AMD
Ryzen 7 9800X3D
Zen 5 · 8C/16T · 104 MB cache · Gaming king
95
/ 100
From $479
VS
Apple M5 Max wins by 3
Apple
Apple M5 Max
16C CPU · 40C GPU · 570 GB/s
98
/ 100
From $3,499
Specdex verdict
Apple M5 Max takes it — here’s why.
In our weighted Specdex score, Ryzen 7 9800X3D lands at 95 and Apple M5 Max at 98. That puts Apple M5 Max ahead by 3 points — a narrow margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.
Pick Ryzen 7 9800X3D if…
- ✓Fastest gaming CPU on the planet
- ✓Overclockable unlike prior X3D
- ✓Great efficiency
Pick Apple M5 Max if…
- ✓Leads the industry in perf-per-watt
- ✓128 GB unified memory option
- ✓Best-in-class ML acceleration
Score breakdown
Ryzen 7 9800X3D
95 single 92
multi 86
gaming 100
efficiency 94
Apple M5 Max
98 single 99
multi 98
gaming 85
efficiency 100
Specs side-by-side
Spec
Ryzen 7 9800X3D
Apple M5 Max
Cores
8
16 (12P+4E)
Threads
16
—
Base clock
4.7 GHz
—
Boost clock
5.2 GHz
—
L3 cache
96 MB (3D V-Cache)
—
TDP
120 W
—
Socket
AM5
—
Process
TSMC 4 nm
—
GPU cores
—
40
Memory bandwidth
—
570 GB/s
Neural engine
—
16-core, 60 TOPS
Ryzen 7 9800X3D
Pros
- +Fastest gaming CPU on the planet
- +Overclockable unlike prior X3D
- +Great efficiency
Cons
- −Only 8 cores for productivity
- −AM5 motherboard required
- −Scarce at launch
Apple M5 Max
Pros
- +Leads the industry in perf-per-watt
- +128 GB unified memory option
- +Best-in-class ML acceleration
Cons
- −Macs only, no DIY
- −Expensive
- −Gaming library still limited
FAQ: Ryzen 7 9800X3D vs Apple M5 Max
Which is better, Ryzen 7 9800X3D or Apple M5 Max? +
Apple M5 Max scores 98 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 3. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.
Is Ryzen 7 9800X3D worth the price? +
At $479, Ryzen 7 9800X3D delivers a Specdex score of 95 — strongest in gaming.
Is Apple M5 Max worth the price? +
At $3,499, Apple M5 Max delivers a Specdex score of 98 — strongest in efficiency.
Does Ryzen 7 9800X3D or Apple M5 Max last longer? +
Based on our long-term update and support ratings, both ship with multi-year support. Battery and reliability scores are visible in the breakdown above.