Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | Apple - M4 Ultra | AMD - Ryzen 5 9600 |
|---|---|---|
| Cores | 32 | 6 |
| Cinebench R23 (multi) | 52600 | 16800 |
| L3 cache | 64 MB | 32 MB |
| TDP | 120 W | 65 W |
| Boost clock | 4.5 GHz | 5.2 GHz |
Between the M4 Ultra and Ryzen 5 9600, the M4 Ultra comes out ahead in cores / cinebench r23 (multi), while the Ryzen 5 9600 wins on tdp / boost clock. Overall, the M4 Ultra scores 63.1 and the Ryzen 5 9600 scores 48 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The M4 Ultra is the clear pick on raw spec strength, leading by 15.1 points on the Mars Score. The margin is wide enough that the underdog only makes sense if its individual strengths line up with what you specifically need.
Pick the M4 Ultra if you push the hardware — gaming, on-device AI, heavy multitasking — and the extra compute headroom is worth the trade-offs. The biggest gaps in its favor are cores, cinebench r23 (multi), l3 cache. The single most decisive one: Cores — 433.33% more. 32 vs 6.
Pick the Ryzen 5 9600 if you care most about tdp / boost clock. Its strongest claims are tdp, boost clock. The single most decisive one: TDP — 55.00 W less. 65 vs 120.
There are no meaningful ties on the headline specs — every popular-comparison metric has a winner.
Bottom line: the M4 Ultra is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Which should you buy: Apple - M4 Ultra or AMD - Ryzen 5 9600?
Apple - M4 Ultra leads the current Mars Score by 15.1 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare cores, boost clock, tdp against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose Apple - M4 Ultra if…
Apple - M4 Ultra has the measurable edge on core count, cinebench r23 multi, cache l3 mb.
Choose AMD - Ryzen 5 9600 if…
AMD - Ryzen 5 9600 has the measurable edge on tdp w, boost clock ghz.
This is a structured comparison of the published catalog values. It is not a claim of identical real-world performance across every workload; use the linked spec drill-downs and methodology page to inspect the inputs.
Why Apple - M4 Ultra wins
- ▲Cores — 433.33% more. 32 vs 6.
- ▲Cinebench R23 (multi) — 213.10% more. 52600 vs 16800.
- ▲L3 cache — 100.00% more. 64 MB vs 32 MB.
Why AMD - Ryzen 5 9600 wins
- ▲TDP — 55.00 W less. 65 vs 120.
- ▲Boost clock — 15.56% more. 5.2 GHz vs 4.5 GHz.
Spec comparison
Cores
| Spec | Apple - M4 Ultra | AMD - Ryzen 5 9600 |
|---|---|---|
| Coresⓘ | 32lead | 6 |
| Threadsⓘ | 32lead | 12 |
| Base clockⓘ | 0 GHz | 3.8 GHzlead |
| Boost clockⓘ | 4.5 GHz | 5.2 GHzlead |
| L3 cacheⓘ | 64 MBlead | 32 MB |
Platform
| Spec | Apple - M4 Ultra | AMD - Ryzen 5 9600 |
|---|---|---|
| Socketⓘ | Soldered | AM5 |
| TDPⓘ | 120 W | 65 Wlead |
| Integrated graphicsⓘ | true | true |
| DDR5ⓘ | true | true |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple - M4 Ultra | AMD - Ryzen 5 9600 |
|---|---|---|
| Cinebench R23 (multi)ⓘ | 52600lead | 16800 |
| Cinebench R23 (single)ⓘ | 2290lead | 2080 |