AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X vs Apple M1

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   Perhaps you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a decision after reading the full tests AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X vs Apple M1 and understand which is better for games or normal use for machine learning, programming, rendering, streaming, video editing. Here is all information from real video editing and streaming tests or many benchmarks. A careful review of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to read, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests such as PassMark, MATLAB, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), VeraCrypt, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Gears 5, PCMark 10, 7zip, Dolphin Emulator, Blender, AIDA64, SuperPi, Blender, 3DMark, RealBench, Handbrake, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Furmark, UserBenchmark, Prime95, DaVinci Resolve Studio, WPrime.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After reading the results these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming Apple M1 or AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X.

Summary benchmark results

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

Ryzen Threadripper 2990X

58%

56%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen Threadripper 2990X is 3% better than M1. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

Ryzen Threadripper 2990X

60%

54%

For the maximum in this test, the results of the most powerful processor in the site database are taken. And of course, this is a server processor, on which no one will run 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, just 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: Hitman 3, League of Legends (LOL), NBA 2K20, Half-Life: Alyx, DOTA 2A, Monster Hunter World, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Battlefield V, Horizon Zero Dawn, Metro Exodus, Ghostrunner, Forza Horizon 4, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Control, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Shadow of the Tomb Raider.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	106.0	95.8
Valorant	120.5	108.9
Cyberpunk 2077	67.5	61.0
Apex Legends	113.3	102.4
Call of Duty Warzone	90.4	81.7
Overwatch	97.6	88.2
Red Dead Redemption 2	83.1	75.1
DOOM Eternal	60.2	54.5
Warzone	94.0	84.9
Assassin's Creed	101.2	91.5
Valheim	100.0	90.4

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 comparing not only were the equipped with different amounts of RAM and different video cards. But users also tested them at different screen resolutions: 2K, 4K or FullHD. Therefore, 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 compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

Ryzen Threadripper 2990X

15%

388%

To make a finishing resolution on which processor is better, you should also consider the generation of its core. It is clear that the newer the generation, the better the performance of the processor in games and benchmarks, as well as its energy efficiency. In this case the M1 is more energy efficient than the Ryzen Threadripper 2990X since it has less power consumption: 250W vs. 15W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, it will be useful to know its TDP. It is necessary to calculate so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

Let's say you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video rendering or video editing, machine learning, streaming, programming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum performance, the CPU includes all threads and cores that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using 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 can use only one core to work, and all the advantages 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 Threadripper 2990X	Apple M1
Cinbench 15 Single-core	168	209
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2982	1163
Cinbench 20 Single-core	410	402
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	6721	1987
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1033	1512
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	18752	7782

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

	AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X	Apple M1
Single-Core	2262	3413
Multi-Core	26548	22028

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

	AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X	Apple M1
Single-Core	1125	1746
Multi-Core	17679	7683

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the the possibility of overclocking it and release date of the processor. 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 benefits from the presence of overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will still be able to produce maximum FPS even in new games. It turns out that there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X	Apple M1
Announcement date	August 13, 2018	October 01, 2020
Type	Desktop	Laptop
Socket	TR4	M1
Core name	Colfax	4x Firestorm;4x Icestorm
Architecture	Zen+	hybrid (big.LITTLE)
Generation	2	1
Turbo Frequency	4.2 MHz
Frequency	3.4 MHz	3.2 MHz
Cores	32	8
Threads	64	16
Bus rate
Bit	64	64
Lithography	12 nm	5 nm
Transistors count	18800 millions	16000 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	250 W	15 W
Memory type	DDR4	LPDDR4 - Up to 4266MHz
Max. Memory
Memory Frequency	2933	4266
Memory bandwidth
L1 cache	3MB	2MB
L2 cache	16MB	16MB
L3 cache	64MB
Overclocking	Yes	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	YD299XAZUIHAF YD299XAZAFWOF	APL1102

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Ryzen Threadripper 2990X is 5% better than M1 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that Ryzen Threadripper 2990X has 24 more core than M1. 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 Threadripper 2990X is better: 26
The number of parameters for which Apple M1 is better: 8
Although it should be understood that all the number in the table above do not mean that taking them into account you should totally trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch the video tests and read the reviews of real owners of AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X and Apple M1 before making a choice which of the processors to buy for gaming.

• AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2990X specs and review.

• Apple M1 specs and review.