Apple M1X vs AMD Ryzen 9 5900

Processor comparisons 17-03-2021

   Perhaps you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a decision after reading the full tests Apple M1X vs AMD Ryzen 9 5900 and decide which is better for games or simple use for rendering, video editing, machine learning, programming, streaming. Here you can find all information from several benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. A thorough analysis of all the technical characteristics, to make it easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the comparison video, you can get the results of joint testing in software tests like Dolphin Emulator, GeekBench 6, 5.2, 3DMark, Gears 5, WPrime, Blender, AIDA64, DaVinci Resolve Studio, 7zip, PCMark 10, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), PassMark, Blender, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Furmark, RealBench, Handbrake, MATLAB, SuperPi, UserBenchmark, VeraCrypt, Prime95.
   And how good the processors are in games:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you already be able to know which CPU is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 9 5900 or Apple M1X.

Summary benchmark results

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

M1X

58%

Ryzen 9 5900

62%

The number of this parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, Ryzen 9 5900 is 6% better than M1X. The data source is several popular tests. Detailed information can be found below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

M1X

55%

Ryzen 9 5900

59%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor at the moment. 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. 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 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	97.6	103.8
Valorant	110.9	118.0
Cyberpunk 2077	62.1	66.1
Apex Legends	104.2	110.9
Call of Duty Warzone	83.2	88.5
Overwatch	89.8	95.6
Red Dead Redemption 2	76.5	81.4
DOOM Eternal	55.4	59.0
Warzone	86.5	92.0
Assassin's Creed	93.1	99.1
Valheim	92.0	97.9

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 compare it in one assembly with the video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

M1X

161%

Ryzen 9 5900

89%

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 M1X is more energy efficient than the Ryzen 9 5900 as it consumes less power: 35W vs. 65W. Power consumption is especially 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 video editing or video rendering, programming, machine learning, streaming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, the CPU includes all threads and cores that it has to the maximum to reach maximum efficiency. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before you take into account the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the software you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Because there are still many programs that 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

	Apple M1X	AMD Ryzen 9 5900
Cinbench 15 Single-core	270	285
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2615	3789
Cinbench 20 Single-core	629	668
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	5732	8653
Cinbench 23 Single-core	1628	1815
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	14587	23790

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

	Apple M1X	AMD Ryzen 9 5900
Single-Core	3485	3487
Multi-Core	28843	39560

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

	Apple M1X	AMD Ryzen 9 5900
Single-Core	1695	1743
Multi-Core	9389	15530

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 in your computer. 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 continue to maintain maximum FPS in new games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, you do not need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Apple M1X	AMD Ryzen 9 5900
Announcement date	February 12, 2021	January 12, 2021
Type	Laptop;Desktop	Desktop
Socket	M1X	AM4
Core name	8x Firestorm;4x Icestorm	Vermeer
Architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)	Zen 3
Generation	1	4
Turbo Frequency		4.7 MHz
Frequency	3.2 MHz	3 MHz
Cores	12	12
Threads	12	24
Bus rate
Bit	64	64
Lithography	5 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	24000 millions	9400 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	35 W	65 W
Memory type	LPDDR4 - Up to 4266MHz	DDR4
Max. Memory
Memory Frequency	4266	3200
Memory bandwidth
L1 cache	12MB
L2 cache	28MB	6MB
L3 cache	64MB	64MB
Overclocking	No	Yes
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		100-000000062

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here M1X is 6% better than Ryzen 9 5900 in terms of CPU frequency. 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 M1X is better: 7
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 9 5900 is better: 26
However, it should be realized that all the data in the text above do not mean that taking them into account you should completely trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch the video tests and read the reviews of real owners of Apple M1X and AMD Ryzen 9 5900 before making a decision which CPU to buy for gaming and which not.

• Apple M1X specs and review.

• AMD Ryzen 9 5900 specs and review.