Apple M2 Max vs AMD Ryzen 9 6980HS

Processor comparisons   22-10-2022
   Let's say you can't decide which CPU to buy, you can make a choice after reading the full tests Apple M2 Max vs AMD Ryzen 9 6980HS and decide which is better for games or simple use for rendering, machine learning, streaming, video editing, programming. Here is useful information from several benchmarks or real streaming and video editing tests. A careful review of all the specifications, so that it can be easier to understand, is presented in the form of the table.
   From the video comparison, you can get the results of parallel examination in synthetic type tests like Prime95, DaVinci Resolve Studio, PCMark 10, VeraCrypt, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, 3DMark, 7zip, RealBench, Furmark, MATLAB, GeekBench 6, 5.2, Blender, Blender, Handbrake, SuperPi, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), WPrime, Dolphin Emulator, UserBenchmark, PassMark, Gears 5, AIDA64.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

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 6980HS 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%

Ryzen 9 6980HS

58%

This parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, M2 Max is 6% better than Ryzen 9 6980HS. 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%

Ryzen 9 6980HS

55%

The maximum result in this parameter is 100 percent, which is the performance of the most powerful processor currently available. 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. 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: PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), League of Legends (LOL), Half-Life: Alyx, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Hitman 3, Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Metro Exodus, DOTA 2A, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Control, Battlefield V, Ghostrunner, Horizon Zero Dawn, Forza Horizon 4, Monster Hunter World, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), NBA 2K20.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	106.0	97.3
Valorant	120.4	110.6
Cyberpunk 2077	67.4	61.9
Apex Legends	113.2	103.9
Call of Duty Warzone	90.3	82.9
Overwatch	97.5	89.5
Red Dead Redemption 2	83.1	76.3
DOOM Eternal	60.2	55.3
Warzone	93.9	86.2
Assassin's Creed	101.2	92.9
Valheim	99.9	91.8

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: FullHD, 2K or 4K. 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 get acquainted with the benchmarks that are made with the same video card that is installed in your computer.

Power consumption

M2 Max

465%

Ryzen 9 6980HS

156%

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 M2 Max is more energy efficient than the Ryzen 9 6980HS since it has less power consumption: 15W vs. 35W. 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

If you want to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for video editing or video rendering, streaming, programming, machine learning, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum efficiency, the processor 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 turns out to be unnecessary.
Cinebench 23, 20 an 15
The results of this benchmark show Single-threaded and Multi-threaded CPU performance

	Apple M2 Max	AMD Ryzen 9 6980HS
Cinbench 15 Single-core	389	261
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	2220	2536
Cinbench 20 Single-core	761	610
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	3801	5559
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2204	1578
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	17142	14146

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

	Apple M2 Max	AMD Ryzen 9 6980HS
Single-Core	6536	3379
Multi-Core	42246	27970

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

	Apple M2 Max	AMD Ryzen 9 6980HS
Single-Core	2096	1643
Multi-Core	17617	9105

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the processor release date and overclocking capability will be the most helpful. The later the processor is released, 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 in new games. The economy are obvious! It turns out that there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Apple M2 Max	AMD Ryzen 9 6980HS
Announcement date	October 20, 2022	January 09, 2022
Type	Desktop;Laptop	Laptop
Socket	M2	FP7
Core name	8x Avalanche and 4x Blizzard	Rembrandt
Architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)	Zen 3+
Generation	2	6
Turbo Frequency		5 MHz
Frequency	3.49 MHz	3.3 MHz
Cores	12	8
Threads	12	16
Bus rate
Bit	64	64
Lithography	4 nm	6 nm
Transistors count	68000 millions	10200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	15 W	35 W
Memory type	LPDDR5 - Up to 6400MHz	DDR5
Max. Memory	64 Gb
Memory Frequency	6400	3200
Memory bandwidth	412 GByte/s
L1 cache	4MB	512KB
L2 cache	24MB	4MB
L3 cache	48MB	16MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		FP7:100-000000750 FP7r2:100-000000751

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here M2 Max is 5% better than Ryzen 9 6980HS in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that M2 Max has 4 more core than Ryzen 9 6980HS. 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: 29
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 9 6980HS is better: 7
However, it should be realized that all the number in the table above do not mean that you should be guided entirely by them and trust a simple quantitative comparison. Be sure to watch the video tests and read the opinion of of people who bought Apple M2 Max and AMD Ryzen 9 6980HS before deciding 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 Ryzen 9 6980HS - all data

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

• AMD Ryzen 9 6980HS specs and review.