AMD Ryzen 9 4900U vs Apple M1X

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   Perhaps you can't decide which processor to buy, you can make a decision after reading the detailed tests AMD Ryzen 9 4900U vs Apple M1X and see which is better for games or simple use for machine learning, streaming, programming, video editing, rendering. Here is useful information from several benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A step-by-step analysis of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests like Blender, Dolphin Emulator, Gears 5, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, PassMark, 7zip, Handbrake, 3DMark, Prime95, MATLAB, SuperPi, DaVinci Resolve Studio, GeekBench 6, 5.2, WPrime, Blender, VeraCrypt, UserBenchmark, Furmark, PCMark 10, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), AIDA64, RealBench.
   And how good the processors are in games:

Borderlands 3
World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
DOOM: Eternal
Cyberpunk 2077
Red Dead Redemption 2
Watch Dogs Legion
Rainbow Six Siege
Fallout 76
Grand Theft Auto V
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
Fortnite
Overwatch
Halo Infinite
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone
Valheim
Apex Legends
Last Man Standing
Valorant
Death Stranding

After looking at the data of all benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which CPU is better to buy for gaming Apple M1X or AMD Ryzen 9 4900U.

Summary benchmark results

As a percentage of the maximum value based on a sample from the entire base of all processors
Processor Benchmark

Ryzen 9 4900U

56%

M1X

58%

This shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, M1X is 3% better than Ryzen 9 4900U. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Ryzen 9 4900U

53%

M1X

55%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. And of course, this is a server processor, on which no one will play games. Because the cost of this processor reaches several tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, if you think that the selected CPU has a low game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of less popular games in which processors were compared: NBA 2K20, Hitman 3, Half-Life: Alyx, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Forza Horizon 4, DOTA 2A, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Horizon Zero Dawn, Control, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), League of Legends (LOL), Monster Hunter World, Ghostrunner, Battlefield V, Metro Exodus, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG).

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	94.6	97.6
Valorant	107.5	110.9
Cyberpunk 2077	60.2	62.1
Apex Legends	101.0	104.2
Call of Duty Warzone	80.6	83.2
Overwatch	87.0	89.8
Red Dead Redemption 2	74.1	76.5
DOOM Eternal	53.7	55.4
Warzone	83.8	86.5
Assassin's Creed	90.3	93.1
Valheim	89.2	92.0

The numbers in this table indicate the maximum FPS that was received on the device with the corresponding processor. Depending on the configuration of the computer (RAM size and Video Card) and graphics quality settings (Ultra, Medium, Normal), the results may differ quite significantly. We recommend that you better study the results of the Cinebench, GeekBench and Passmark becnmarks.
The computers participating in the comparisons not only were the equipped with different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, FullHD or 4K. So the game benchmark data is approximate. But all video cards met the average system requirements of games. You will get more accurate information about how powerful the processor will be in games, if you get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Ryzen 9 4900U

267%

M1X

161%

To make a final decision on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. The newer the processor generation, the better its performance in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the Ryzen 9 4900U is more energy efficient than the M1X since it has less power consumption: 15W vs. 35W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful to know its TDP. You need to buy a cooler that has the TDP data specified in the specification was greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

For example you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, streaming, programming, video rendering or video editing, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum performance, the processor turns on all threads and cores that it has. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to find out whether the software that you are going to use on your computer can work in multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that use only one core to run, and all the benefit of multi-core mode are unused.

Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	AMD Ryzen 9 4900U	Apple M1X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	208	270
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1398	2615
Cinbench 20 Single-core	503	629
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3307	5732
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1270	1628
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	10053	14587

Passmark
This popular benchmark displays Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	AMD Ryzen 9 4900U	Apple M1X
Single-Core	2015	3485
Multi-Core	21586	28843

GeekBench 6, 5.2
This benchmark shows Multi-threaded and Single-threaded processor performance

	AMD Ryzen 9 4900U	Apple M1X
Single-Core	1203	1695
Multi-Core	6431	9389

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most useful. The later the processor is released, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about overclocking. When the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in the newest games. Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The economy are obvious!

	AMD Ryzen 9 4900U	Apple M1X
Announcement date	January 12, 2021	February 12, 2021
Type	Laptop	Laptop;Desktop
Socket	FP6	M1X
Core name	Renoir	8x Firestorm;4x Icestorm
Architecture	Zen 2	hybrid (big.LITTLE)
Generation	4	1
Turbo Frequency	4.4 MHz
Frequency	2 MHz	3.2 MHz
Cores	8	12
Threads	16	12
Bus rate
Bit	64	64
Lithography	7 nm	5 nm
Transistors count	8600 millions	24000 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	15 W	35 W
Memory type	DDR4-3200 LPDDR4-4266	LPDDR4 - Up to 4266MHz
Max. Memory	32 Gb
Memory Frequency	4266	4266
Memory bandwidth
L1 cache		12MB
L2 cache	2MB	28MB
L3 cache	8MB	64MB
Overclocking	Yes	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here M1X is 37% better than Ryzen 9 4900U in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that M1X has 4 more core than Ryzen 9 4900U. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 9 4900U is better: 8
The number of parameters for which Apple M1X is better: 27
However, it should be understood that all the data in the text above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch benchmarks video and read the opinion of of people who bought AMD Ryzen 9 4900U and Apple M1X before making a choice which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

• AMD Ryzen 9 4900U specs and review.

• Apple M1X specs and review.