Intel Xeon 6980P vs Apple M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU)

Intel Xeon 6980P or Apple M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU) - 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 Intel Xeon 6980P has 128 cores with 256 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 3.90 GHz. Up to 3072 GB of memory is supported in 12 memory channels. The Intel Xeon 6980P was released in Q3/2024.

The Apple M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU) has 28 cores with 28 threads and clocks with a maximum frequency of 4.06 GHz. The CPU supports up to 256 GB of memory in 8 memory channels. The Apple M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU) was released in Q1/2025.

The Intel Xeon 6980P has 128 CPU cores and can calculate 256 threads in parallel. The clock frequency of the Intel Xeon 6980P is 2.00 GHz (3.90 GHz) while the Apple M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU) has 28 CPU cores and 28 threads can calculate simultaneously. The clock frequency of the Apple M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU) is at 0.70 GHz (4.06 GHz).

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.

The Intel Xeon 6980P or Apple M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU) 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.

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.

The Intel Xeon 6980P can use up to 3072 GB of memory in 12 memory channels. The maximum memory bandwidth is 614.4 GB/s. The Apple M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU) supports up to 256 GB of memory in 8 memory channels and achieves a memory bandwidth of up to 818.7 GB/s.

The thermal design power (TDP for short) of the Intel Xeon 6980P is 500 W, while the Apple M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU) has a TDP of 115 W. The TDP specifies the necessary cooling solution that is required to cool the processor sufficiently.

The Intel Xeon 6980P is manufactured in 5 nm and has 504.00 MB cache. The Apple M3 Ultra (28-CPU 60-GPU) is manufactured in 3 nm and has a 80.00 MB cache.