Apple M1 vs AMD Ryzen 5 3600X

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   Let's say you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a decision by looking at the Apple M1 vs AMD Ryzen 5 3600X tests and see which is better for games or simple use for streaming, video editing, rendering, programming, machine learning. Here is useful information from several benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A thorough analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to read, is made by the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in software tests such as GeekBench 6, 5.2, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, MATLAB, Blender, Dolphin Emulator, RealBench, UserBenchmark, 3DMark, VeraCrypt, SuperPi, Gears 5, PCMark 10, Blender, PassMark, Handbrake, WPrime, AIDA64, Prime95, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), 7zip, Furmark, DaVinci Resolve Studio.
   And how good the CPUs are in games:

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

After looking at the data of all benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which CPU is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 5 3600X or Apple M1.

Summary benchmark results

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

56%

Ryzen 5 3600X

55%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, M1 is 1% better than Ryzen 5 3600X. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

54%

Ryzen 5 3600X

54%

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

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	95.8	96.0
Valorant	108.9	109.1
Cyberpunk 2077	61.0	61.1
Apex Legends	102.4	102.6
Call of Duty Warzone	81.7	81.9
Overwatch	88.2	88.4
Red Dead Redemption 2	75.1	75.3
DOOM Eternal	54.5	54.6
Warzone	84.9	85.1
Assassin's Creed	91.5	91.7
Valheim	90.4	90.6

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 video cards and different amounts of RAM. 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. To be sure exactly how much performance 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

388%

Ryzen 5 3600X

47%

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 5 3600X since it has less power consumption: 15W vs. 95W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. And TDP should be taken into account when choosing a processor cooling system. 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

Let's say you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for streaming, programming, machine learning, video editing or video rendering, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum efficiency, the processor includes all cores and threads that it has. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the software you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that can use only one core to run, and all the advantages of multi-core mode turns out to be unnecessary.

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

	Apple M1	AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
Cinbench 15 Single-core	209	204
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1163	1647
Cinbench 20 Single-core	402	501
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	1987	3751
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1512	1286
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	7782	9588

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

	Apple M1	AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
Single-Core	3413	2651
Multi-Core	22028	18377

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

	Apple M1	AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
Single-Core	1746	1341
Multi-Core	7683	7891

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most useful. The newer the processor, the longer it will last you. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system later. The same can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS in new games. Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer. The savings are obvious!

	Apple M1	AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
Announcement date	October 01, 2020	July 07, 2019
Type	Laptop	Desktop
Socket	M1	AM4
Core name	4x Firestorm;4x Icestorm	Matisse
Architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)	Zen 2
Generation	1	3
Turbo Frequency		4.4 MHz
Frequency	3.2 MHz	3.8 MHz
Cores	8	6
Threads	16	12
Bus rate
Bit	64	64
Lithography	5 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	16000 millions	4200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	15 W	95 W
Memory type	LPDDR4 - Up to 4266MHz	DDR4
Max. Memory
Memory Frequency	4266	3200
Memory bandwidth
L1 cache	2MB	384KB
L2 cache	16MB	3MB
L3 cache		32MB
Overclocking	No	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number	APL1102	100-000000022 100-100000022BOX 100-100000022MPK

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here Ryzen 5 3600X is 15% better than M1 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that M1 has 2 more core than Ryzen 5 3600X. Also keep in mind that high CPU frequency affects battery life through power consumption (relevant for laptops).

Result:
The number of parameters for which Apple M1 is better: 12
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 5 3600X is better: 23
Although it should be realized that the summary data that you have looked at here do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch the testing video and read the reviews of of people who bought Apple M1 and AMD Ryzen 5 3600X before deciding which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

• Apple M1 specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 5 3600X specs and review.