Apple M2 vs AMD Ryzen 5 6600U

Processor comparisons   20-10-2022
   Perhaps you are thinking about choosing a CPU, you will be able to make a choice by looking at the Apple M2 vs AMD Ryzen 5 6600U tests and see which is better for games or normal use for video editing, programming, machine learning, rendering, streaming. Here you can find useful information from many benchmarks or real video editing and streaming tests. 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 software tests like Furmark, Handbrake, SuperPi, Blender, VeraCrypt, GeekBench 6, 5.2, MATLAB, DaVinci Resolve Studio, 3DMark, UserBenchmark, PCMark 10, Cinebench 23 (20, 15), Gears 5, Prime95, Dolphin Emulator, AIDA64, World of Tanks enCore Benchmark, Blender, WPrime, 7zip, RealBench, PassMark.
   Gaming performance of processors in:

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

After reading the results of all benchmarks and videos, you can already make an briefed decision about which processor is better to buy for gaming AMD Ryzen 5 6600U or Apple M2.

Summary benchmark results

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

59%

Ryzen 5 6600U

57%

This parameter shows the performance of the processors in single-threaded and multi-threaded mode. In this comparison, M2 is 3% better than Ryzen 5 6600U. The data source is several popular tests. More detailed information of the benchmarks is below.

Gaming performance
Summary result of all game benchmarks.

55%

Ryzen 5 6600U

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 play games. Because this processor costs several tens of thousands of dollars. And if it seems to you that the selected CPU has a little game result, look at the FPS that it produces in real games in the summary table below.
List of other games in which CPU comparisons were performed: Resident Evil 7 Biohazard, Battlefield V, Microsoft Flight Simulator, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Monster Hunter World, League of Legends (LOL), PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), Control, Forza Horizon 4, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS GO), Metro Exodus, Ghostrunner, DOTA 2A, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Half-Life: Alyx, Horizon Zero Dawn, Hitman 3, NBA 2K20.

Gaming benchmark

Fortnite	97.4	96.0
Valorant	110.7	109.1
Cyberpunk 2077	62.0	61.1
Apex Legends	104.1	102.5
Call of Duty Warzone	83.0	81.8
Overwatch	89.7	88.3
Red Dead Redemption 2	76.4	75.3
DOOM Eternal	55.4	54.5
Warzone	86.4	85.1
Assassin's Creed	93.0	91.6
Valheim	91.9	90.5

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

Power consumption

535%

Ryzen 5 6600U

313%

To make a finishing choice 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 M2 is more energy efficient than the Ryzen 5 6600U since it has less power consumption: 12W vs. 15W. Power consumption is particularly important for laptops. Also, when choosing a processor cooling system, you must know its TDP. It is necessary to count so that the TDP data specified in the cooler specification is greater than the TDP of the compared processor.

Software benchmarks

If you plan to use the processor not only for gaming, but also for machine learning, video editing or video rendering, streaming, programming, then the main parameter for you is its performance in multi-threaded mode. In this mode, to reach maximum efficiency, the processor turns on all cores and threads that it has. You will learn this data from the benchmark tables below. Before using the data from these tests, be sure to check whether the program you are going to use on your computer supports multi-threaded mode. Since there are still many programs that 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	AMD Ryzen 5 6600U
Cinbench 15 Single-core	298	226
Cinbench 15 Multi-core	1586	2178
Cinbench 20 Single-core	558	525
Cinbench 20 Multi-core	2699	4771
Cinbench 23 Single-core	2057	1356
Cinbench 23 Multi-core	10520	12138

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

	Apple M2	AMD Ryzen 5 6600U
Single-Core	4095	2902
Multi-Core	29665	23998

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

	Apple M2	AMD Ryzen 5 6600U
Single-Core	1929	1412
Multi-Core	9243	7815

Comparison of specifications

In the specification comparison table, the most useful will be the release date of the processor and the possibility of overclocking it. The newer the processor, the longer it will last in your computer. 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 still be able to produce maximum FPS in the newest games. The savings are obvious! Accordingly, there is no longer a need to buy a new CPU to enjoy the games any longer.

	Apple M2	AMD Ryzen 5 6600U
Announcement date	October 18, 2022	January 09, 2022
Type	Laptop	Laptop
Socket	M2	FP7
Core name	4 x Avalanche and 4 x Blizzard	Rembrandt
Architecture	hybrid (big.LITTLE)	Zen 3+
Generation	2	6
Turbo Frequency		4.5 MHz
Frequency	3.49 MHz	2.9 MHz
Cores	8	6
Threads	8	12
Bus rate
Bit	64	64
Lithography	5 nm	6 nm
Transistors count	20000 millions	10200 millions
Power consumption (TDP)	12 W	15 W
Memory type	LPDDR5 - Up to 6400MHz	DDR5
Max. Memory
Memory Frequency	2400	3200
Memory bandwidth
L1 cache	2MB	384KB
L2 cache	12MB	3MB
L3 cache	16MB	16MB
Overclocking	No	No
Supports ECC	No	No
Part number		FP7:100-000000536 FP7r2:100-000000548

In this comparison block, you should pay attention to the differences in clock speed and the number of cores. Here M2 is 16% better than Ryzen 5 6600U in terms of CPU frequency. Another difference is that M2 has 2 more core than Ryzen 5 6600U. 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 is better: 24
The number of parameters for which AMD Ryzen 5 6600U is better: 9
Although it should be understood that the summary data that you have looked at here do not mean that taking them into account you should completely trust a simple comparison of these figures. Better to watch benchmarks video and read the reviews of real owners of Apple M2 and AMD Ryzen 5 6600U before deciding which of the CPUs to buy for gaming.

Apple M2 - all data

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

• Apple M2 specs and review.

AMD Ryzen 5 6600U - all data

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

• AMD Ryzen 5 6600U specs and review.