Between the M4 and Ryzen 7 9700X3D, the M4 comes out ahead in tdp and cores, while the Ryzen 7 9700X3D wins on l3 cache and cinebench r23 (multi). Overall, the M4 scores 45.9 and the Ryzen 7 9700X3D scores 52.6 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
The Ryzen 7 9700X3D edges ahead on the Mars Score (45.9 vs 52.6), but the 6.7-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.
Pick the M4 if you care most about tdp and cores. The biggest gaps in its favor are tdp, cores.
Pick the Ryzen 7 9700X3D if you push the hardware — gaming, on-device AI, heavy multitasking — and the extra compute headroom is worth the trade-offs. Its strongest claims are l3 cache, cinebench r23 (multi), boost clock.
There are no meaningful ties on the headline specs — every popular-comparison metric has a winner.
Bottom line: the Ryzen 7 9700X3D is the safer default. The other model is the right choice only when its specific advantages line up with your priorities.
Why Apple - M4 wins
- ▲TDP — 98.00 W less. 22 vs 120.
- ▲Cores — 25.00% more. 10 vs 8.
Why AMD - Ryzen 7 9700X3D wins
- ▲L3 cache — 500.00% more. 96 MB vs 16 MB.
- ▲Cinebench R23 (multi) — 35.71% more. 22800 vs 16800.
- ▲Boost clock — 22.73% more. 5.4 GHz vs 4.4 GHz.
Spec comparison
Cores
| Spec | Apple - M4 | AMD - Ryzen 7 9700X3D |
|---|---|---|
| Coresⓘ | 10lead | 8 |
| Threadsⓘ | 10 | 16lead |
| Base clockⓘ | 0 GHz | 4.4 GHzlead |
| Boost clockⓘ | 4.4 GHz | 5.4 GHzlead |
| L3 cacheⓘ | 16 MB | 96 MBlead |
Platform
| Spec | Apple - M4 | AMD - Ryzen 7 9700X3D |
|---|---|---|
| Socketⓘ | Soldered | AM5 |
| TDPⓘ | 22 Wlead | 120 W |
| Integrated graphicsⓘ | true | true |
| DDR5ⓘ | true | true |
Benchmarks
| Spec | Apple - M4 | AMD - Ryzen 7 9700X3D |
|---|---|---|
| Cinebench R23 (multi)ⓘ | 16800 | 22800lead |
| Cinebench R23 (single)ⓘ | 2110 | 2200lead |
Frequently asked
Spec-level deep dives
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