Apple M2 Max vs AMD EPYC 74F3

Processor comparisons 22-10-2022

   Let's say you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a decision by looking at the Apple M2 Max vs AMD EPYC 74F3 tests and see which is better for games or simple use for rendering, video editing, machine learning, streaming, programming. Here you can find useful information from real video editing and streaming tests or different benchmarks. A step-by-step analysis of all the specifications, to make it easier to understand, is summarized in the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in special testing software like RealBench, Furmark, 3DMark, Prime95, AIDA64, DaVinci Resolve Studio, Gears 5, MATLAB, Blender, 7zip, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Dolphin Emulator, UserBenchmark, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), WPrime, PassMark, GeekBench 6, 5.2, VeraCrypt, PCMark 10, Blender, SuperPi, Handbrake.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After looking at the data these benchmarks and videos, you can already make an informed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming AMD EPYC 74F3 or Apple M2 Max.

Summary benchmark results

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

M2 Max

62%

EPYC 74F3

68%

This value shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, EPYC 74F3 is 8% better than M2 Max. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

M2 Max

60%

EPYC 74F3

75%

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 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 little 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: Shadow of the Tomb Raider, NBA 2K20, League of Legends (LOL), Forza Horizon 4, Monster Hunter World, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Half-Life: Alyx, Control, Horizon Zero Dawn, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Metro Exodus, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Hitman 3, Microsoft Flight Simulator, DOTA 2A, Battlefield V, Ghostrunner, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	106.0	132.6
Valorant	120.4	150.7
Cyberpunk 2077	67.4	84.4
Apex Legends	113.2	141.7
Call of Duty Warzone	90.3	113.0
Overwatch	97.5	122.1
Red Dead Redemption 2	83.1	104.0
DOOM Eternal	60.2	75.3
Warzone	93.9	117.5
Assassin's Creed	101.2	126.6
Valheim	99.9	125.1

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 tested computers not only did they have 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. 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

M2 Max

465%

EPYC 74F3

21%

To make a finishing choice 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 M2 Max is more energy efficient than the EPYC 74F3 as it consumes less power: 15W vs. 240W. Power consumption is especially important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must 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

If you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, video editing or video rendering, streaming, programming, then first of all you need to pay attention to the performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to achieve maximum efficiency, the processor uses all threads and cores that it has. You will find out this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to make sure that 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 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

	Apple M2 Max	AMD EPYC 74F3
Cinbench 15 Single-core	389	192
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2220	7450
Cinbench 20 Single-core	761	351
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3801	15779
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2204	845
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	17142	41013

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

	Apple M2 Max	AMD EPYC 74F3
Single-Core	6536	1886
Multi-Core	42246	60154

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

	Apple M2 Max	AMD EPYC 74F3
Single-Core	2096	1553
Multi-Core	17617	43735

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 newer the processor, the longer it will last in your computer. And the easier it will be to upgrade the system in the future. The same can be said about overclocking. If the processor can be overclocked, thereby increasing its performance, then it will continue to maintain maximum FPS even in new games. The economy are obvious! Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Apple M2 Max	AMD EPYC 74F3
Announcement date	October 20, 2022	March 15, 2021
Type	Desktop;Laptop	Server
Socket	M2	SP3
Core name	8x Avalanche and 4x Blizzard	Milan
Architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)	Zen 3
Generation	2	3
Turbo Frequency		4 MHz
Frequency	3.49 MHz	3.2 MHz
Cores	12	24
Threads	12	48
Bus rate
Bit	64	64
Lithography	4 nm	7 nm
Transistors count	68000 millions	62000 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	15 W	240 W
Memory type	LPDDR5 - Up to 6400MHz	DDR4
Max. Memory	64 Gb
Memory Frequency	6400	3200
Memory bandwidth	412 GByte/s	204.8 GB/s
L1 cache	4MB
L2 cache	24MB
L3 cache	48MB	256MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		100-000000317 100-100000317WOF

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here M2 Max is 8% better than EPYC 74F3 in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that EPYC 74F3 has 12 more core than M2 Max. 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 M2 Max is better: 16
The number of parameters for which AMD EPYC 74F3 is better: 20
Although it should be understood that all the figures in the article above do not mean that taking them into account you should totally trust a simple quantitative comparison. Better to watch the testing video and read the opinion of real owners of Apple M2 Max and AMD EPYC 74F3 before making a choice which processor to buy for gaming and which not.

Apple M2 Max - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• Apple M2 Max specs and review.

AMD EPYC 74F3 - all data

• Cinebench r15 score
• Cinebench r20 score
• Cinebench r23 score
• GeekBench 6, 5.2 score

• AMD EPYC 74F3 specs and review.