AMD
Ryzen 9 9950X
Zen 5 · 16C/32T · 5.7 GHz
96
/ 100
From $649
VS
Ryzen 9 9950X wins by 4
Apple
Apple M4
10C CPU · 10C GPU · Ray-Tracing
92
/ 100
From $1,099
Specdex verdict
Ryzen 9 9950X takes it — here’s why.
In our weighted Specdex score, Ryzen 9 9950X lands at 96 and Apple M4 at 92. That puts Ryzen 9 9950X ahead by 4 points — a narrow margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.
Pick Ryzen 9 9950X if…
- ✓Peak multi-thread performance
- ✓AVX-512 support
- ✓AM5 platform longevity
Pick Apple M4 if…
- ✓Industry-best perf-per-watt
- ✓Hardware ray tracing on iGPU
- ✓LPDDR5X 120 GB/s
Score breakdown
Ryzen 9 9950X
96 single 94
multi 98
gaming 90
efficiency 82
Apple M4
92 single 100
multi 86
gaming 72
efficiency 100
Specs side-by-side
Spec
Ryzen 9 9950X
Apple M4
Cores
16
10 (4P+6E)
Threads
32
—
Base clock
4.3 GHz
—
Boost clock
5.7 GHz
—
L3 cache
64 MB
—
TDP
170 W
—
Socket
AM5
—
Process
TSMC 4 nm
TSMC N3E
iGPU
Radeon Graphics (RDNA2)
—
Memory bandwidth
—
120 GB/s
Neural engine
—
16-core, 38 TOPS
Ryzen 9 9950X
Pros
- +Peak multi-thread performance
- +AVX-512 support
- +AM5 platform longevity
Cons
- −High sustained power draw
- −Needs premium cooling
- −X3D variant better for gaming
Apple M4
Pros
- +Industry-best perf-per-watt
- +Hardware ray tracing on iGPU
- +LPDDR5X 120 GB/s
Cons
- −Only in Apple products
- −Limited Windows gaming
- −Entry-tier 8 GB RAM is tight for ML
FAQ: Ryzen 9 9950X vs Apple M4
Which is better, Ryzen 9 9950X or Apple M4? +
Ryzen 9 9950X scores 96 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 4. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.
Is Ryzen 9 9950X worth the price? +
At $649, Ryzen 9 9950X delivers a Specdex score of 96 — strongest in multi.
Is Apple M4 worth the price? +
At $1,099, Apple M4 delivers a Specdex score of 92 — strongest in single.
Does Ryzen 9 9950X or Apple M4 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.