

Integrated graphics (iGPU)

The Apple M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU) or AMD Ryzen 9 9950X 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 M3 Ultra (60 Core) GPU AMD Radeon Graphics (Raphael)
0.39 GHz GPU frequency 0.40 GHz
1.40 GHz GPU (Turbo) 2.20 GHz
-- GPU Generation 9
3 nm Technology 5 nm
8 Max. displays 3
960 Compute units 2
7680 Shader 128
Yes Hardware Raytracing No
No Frame Generation No
256 GB Max. GPU Memory 8 GB
-- DirectX Version 12

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 M3 Ultra (60 Core) GPU AMD Radeon Graphics (Raphael)
Decode / Encode Codec h265 / HEVC (8 bit) Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode Codec h265 / HEVC (10 bit) Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode Codec h264 Decode / Encode
Decode / Encode Codec VP9 Decode / Encode
Decode Codec VP8 Decode / Encode
Decode Codec AV1 Decode
Decode Codec AVC Decode / Encode
Decode Codec VC-1 Decode
Decode / Encode Codec JPEG Decode / Encode

Memory & PCIe

The Apple M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU) can use up to 256 GB of memory in 8 memory channels. The maximum memory bandwidth is 818.7 GB/s. The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X supports up to 256 GB of memory in 2 memory channels and achieves a memory bandwidth of up to 89.6 GB/s.

Apple M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU) Characteristic AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
LPDDR5-6400 Memory DDR5-5600
256 GB Max. Memory 256 GB
8 (Octa Channel) Memory channels 2 (Dual Channel)
818.7 GB/s Max. Bandwidth 89.6 GB/s
No ECC Yes
80.00 MB L2 Cache 16.00 MB
-- L3 Cache 64.00 MB
4.0 PCIe version 5.0
-- PCIe lanes 24
-- PCIe Bandwidth 94.5 GB/s

Thermal Management

The thermal design power (TDP for short) of the Apple M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU) is 115 W, while the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X has a TDP of 170 W. The TDP specifies the necessary cooling solution that is required to cool the processor sufficiently.

Apple M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU) Characteristic AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
115 W TDP (PL1 / PBP) 170 W
-- TDP (PL2) 230 W
-- TDP up --
-- TDP down --
100 °C Tjunction max. 95 °C

Technical details

The Apple M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU) is manufactured in 3 nm and has 80.00 MB cache. The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X is manufactured in 4 nm and has a 80.00 MB cache.

Apple M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU) Characteristic AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
3 nm Technology 4 nm
Monolithic Chip design Chiplet
Armv8-A (64 bit) Instruction set (ISA) x86-64 (64 bit)
Rosetta 2 x86-Emulation ISA extensions SSE4a, SSE4.1, SSE4.2,FMA3, AVX2, AVX512
-- Socket AM5 (LGA 1718)
Apple Virtualization Framework Virtualization AMD-V, SVM
Yes AES-NI Yes
macOS, iPadOS Operating systems Windows 10, Windows 11, Linux
Q1/2025 Release date Q3/2024
-- Release price 649 $
show more data show more data


Rate these processors

Here you can rate the Apple M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU) to help other visitors make their purchasing decisions. The average rating is 3.4 stars (5 ratings). Rate now:
Here you can rate the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X to help other visitors make their purchasing decisions. The average rating is 3.5 stars (547 ratings). Rate now:

Average performance in benchmarks

Single core performance in 3 CPU benchmarks
Apple M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU) (93%)
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X (100%)
Multi core performance in 3 CPU benchmarks
Apple M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU) (99%)
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X (82%)

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 M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU) Apple M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU)
28C 28T @ 4.06 GHz
141 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
16C 32T @ 5.70 GHz
139 (99%)

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 M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU) Apple M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU)
28C 28T @ 4.06 GHz
2700 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
16C 32T @ 5.70 GHz
2340 (87%)

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 M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU) Apple M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU)
28C 28T @ 4.06 GHz
1968 (87%)
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
16C 32T @ 5.70 GHz
2262 (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 M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU) Apple M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU)
28C 28T @ 3.60 GHz
42000 (98%)
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
16C 32T @ 5.00 GHz
42871 (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 M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU) Apple M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU)
28C 28T @ 4.06 GHz
3125 (92%)
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
16C 32T @ 5.70 GHz
3410 (100%)

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 M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU) Apple M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU)
28C 28T @ 3.60 GHz
39000 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
16C 32T @ 5.00 GHz
22430 (58%)

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 M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU) Apple M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU)
Apple M3 Ultra (60 Core) @ 1.40 GHz
21300 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
AMD Radeon Graphics (Raphael) @ 2.20 GHz
563 (3%)

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 M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU) Apple M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU)
28C 28T @ 4.06 GHz
2150 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
16C 32T @ 5.70 GHz
0 (0%)

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 M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU) Apple M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU)
28C 28T @ 3.60 GHz
42000 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
16C 32T @ 5.00 GHz
0 (0%)

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 M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU) Apple M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU)
28C 28T @ 3.60 GHz
0 (0%)
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
16C 32T @ 5.00 GHz
66972 (100%)

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 M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU) Apple M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU)
28C 28T @ 4.06 GHz
0 (0%)
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
16C 32T @ 5.70 GHz
900 (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 M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU) Apple M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU)
28C 28T @ 0.70 GHz
0 (0%)
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
16C 32T @ 4.30 GHz
17108 (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 M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU) Apple M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU)
0.70 GHz
0 (0%)
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
42,871 CB R23 MC @ 195 W
220 (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 M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU) Apple M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU)
28C 28T @ 0.70 GHz
70 (100%)
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
16C 32T @ 4.30 GHz
0 (0%)

Devices using this processor

Apple M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU) AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
Apple Mac Studio (2025) Unknown

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